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Lord of War

Lord of War

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 2005

Yuri Orlov is a globetrotting arms dealer and, through some of the deadliest war zones, he struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals and even some of his customers who include many of the world's most notorious dictators. Finally, he must also face his own conscience.

Movie details

Lord of War

“Where there's a will, there's a weapon.”

2005 Crime · Drama · Thriller 2h 2m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

Yuri Orlov is a globetrotting arms dealer and, through some of the deadliest war zones, he struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals and even some of his customers who include many of the world's most notorious dictators. Finally, he must also face his own conscience.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Lord of War?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Andrew Niccol

Written by

Andrew Niccol

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage

Yuri Orlov

Bridget Moynahan

Bridget Moynahan

Ava Fontaine Orlov

Jared Leto

Jared Leto

Vitaly Orlov

Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke

Jack Valentine

Eamonn Walker

Eamonn Walker

Andre Baptiste Sr.

Ian Holm

Ian Holm

Simeon Weisz

Sammi Rotibi

Sammi Rotibi

Andre Baptiste Jr.

Court is in session

Put Lord of War on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.