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Release Date: January 17th, 2006

Andrew Niccol’s neo-classic opus to arms dealing Lord of War charts the rise and fall of Yuri Orlov, an entrepreneur from Little Odesa. Orlov uses his natural charm and love of money to become one of the most infamous gun runners of all time. From his earlier days in Little Odesa, selling Uzi’s to local mobsters to his romp through the mid 90′s supplying armored personal carriers and AK-47′s to African Warlords for genocide, we watch as Orlov fights off his inner demons, dodges a sharp Interpol agent, and consistently risks life and limb to deliver the tools that bring death and destruction to the third world. But he always hold true to his rules: Rule #1 – never get shot with your own merchandise.

The Film
The film is a visual masterpiece delivered by the very talented Andrew Niccol, who previously brought us the very stimulating but plotless Gattaca in 1997. The easy write-off for this film is that it has significant political undertones related to American involvement in the supply of weapons to war lords in Africa and South America who would use those weapons for methods of genocide and military coups. But that is not the message that this film delivers in the end. The film gives compelling insight into the mind and motives of one of the most prominent, and eccentric arms dealers in history.  Yuri Orlov, played impeccably by Nicholas Cage, is a very estranged soul with a very magnetic personality for people with money and the need for guns. He is also displayed masterfully for his brilliant ability as a business minded madman who easily separates himself from the violence that ensues due to his craft.

Cage’s exceptional performance, which displays further his unsung range as an actor, is flanked by very strong performances from Jared Leto, who plays his coked up party-boy brother and Ethan Hawke, who returns with Niccol from his role in Gattaca to play the timing challenged Interpol Agent who always seems to be 5 minutes too late or one fact too short to put Orlov away for good. From the opening scene that captivates us with the life of a bullet that ends up destroying a life to the final scene of the film that shows us that in the real world the line between good and evil is as thin as the margin of error for a gun runner, Lord of War more than entertains. One of the most underrated films of 2005, this film is both an engaging and shocking peek into a world that most Americans would choose to ignore…

The Extras
The standard version is devoid of special features, but the Special Edition offers a complete second disc of featurettes and other miscellaneous special features. Personally I hate when they release films like this. Why can’t they just release the standard version as a two disc set? If you don’t want to shell out the extra $5 for the Special Edition, then you will be very distraught with the extras.

The Delivery
It is often very difficult to bring a film that is this visually intriguing to DVD without losing a little bit of flair, but they seem to pull it off fairly well. It was released in both a standard edition, which brings you a basic but meritorious Dolby Digital Mix; and a Special Edition which displays this film in it’s very raw and incomparable form. The sound is stunning throughout the film and the original score, composed by Antonio Pinto, sets the tense mood of the film with a brilliance rarely scene in true-to-life tales. For a moment you are taken aback by how sensational both the sound and visual brilliance make you forget that such a story could be based on events that actually took place. And the DVD delivers it well, as such a medium should.

The Final Cut
This could be the first truly surprising DVD’s of 2006. It is a film that I feel was truly under appreciated theaters and will find its audience via the legions of Netflix-ites and Tuesday morning New Release shoppers. The film is an intensely intriguing and compelling look at the life of a man whose evil was found through is ignorance and his talent for selling the tools of death. Nicholas Cage delivers the performance that will never be accredited for what it is, and Andrew Niccol gives us a film that truly entertains, provokes thought, and digs into the depths of the human psyche. If you haven’t seen this film, set your political bias aside and enjoy a true gem in the craft of cinema.

Upside: The story draws you in and almost brings you to a point of sympathy with Orlov, whose day job is less than admirable. It is a visually stunning and unique approach to telling a true story.

The Downside: The fact the this film we go completely unnoticed by both the academy and political pundits alike. Shun by so many for it’s premise, it may never reach as wide an audience as it deserves.

On the Side: The character of Yuri Orlov is a composite of five real arms dealers.