Lord of War (2005)

Directed by: Andrew Niccol | 122 minutes | action, thriller | Actors: Nicolas Cage, Bridget Moynahan, Jared Leto, Shake Tukhmanyan, Jean-Pierre Nshanian, Jared Burke, Eric Uys, David Shumbris, Stewart Morgan, Jasper Lenz, Kobus Marx, Stephan De Abreu, Jeremy Crutchley, Ian Holm, Tanya Finch

For American Yuri Orlov, trading in weapons is the same as selling vacuum cleaners: he makes agreements, draws up contracts and delivers his products. He does not want to hear that he is responsible for the deaths of thousands, maybe even millions of innocent civilians, after all it is not his struggle.

Yuri is getting better at his craft. He soon finds his way into the criminal and illegal world. He supplies pistols, machine guns and even tanks to the most criminal and infamous leaders in the world and gets respect in return, in addition to a lot of money. Yuri is the best, the fastest, the smartest. He smuggles hundreds of weapons across heavily guarded borders, is always ahead of his competitors and manages to shake off his enemies time and time again. Nothing seems to stop the trader: he is determined. But then he is hit by the only weapon that does anything to him: his great love gets wind of his shady business. When she discovers that her husband is living a double life, Yuri goes under different names, she threatens to leave him.

‘Lord of War’ is a fast, funny but above all impressive action thriller. The strong point is that the film remains realistic despite the many stunts and jokes. Writer and director Andrew Niccol is trying to entertain us, but he also wants to tell us something. The film shows how easy it is to act and how corrupt countries and leaders are. How great is the influence of a world that most people do not know the existence of. The last sentence of the film is striking: arms dealers earn a lot of money, but the biggest traders are countries like America, Germany and France. It’s unimaginable, but ‘Lord of War’ is based on facts. The end of the Cold War released large quantities of weapons in former Soviet states. These were sold to developing countries. Traders became filthy rich in a short time. Illegal arms trade is a huge problem, so it’s no surprise that this creation is supported by Amnesty International. Amnesty hopes to use the publicity to draw attention to illegal arms trafficking around the world.

The telephone conversations between Orlov and his wife are very nicely worked out. She, with her son in the cozy living room, while her husband looks out over the horrific war zone. When Yuri sees someone die one day, he tells his wife that he is having a rough day at the office.

Nicolas Cage seems completely in his element. He’s elegant, when he normally seems so petty. Precisely because Cage has a normal appearance, he comes across as believable. A trader does not have to have a criminal or scruffy appearance: they are cold businessmen in suits with a briefcase in hand. The story is accompanied by Yuri’s voice. He tells his story. Cage’s dry voice is perfect for this, it provides a beautiful contrast. Jared Leto, the arms dealer’s brother, is also convincing. Leto starred in ‘Alexander’, ‘Panic Room’ and ‘Fight Club’ among others. Ethan Hawke, known for ‘Training Day’, has managed to get a smaller role in ‘Lord of War’. He plays the cop who is after Yuri.

‘Lord of War’ is a must for everyone. The story is moving, enlightening, confrontational and direct. In addition to a predominant serious side, the story also has humor. Violence does happen, but it’s not a major factor: it’s just part of it.