Lord of War

Lord of War is a 2005 crime drama film written and directed by Andrew Niccol.

Lord of War is a 2005 Crime drama film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer whose career is tracked by an Interpol agent. The film explores the international arms trade, moral compromise, and the aftermath of the Cold War, and is relevant to Canadian readers as an internationally distributed English-language crime drama that examines global arms trafficking, a topic of public policy interest in Canada.

Plot

The film centres on Yuri Orlov, a Ukrainian-American arms dealer played by Nicolas Cage, and his rise in the global arms trafficking industry. The story is set across the years before and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It also follows the pursuit of Orlov by an Interpol agent and examines the personal and moral costs of his business.

Cast

The principal cast includes Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, Jared Leto as Vitaly Orlov, Bridget Moynahan as Ava Fontaine Orlov, Ethan Hawke as Jack Valentine, and Eamonn Walker in a supporting role.

Production and release

Lord of War was written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It was produced in the United States and is in English. The film was released in the United States on September 16, 2005, with a running time of 122 minutes, and was distributed by Lions Gate Films.

Reception

The film received mixed critical reviews, with particular praise for its opening sequence and Cage’s performance. Despite its profile, it was a financial disappointment at the box office.