MovieChat Forums > Blood Diamond (2006) Discussion > I'm confused.

I'm confused.

posted 9 years ago by bassgoilius
3 replies | jump to latest

Why, when Dia is being forced away from his family, is he screaming "Jassie! Mama!" I was wondering if perhaps I missed something and Jassie was his sister's name. I couldn't understand why it appeared that Jassie was Solomon's wife (hence, Dia's mother). When Solomon sees them at the camp, I became even more confused when Maddy says there were only 2 children listed on the manifest. Since Jassie wasn't carrying the baby, I thought they were saying Jassie and the other young lady were the 2 children. But really, I was only confused because of the scene where he's calling his mother by her first name AND also calling out mama.

Also, I don't know much about white (south) Africans. So I don't know if Leo's accent was good or not, going through this board I see differing opinions. However, I have wondered through the years why he keeps being given roles where he is required to have an accent at all. He has never, in any of the movies I've seen him in, been able to maintain his accent throughout. I just really get baffled because I feel like by now, someone should realize it and stop letting (making, asking) him to use an accent. Just my 2 cents.

[–] mikeyg24 9 years ago

In many African tribes children call all the women in the tribe Mother and the older women Grandmother similar to how in the West it's polite for a child to call his parents closest friend Uncle or Aunt. Therefore a child would call his biological Mother Mama Jassie, his neighbour Mama Kendra etc. Now I don't know if that's what was intended here or if the kid just made a mistake but it's possible.

I've had a lot of sobering thoughts in my time Del Boy, it's them that started me drinking!

[–] bassgoilius 9 years ago

Thanks, that makes sense.

[–] zeemaza 8 years ago

He was raised in, the then, Rodesia, which is currently Zimbabwe. The accent is not South African.