Lord of War
Short description
Yuri Orlov, the son of Ukrainian immigrants who run a small restaurant in Brooklyn, builds a career as an international arms dealer rather than following his parents into the food business. Working alongside his brother Vitaly, he sells weapons across some of the world's most dangerous regions, supplying dictators and legitimate governments alike as long as he is paid. His rise brings him wealth and the attention of Ava, the woman he has long admired, but also the pursuit of Interpol agent Jack Valentine, business rivals and dissatisfied customers. Yuri's double life as a family man and a dealer eventually forces him to weigh his trade against his conscience.
The film is a crime drama directed and written by Andrew Niccol, whose earlier work includes Gattaca and S1m0ne; it was released in 2005, between those films and In Time. Nicolas Cage plays Yuri and also produced, with Bridget Moynahan as Ava, Jared Leto as Vitaly, Ethan Hawke as Jack Valentine, Eamonn Walker as Andre Baptiste Sr. and Ian Holm as Simeon Weisz.
Made for about 50 million dollars, Lord of War took roughly 73 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.6/10 from around 358,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.3/10 from about 5,552 votes; a critics' rating of 6.6/10 from 148 reviews places it somewhat below the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film crew purchased 3,000 CZ SA Vz.58 assault rifles to play the role of Soviet AKs because they were cheaper than props.
- Andrew Niccol assured that real arms dealers acted as consultants on the film.
- Yuri Orlov's uncle, Dmitry Volkov, was presented as a major general in the film, but the insignia on his shoulder boards clearly show two stars of a lieutenant general.
- No American studio wanted to get involved with this project. The film was financed by foreign companies.
- Filming took place in South Africa, the Czech Republic, and New York.
- In one scene of the film, Yuri sells four Glock 17 pistols, as well as a large consignment of other weapons, to a Colombian drug baron, receiving cocaine in return. It can be noticed that two pistols in this scene (including the one the drug baron shoots at Yuri) are Glock 17s of the third generation, judging by the thumb rests and finger grooves on the grip, as well as the rail on the frame for attaching additional equipment. The third generation of Glock pistols appeared in the late 1990s, while the timeframe of this scene is the late 1980s.
- The tanks in the film are real. They once belonged to the Czech army and were now intended for sale to another country. The filmmakers had to warn NATO, just in case, so that upon detecting a large concentration of equipment from satellites, they wouldn't think a war had begun.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
