Review of The Notorious Mr. Bout (2014) by Paul B — 14 Aug 2014

The last thing you expect to feel when watching a documentary about an international arms trader dubbed the 'Merchant of Death' is much empathy for him - but this remarkable film lays bare not only the man himself, but the mysterious marketplace he worked in. Viktor Bout's story is most notable as the basis for the 2005 Nicolas Cage movie Lord of War, and as expected the reality is far less glamorous and two-dimensional.

Coming across as a thoroughly decent bloke who loves his family and wants to pursue legitimate business interests, we follow the young Soviet Army translator's savvy decision-making of his early twenties - setting up an import company to Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and moving on to Belgium and the United Arab Emirates, continually following the money and the emerging markets. At this stage he is certainly no 'Merchant of Death', just a slightly scruffy guy from Tajikistan with a tash. But as his business expanded to war torn African states his old soviet carrier planes became perfect for transporting vast arsenals back and forth around the globe - the title begins to fit. Roll on decades of the high life, making millions, travelling the world and opening business after business. But ultimately this arrogance and naivety developed over years of unqualified success proves his downfall - as he guilelessly embraces the media limelight and stumbles into the most laughably inept CIA sting imaginable in 2008.

Although directed by Tony Gerber and Maxim Pozdorovkin, the standout material in The Notorious Mr. Bout comes from Viktor himself. His aspirations of being a filmmaker lead him seemingly to videotape almost every second of his life. The gift of these tapes from his wife Alla to the directors must've been beyond their wildest dreams. They allow his story to be told visually with sparing exposition, and perhaps most importantly capture a fantastic sense of the period of the narrative. We witness Bout meeting with African generals, celebrating his birthday and snapping photos as a wide-eyed tourist. "I wanted to travel, see world, make documentary film," he states in an email from his current prison cell. The unbelievably frank footage rarely feels like the coverage of a master criminal.

There will be no shortage of voices claiming the film gives Viktor a mercifully easy ride for, intentionally or not, he has fuelled conflicts and death with a morally bankrupt approach to his cargo businesses. But by no stretch of the imagination is he the all powerful head of the arms trade - he's more a publicity hungry fool. The real evils are the laws that allowed these weapons to be freely shipped around with no punishable crime being committed. Unquestionably a scapegoat for a murky billion dollar industry, Viktor Bout has been morally suspect, but seldom criminally so.

The Notorious Mr. Bout is an unexpectedly absorbing watch. From the opening grainy CCTV footage of the sting it appears to be taking us on a tabloid path - but here is a far more rounded, ambitious film that delves into the human side of the story, not just the evil deeds and sensationalisation. It's a documentary that instantly encourages debate - and a reassessment of media driven snap judgements.