R | 2h 2m | Drama, Action, Crime | 2005
The opening title sequence of “Lord of War” showcases the lifecycle of a single bullet from ore to firing. The musical accompaniment is the 1966 Buffalo Springfield song “For What It’s Worth” (written by Stephen Stills), which is one of the most recognizable anti-war songs ever recorded. Rarely has the tone of a movie been so firmly established with such compact, blazing efficiency.
Although some might think otherwise, “Lord of War” is a condemnation of armed conflict of any sort in general, and in the black-market weapons trade in particular. The movie also, perhaps unintentionally, shows what might happen in this country if the Second Amendment of the Constitution is ever overturned.
Eating=War
The eldest son of Ukrainian immigrants, Yuri and his younger brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) go through the motions of working at their parent’s Little Odessa restaurant in Brooklyn. Yuri has the revelation that, just as people need to eat (which generates his family’s minimal income), mankind will always be involved in war, something far more lucrative. It’s twisted logic, but it’s true.In short order, Yuri quickly begins climbing the black-market weapons ladder where he is dressed down by seasoned competitor Weisz (Ian Holm), and ultimately breaks through with a dangerous yet effective business model: avoid political affiliations and sell munitions to both sides of all conflicts.
It is when Yuri starts getting filthy rich that he begins pursuing his personal brass ring: supermodel and fellow Brooklyn native Ava Fontaine (Bridget Moynahan). Yuri secretly hires Ava for a bogus Bahamian photo shoot, rents an entire hotel where only he and she will be staying, and accidentally on purpose “meets cute” with her on the beach.
Oozing effortless snake oil charm, “transportation executive” Yuri pretends to have never heard of her, which of course impresses her to no end and, through some impressive narrative shorthand by Mr. Niccol, they marry and move into a sprawling high-rise apartment overlooking Central Park.
Snaring the girl of his dreams is one thing; keeping her requires massive income, which in turn means taking more chances and further perpetuating a colossal lie. It doesn’t help that Yuri is the full-time target of Interpol agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) whose strict commitment to the letter of the law initially benefits Yuri.
Art Imitates Life
In one of the “art imitates life” portions of the film, Mr. Niccol, certainly not able to foresee events taking place in the last three years, presents a post-Soviet Union version of Ukraine that is eerily accurate. Small arms inventories remaining in Ukraine and other former Soviet satellite countries were bulging and transformed the black-market weapons trade in Africa into something no one could have ever expected.
Detractors of “Lord of War,” and there are plenty of them, accuse Mr. Niccol of presenting the story as fact, which is totally off-base, but is also (to me, at least) something of a left-handed compliment. The Yuri character has been compared to real-life arms dealers Viktor Bout and Sarkis Soghanalian, to which I say, “So what?” Basing fictional characters on nonfictional people is nothing new.
Just Desserts
Others complained that Mr. Niccol presented the Yuri character as sympathetic, which is not the case. All one needs to do is to make a list of what happens to Yuri in the final 15 minutes. All of it is bad, but that doesn’t make him sympathetic. Yuri’s getting his just desserts. He pays for his sins and then some.Yuri is Mr. Niccol’s Michael Corleone from “The Godfather” trilogy (directed by Mr. Cage’s uncle Francis Ford Coppola). Both Yuri and Michael put “family” first with their words, but make them last with their deeds.
You can never have it both ways. Power and wealth might work for a while, but karma will eventually show up to collect.
