Similarities Between Blood Diamond And The Constant Gardener

The political- thrillers Blood Diamond and The Constant Gardener tell two different stories, however both movies deal with the representation of Africa in a Hollywood style. The character development, editing and themes are used to further enhance this Hollywood portrayal.

Ralph Fiennes plays the role of Justin Quayle in The Constant Gardener. Justin, a minor English diplomat, seems to be a meek, unpassionate, passive gentleman; however this image of him is changed as he becomes provoked into trying to find out the truth behind his wife, Tessa’s, death. He is conflicted, as a result of not knowing whether Tessa was faithful to him. Quayle is not the typical hero of a political thriller in that he is very gentle and nurturing. This is revealed both in his constant gardening as well as in his desire to take care of the very passionate Tessa. He is self- sacrificing and steps back to let Tessa do her own work.

Fiennes manages to capture Justin’s reserved side, yet also manages to convey Justin’s passion towards the end of the movie, as he stands up to his colleagues and is no longer satisfied with being controlled and loses his belief in the system. The chemistry between Justin and Tessa also feels real to the viewer. With the development of Justin’s anger and passion, …show more content…
The exploitation occurs mainly due to the interests of the pharmaceutical company KDH, who test the deadly tuberculosis drug, Dypraxia on the Kenyans. Instead of fixing the drug however, they fix the trial as a means to increase the profits of the pharmaceutical company. The Kenyan citizens are viewed as being dispensable. In a scene where Justin is held by the Kenyan government officials, the viewer for the first time realises that exploitation occurs also at the hands of blacks. The government officials are aware of what is going on in their