Lord of War

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A flash of icky fascination creeps up my spine when watching films about characters whose code of ethics have no moral foundation or fabric. Films like Scarface and Goodfellas come to mind, and I suppose I feel that way because I realize these people–or people like them–really exist. People with little moral aptitude fill the screen in the intriguing Lord Of War as Director/Writer Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show, Gattica) lays out the world of the professional arms dealer in a darkly humorous tale based on true events.

When Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), a young, first generation Ukranian from New York City decides that serving hash in the family restaurant doesn’t provide nearly the earning power that selling guns does he convinces his younger brother, Vitaly (Jared Leto), to join him in the lucrative gun trade. Yuri has his sights set on more than a store-front on Fifth Avenue and soon the two brothers are in attendance at the West Berlin arms fair of 1983 where Yuri meets his hero and future nemesis, master arms dealer Simon Weisz (Ian Holm). When approached by the bubbling younger man Weisz quickly dismisses Yuri with one sentence: “I’m in the business to change governments.” A critical difference between the two men is that Yuri is in the business to do business, just like he would be if he were selling refrigerators or television sets, and his character plays true to this theme throughout.

The brother’s first big break comes after the U.S. pull-out from Lebanon when they contract with shady military types to sell huge stockpiles of arms left behind; more costly to ship than replace. As their business grows, Vitaly, tortured by his conscience, becomes a casualty of another weapon; cocain. Later,Yuri marry’s the woman of his dreams, Eva (Bridget Moynahan) and they live an affluent don’t-ask-don’t-tell lifestyle. The second big break, and in fact a break in all arms sales world-wide, comes with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Yuri contacts his uncle, a Russian general, on the fringe of the collapse and is the first one to begin making deals, but it’s no longer simple arms, now it’s tanks, transports, helicopters . . . anything and everything that can be used to kill and destroy.

In un-PC fashion Niccol plays out most of his war scenario’s in strife torn Africa. Here Yuri makes the big-time with massive sales of AK-47's, the weapon of choice for everybody from psychopathic despots to twelve-year olds. His best customer, bloodthirsty Liberian dictator Baptiste Senior (Eamonn Walker) plays an interesting foil for the casually blithe arms dealer, and in fact he views Yuri’s nearly callous business approach to selling arms with both interest and contempt.

Throughout the two decades of the story Yuri is pursued unsuccessfully by Interpol agent Valentine (Ethan Hawke). Finally, he is betrayed by Eva when she is confronted with the truth of her husbands business. Captured and taken to a private cell Yuri explains the facts of life to Valentine. He, Yuri, will be set free in mere moments, because the world needs arms dealers in order to keep the hands of people in higher places clean from the blood and destruction caused by the massively lucrative arms trade.

Told with liberal use of voice-over and dark humor the film ends by listing the names of the top five arms producing country’s in the world: Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States; who, incidently also happen to be the only permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.