After moving from Odessa, Ukraine, to New York, United States, Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) decides to become an illegal international arms dealer alongside his younger brother Vitaly (Jared Leto). Supplying an ungodly amount of weaponry to disturbed and deprived areas of the world, Yuri quickly becomes a multi-millionaire before marrying and seemingly creating the perfect life, all while being hunted down by a large group of federal agents, spearheaded by Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke). Based on real events, Lord of War manages to give the viewer a brilliantly realistic view of what goes on behind closed doors when it comes to arms dealing.

Director: Andrew Niccol
Writers: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke, Bridget Moynahan

Directed by Andrew Niccol and released in September 2005, it could be argued that Lord of War may go down as one of the most impressive flicks within the filmography of the renowned Nicolas Cage. Whenever a film, such as this one, decides to explore real-world subjects that are often brushed under the carpet on a political and entertainment level, they deserve to be highlighted, especially when there’s large elements of truth to them also.

One of the strongest aspects of Lord of War is the way in which the story is presented. The premise is extremely easy to follow and never really finds itself overcomplicating matters at any stage, something that other films of this nature can occasionally struggle with. There are no unnecessary or directionless subplots, while the rather modest one-hundred and twenty-three minute runtime feels just about ideal for a film of this nature. The picture manages to tell its story effectively without ever feeling unnecessarily drawn out.

Another aspect that shines is the production, cinematography and general diversity of the filming locations and cast on display. The filmmakers manage to add an international flavour throughout the flick while still maintaining a primarily American feel, with much of the filming taking place in New York, United States, Cape Town, South Africa and the Czech Republic. Each of these locations adds its own character and charm to the picture, helping Lord of War stand out from your more run-of-the-mill thriller.

In terms of the cast, it could be argued that Nicolas Cage manages to put in his finest cinematic performance in Lord of War. Jared Leto, who later went on to win as Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club (2013), showed a tremendous amount of promise in this similar support role, portraying Vitaly Orlov, a man struggling with addiction and the horrendously difficult morale decisions thrown his way. Elsewhere, Ethan Hawke also appeared, adopting the role of Jack Valentine, a strait-laced federal agent, tasked with preventing the illegal arms operation going on.

All in all, Lord of War is a spectacular flick that benefits greatly from its refreshingly open and honest approach to such a real and hard-hitting subject. The filmmakers do an excellent job of tackling its subject matter in an engaging and thought-provoking manner, making it difficult to argue against its overall quality.

“There are two types of tragedies in life. One is not getting what you want, the other is getting it.”

Yuri Orlov – Lord of War