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Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Ian Holm, Ethan Hawke ... see more see more... , Eamonn Walker , Sammi Rotibi , Donald Sutherland , Eric Uys , Jared Burke , Jean-Pierre Nshanian , Shake Tukhmanyan , Jasper Lenz , Kobus Marx , Stephan De Abreu , Stephen Gregor

One man demonstrates how to get rich selling warring nations the tools of their deadly trade in this dark comedy drama. Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) is an opportunistic businessman who stumbled into a go... read more read more...ld mine after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Huge caches of Soviet weapons became available at bargain prices (and even for free if one wasn't above stealing), and as literally billions of dollars' worth of Soviet military technology disappeared, it began finding its way into the hands of weapons dealers eager to sell it to the highest bidder. Orlov was one such dealer who found plenty of buyers for guns and military gear in unstable Third World nations, who paid cash and didn't appreciate too many questions. Orlov's exploits in the arms business quickly made him a very rich man, but they've also led to some unwanted attention from Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke), an Interpol agent who is convinced Orlov isn't playing by the rules. Inspired by a true story, Lord of War also features Jared Leto, Ian Holm, Bridget Moynahan, and Donald Sutherland. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

84% liked it

363,779 ratings

Critics

61% liked it

141 critics

R, 2 hr. 2 min.

Directed by: Andrew Niccol

Release Date: September 16, 2005

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DVD Release Date: January 17, 2006

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Stats: 21,240 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (21,240)

  • thmtsang
    July 9, 2011
    thmtsang
    Nicolas Cage is an arms dealer who is at the top of his profession but when he wants to give it up, but it's not that easy.
  • cosmo313
    December 30, 2010
    cosmo313
    One of my friends told me that this film had one of (if not THE) best/coolest opening credits sequence ever. He wasn't kidding. It's awesome. So is the rest of the movie. Taking a break from Sci-Fi, the imaginative and brilliant Andrew Niccol directed this biting and sardonic sat... read moreire concerning the life and career of an arms dealer who makes his living selling weapons used for not nice things.

    A great thing about it is how the film is complex, well balanced, and is never overly preachey (or preachey period) in a general way or for either side of the issues being displayed here. It [resents both sides in a fair and balanced way, and does so in an entertaining and smart manner that blends a strong script, tons of wittiness, sharp direction, great music, intelligence, and lots of creativity.

    Oh yeah, it's also got a great cast who give excellent performances. Nicolas Cage may not always be in good moivies, but his peformances are a different story. Some of his work may not be as good sometimes, but he's never been bad. This is one of his best, and that's saying something given the movies and roles he's had. He brigns depth, charm, weariness, and that craziness we've come to expect from him. Leto is quite good as Cage'sscrewup brother with tons of demons. Despite the limited nature of her role, Moynahan is pretty damn good, and although her character is one of the least interesting, she's far from unnecessary. Ethan Hawke is also great, and I enjoyed seeing him work with Niccol again.

    No matter how you feel about guns and genocide, you owe it to yourself to see tyhis film. It is important, touching, stylish, and just a joy to watch. It does the difficult task of blending technique with importance in an accessible fashion. My only real complaint (and the thing keeping it from getting another half star) is that the film just gets a little draggy in the middle from time to time.

    Other than that, this is a wild, unique, and very amazing film.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    October 3, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The Lord Of War focuses on a man who deals in the illegal arms business as he dodges the authorities bullets left and right to sell arms at the four corners of the world. Yuri Orlov is an opportunistic arms dealer, and he seems at the top of his game. Nicholas Cage gives a splen... read moredid performance as Yuri Orlov. Cage is at the the top of his game, and he proves that he still has some decent enough acting in him. Lord Of War follows Orlov played by Cage as he rises to be one of the best illegal arms dealer in the world. He acquires wealth, a beautiful wife, his own planes, but all at a cost. His brother also his ex business partner is now a bonafide cocaine addict due to a sale where the customers paid in cocaine, he constantly juggles the authorities and he constantly lies to his wife. Whats very interesting about this film is that we are given a candid look into this business, and the damage it does to others (civilians, refugees, etc). One thing that Lord Of War does so well is painting a portrait of both sides, the arms dealer and dictators. The film doesn't pick one side over the other, it shows the ugliiness of both sides and makes the dictators just as guilty as the arms dealers. Andrew Niccol's film is a film that should be seen by everyone because this is what happens in some countries. People are providing other people the means to killing each other. But no one cares because most of this happens in the poorest countries on Earth. Nicolas Cage definitely gives his all as Yuri Orlov and he really does make light up the screen. What I found interesting about the character is at times he almost seemed unrepentant in how he was conducting his business and loosing everything afterwards. Lord Of War is one powerful film that tackles an all too important subject that shouldn't be ignored. Hopefully this film has shed some light on illegal arms trading. Lord Of War is a great film with a terrific cast and will definitely make you think about some of things thats going in third world countries.
  • fb619846742
    June 3, 2010
    fb619846742
    An interesting although flawed look at an arms dealer and the life he makes for himself. If anyone besides Nicolas Cage starred as the lead character, this might have made for a compelling story. Cage's performance is strictly average however, and as a result, so is the film. Des... read morepite an energetic turn by Jared Leto, the movie's attempts at humanizing its character prove futile too often. When it sticks to its satirical style of the industry, its golden, but when it focuses on Cage's personal life, its messy.
  • smith44
    May 22, 2010
    smith44
    This film borders on the completely ridiculous. A dumbing down, trivialisation, Hollywood take on a very grave issue, arm deals to the developing world. Nicholas Cage is unconvincing and irritating as Uri, confirming my dislike of him.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    April 18, 2010
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    This wasn't the first time I had seen it but this time I could apreciate it more and actually like it more this time. The acting I thought was fantastic from Cage and Leto. Great Movie!!!

    In the 1980s in Little Odessa, the Ukrainian immigrant Yuri Orlov decides to change his e... read moreconomical life and becomes an arm dealer with his brother Vitaly Orlov. His business of gunrunner supplying illegal weapons in disturbed areas of the planet increases with the end of the Cold War, and Yuri bribes a Russian general to sell most of his arsenal. Meanwhile, he becomes a millionaire and uses his money to seduce the beautiful Ava Fontaine and they get married, having a son. The detective Jack Valentine chases Yuri trying to put him in jail, but in the end he understands that Yuri is a necessary evil for the interest of his nation.
  • ythelastman89
    January 7, 2010
    ythelastman89
    A better movie than I think anyone was expecting. Nicolas Cage either gives great or terrible performances, but this was definitely one of his best. I loved the message of the movie because it wasn't just anti-war, it was much more than that. There were some great performances fr... read moreom Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke as well.
  • SirPant
    September 22, 2009
    SirPant
    An impressive an unbiased look at the arms trade, although I?m not sure Cage would have been my first choice to play the lead role.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    April 29, 2009
    FiLmCrAzY
    wow this is a great movie
    well writeen and well acted and depicted really worth a watch !
  • ironclad1609
    March 10, 2009
    ironclad1609
    Nicolas Cage is the perfect choice for a large scale arms dealer, dodging the arms of justice and juggling a luxurious private life at the same time. His tale is a bit predictable, especially the character of his brother, and the episodic flow isn't exactly full of exciting highl... read moreights. Instead it is giving a realistic, yet satirically exaggerated image of this business no one knows about yet still manages to have its say in the big conflicts of the world. The almost documentary, yet beautifully filmed , style makes the movie feel a bit anti climatic, but the final scene between cage and Ethan Hawke and the conclusion is heavy stuff. Entertaining and interesting, but could have dug even deeper than it did.

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Critic Reviews

Stephanie Zacharek
October 7, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

ELord Of War drops the hammer slowly, laying out the fascinating parameters of Cage's world before opening up its argument in an astonishing denouement. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
September 24, 2005
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A caustic satire masquerading as an action adventure. Full Review

David Denby
September 20, 2005
David Denby, New Yorker

A raffishly ironic and insinuating movie -- and probably the most sheerly enjoyable film of the year so far.

Mick LaSalle
September 16, 2005
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

There are the makings here of a really good feature or an even better documentary, but as it stands, Lord of War is not quite either. Full Review

Peter Howell
September 16, 2005
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Lord of War tosses grenades and then fearfully runs from them. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
September 16, 2005
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Lord of War has a hip, gonzo energy to it and it's often transfixing to watch and listen to. But it's finally just as empty as the man it's about. Full Review

Peter Travers
September 16, 2005
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The poison arrows of satire that writer-director Andrew Niccol aims at international arms dealing and the great powers who let it happen for their own gain -- the U.S. dangles prominently on Niccol's ...

Roger Moore
September 16, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

His heavy-handedness and inability to humanize and explain his hero mean that even the choir Niccol is preaching to won't be moved by Lord of War. Full Review

Lisa Rose
September 16, 2005
Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger

It's a confrontational piece of filmmaking that examines political subject matter without the safety net of genre artifice. Full Review

Kyle Smith
September 16, 2005
Kyle Smith, New York Post

It's worth overlooking Lord of War's flaws.

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    • Yuri Orlov: You know who's going to inherit the Earth? Arms dealers. Because everyone else is too busy killing each other. That's the secret to survival. Never go to war, especially with yourself.
    • Yuri Orlov: Without operations like mine it would be impossible for certain countries to conduct a respectable war. I was able to navigate around those inconvenient little arms embargoes. There are three basic types of arms deal: white, being legal, black, being illegal, and my personal favorite color, *gray*. Sometimes I made the deal so convoluted, it was hard for *me* to work out if they were on the level.
    • Yuri Orlov: There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11?
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Lord of War Trivia

  • In what movie does Nicolas Cage play a arms dealer  Answer »
  • What movie is this quote from: "There are two types of tragedies in life. One is not getting what you want, the other is getting it."  Answer »
  • in which movie did Jared Lito play a drug addicted brother of an Arms Dealer  Answer »
  • What is the profession of Yuir Orlov (Nicolas Cage) in LORD OF WAR (2005)?  Answer »
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