Movie Review
Lord of War
Reviewed by Diana DeFazio and Jamey Bradbury
We commend Nicolas Cage for producing and starring in Lord of War, a thought-provoking film written and directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, The Truman Show) about the uncontrolled international arms trade. The film traces the life of Russian immigrant Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) through his ascension from small-time gun dealer to one of the world’s most powerful black-market arms dealers. Along the way, we learn about the worldwide arms trade.
Lord of War opens with a striking film sequence tracing a bullet from the factory to its resting place in the skull of an African child. Yuri explains that “there are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That’s one firearm for every twelve people on the planet.” Just when the viewer is considering that statistic, Yuri declares, “The only question is: How do we arm the other eleven?”
This sets the tone for what is to follow. Throughout the film, the viewer is presented with disturbing insights into the arms trade, but filtered through the eyes of one who sees in each violent conflict an opportunity for profit. Yuri is depressed at the thought of peace, which would spell an end to his immense wealth and power.
It is not often that the protagonist in a film is so unredeemable. But this is what makes the film important: It feels like an honest portrayal of someone who is at the top of his game and does not believe that he has any moral responsibility to stop what he is doing.
Yuri views people as consumers, and these consumers kill objects (other people). While it is revealed that Yuri is repulsed by the gore of killing, it is also clear that he detaches himself from what he sells and what is done with what he sells. Yuri subscribes to the if-I-stop-selling-arms-someone-else-will-take-my-place argument.
One of the most unusual things about this film is that you will be hard-pressed to find a character that you can identify with, let alone like. Even Yuri’s younger brother, Vitaly (played by Jared Leo), who may strike a moral chord with you, is crippled by his addiction to cocaine. Ian Holm adds to the unsettling mix as an older, “moral” arms dealer in competition with Yuri (Holm sells weapons to rebels rather than dictators).
Lord of War is graphically violent, but we felt the violence was warranted and important to conveying the effects of these weapons on real human beings.
Lord of War is an engaging film, with quality cinematography and entertaining dark humor moments. However, we were less engaged by two of the film’s subplots--Yuri’s relationship with his trophy wife, Ava, (played by Bridget Moynahan) and his conflict with Interpol agent Jack Valentine (played by Ethan Hawke). Both felt contrived, the latter seeming more like a made-for-television government procedural than a subplot worthy of a film like this one. In a few places we found ourselves predicting what would happen next, and even worse, guessing exactly what would be said next.
Conveying documentary content in a cinematic drama is hard to pull off, but the makers of Lord of War did a pretty good job, unengaging subplots aside.
Lord of War has received the support of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights organization. Amnesty International’s Control Arms campaign aims to establish strict controls and vigilant monitoring and to expose the role of governments in facilitating human rights abuses through the trade in arms. http://www.amnestyusa.org/lordofwar/.
Entertainment Value: 2 1/2 stars
Meaning: 3 stars
Emotional Impact: 3 stars
Lack of Gratuitous
Violence or Sex: 2 1/2 stars
Lack of Advertising: 2 stars
Overall Quality: 3 stars
(out of 4 stars)