Review of Lord of War (2005) by Tarekali — 01 Jan 2022

I recently rewatched this modern classic. Nicholas Cage remains a most accessible and plausible character especially in roles like this, where a clever fellow discerns a golden path to riches and sells his soul during the flawed journey.

In the IMDB trivia, it is interesting this movie was never funded by US sources, probably because the truth hits a little too close to home, and makes people uncomfortable. As the movie ironically points out, the biggest arms suppliers on the planet are also permanent members of the UN security council.

Back to the movie itself. Since it is based on real lords of war and warlords, it’s coldly terrifying to see how easy the means for mass murder have been made available across the world. As many have noted, it is far easier to kill from a distance than from up close, giving the killers a false sense of morality and deniability. This movie has aged very well - the insidious arms trade it highlights is as active and lethal today as it was for the last 100 years. As a beloved game series Fallout points out, “War. War never changes.