Lord Of War is a 2005 crime drama film starring Nicolas Cage (who also appeared in 2003’s Matchstick Men) in the leading role. In the film, an arms dealer confronts the morality of his work as he is being chased by an Interpol Agent. It’s one of my favourite films of the mid 2000s. The film was written and directed by Andrew Niccol (who also wrote Gattaca and The Truman Show).
The film also features performances by Ethan Hawke (who also appeared in films like Training Day, Gattaca and Reality Bites), Jared Leto (who appeared in films like American Psycho, Fight Club and Thin Red Line before this movie), Bridget Moynahan (who has also appeared in Coyote Ugly, The Sum of All Fears & The Recruit), Ian Holm (who is most famous for his role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings films) and Eamonn Walker.
There’s probably a lot that you don’t know about Lord Of War, but today my aim is to change that.
Here are 15 Interesting Facts you might not know about Lord Of War
1. Andrew Niccol stated that the movie’s creators collaborated with real arms dealers during its production. The tanks on display for sale were authentic and were the property of a Czech arms dealer who needed them returned for potential sales to another nation. They opted to use an actual inventory of more than three thousand AK-47s instead of prop guns due to cost considerations.
2. No U.S. studio would back this movie. International finances were secured instead.
3. Before shooting the scene where tanks were lined up for sale, the filmmakers had to warn N.A.T.O. Just in case they thought a real war was being started if they saw satellite images of the set.
4. Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage‘s character in Lord of War) is actually a composite of five different real-life arms dealers.
5. The character of Andre Baptiste (who is played by English actor Eamonn Walker) is loosely based on famous warlord and ex-leader of Liberia, Charles Taylor.
6. Nicolas Cage’s son (Weston Cage) is the young Mi-24 Hind helicopter mechanic Vladimir in Lord Of War. In the movie, Yuri (Nicolas Cage) speaks to the mechanic in Russian, saying “Son, get off there before you get hurt.”
7. The movie’s production team worked closely with Amnesty International to highlight the issue of the global arms trade. Amnesty International provided information and support to ensure that the film accurately depicted the consequences of the arms trade.
8. Lord Of War featured real planes, including a Ukrainian cargo plane called the Antonov An-12. The filmmakers had to acquire these planes to depict the transportation of arms accurately.
9. Nicolas Cage prepared for his role as Yuri Orlov by spending time with a former Ukrainian arms dealer. He learned about the arms trade and the lifestyle of arms dealers to better portray the character.
10. The film was shot in various international locations to capture the global scope of the arms trade. These locations included South Africa, the United States, and the Czech Republic.
11. Ethan Hawke played the role of Jack Valentine, an Interpol agent pursuing Yuri Orlov. Hawke’s character is a composite of law enforcement officials who have tried to apprehend arms dealers in real life.
12. The film is narrated by Nicolas Cage’s character, Yuri Orlov. This narrative style allows viewers to see the arms trade from the perspective of an arms dealer and provides insights into his motivations and worldview. It’s what makes the film enjoyable (in my humble opinion).
13. The film’s striking opening sequence (which follows the journey of a bullet from manufacture to its use) is one of the best opening scenes ever.
14. The film serves as a critique of the global arms trade and the role of governments in facilitating it. It highlights how arms dealers often operate in a gray area, sometimes with tacit approval from official agencies.
15. Lord Of War explores how globalization has facilitated the arms trade, with Yuri exploiting international laws and conflicts for profit.
Well, there you have it, 15 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know about Lord Of War. If I’ve left out something important, feel free to comment below.
Check out the trailer for Lord Of War below:
Check out JustWatch to find out where you can stream this film.
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