Lord of War - wikipedia Lord of War Lord of War Theatrical release poster Directed by Andrew Niccol Produced by Andrew Niccol Chris Roberts Nicolas Cage Written by Andrew Niccol Starring Nicolas Cage Jared Leto Bridget Moynahan Ian Holm Ethan Hawke Narrated by Nicolas Cage Music by Antonio Pinto Cinematography Amir Mokri Edited by Zach Staenberg Production company Entertainment Manufacturing Company Ascendant Pictures Saturn Films Distributed by Lionsgate Films Release date September 16, 2005 ( USA ) January 4, 2006 ( France ) February 16, 2006 ( Germany ) Running time 123 minutes Country United States Germany France Language English Budget $50 million Box office $72.6 million Lord of War is a 2005 crime war film written, produced, and directed by Andrew Niccol, and co-produced by and starring Nicolas Cage. It was released in the United States on September 16, 2005, with the DVD following on January 17, 2006, and the Blu - ray Disc on July 27, 2006. Cage plays an illegal arms dealer, inspired by the stories of several real - life arms dealers and smugglers. The film was officially endorsed by the human rights group Amnesty International for highlighting the arms trafficking by the international arms industry. Contents 1 Plot summary 2 Cast 3 Historical accuracy 4 Production 5 Release 5.1 Critical reception 5.2 Box office 6 Home media 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Plot summary In the early 1980s, Yuri Orlov ( Nicolas Cage ), the eldest son of Ukrainian refugees, is visiting a Brighton Beach restaurant, where he witnesses a Russian mobster kill two would - be assassins holding Kalashnikov assault rifles. He is inspired to go into the arms trade, comparing the constant need for weapons to the similar human need for food. After completing his first sale, Yuri convinces his brother Vitaly ( Jared Leto ) to become his partner, and they leave their jobs at the family restaurant behind. Yuri 's first big break comes in the 1982 Lebanon War, when he sells guns to all sides of the conflict, despite witnessing war crimes and atrocities. As Yuri becomes more successful in the war 's aftermath, his business comes to the attention of Interpol, and in particular idealistic agent Jack Valentine ( Ethan Hawke ). Vitaly becomes addicted to cocaine after a Colombian drug lord uses drugs to pay for an arms deal. Yuri checks Vitaly into drug rehabilitation, and continues business alone. He lures childhood crush Ava Fontaine ( Bridget Moynahan ) to a false photo shoot and subsequently marries her. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Yuri flies to Ukraine and illegally buys tanks and weapons through his uncle, a former Soviet general. Yuri expands to Africa, and begins a business relationship with Andre Baptiste, Sr. ( Eamonn Walker ), a ruthless dictator waging a never - ending civil war in Liberia. During one flight into Africa, Yuri 's cargo plane is intercepted by Valentine and forced to land. Yuri escapes arrest by landing in a remote area, and distributing the aircraft 's illegal cargo to the locals. Unable to charge Yuri, Valentine tells Ava he is an arms dealer, prompting her to confront him and demand he stop his illegal business. For a time, Yuri agrees, but Andre Baptiste, Sr. offers him even more money and soon he goes back. Yuri soon goes to complete a sale in Sierra Leone in 2001, where a militia force allied with Baptiste is visibly preparing to destroy a refugee camp. Vitaly pleads with Yuri to abandon the deal, but Yuri refuses, arguing that if they do the militia will also kill them. Stricken with guilt, Vitaly steals a pair of grenades, destroying one of the weapons trucks and killing Baptiste, Jr. Vitaly is shot and killed. Yuri reluctantly accepts half of the original diamond payment for the remaining weapons. At home, Ava discovers Yuri 's cache of his arms - dealing activities. She leaves with their son while Yuri 's parents disown him after learning the circumstances surrounding the death of Vitaly. When the U.S. Customs finds a bullet in Vitaly 's corpse, Valentine arrests Yuri, who correctly predicts that he will be released, as a `` necessary evil '' who distributes weapons so major governments can deny involvement. Cast Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov ( based on Viktor Bout ) Ethan Hawke as Jack Valentine ( based on Lee S. Wolosky ) Jared Leto as Vitaly Orlov Bridget Moynahan as Ava Fontaine Nalu Tripician as Nikolai Orlov Eamonn Walker as André Baptiste Sr. ( based on Charles Taylor ) Ian Holm as Simeon Weisz Tanit Phoenix as Candy Donald Sutherland ( voice only ) as Colonel Oliver Southern ( based on Oliver North ) Weston Coppola Cage as Vladimir Sammi Rotibi as André Baptiste, Jr. ( partially based on Charles McArther Emmanuel ) Eugene Lazarev as General Dmitri Orlov Kobus Marx as Boris Liya Kebede as Faith Jasmine Sais Burgess as Gloria Historical accuracy This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2017 ) Plot details on the illegal arms market, particularly regarding purchases for West Africa in early 1990s, are closely based on real stories and people originating from the former Soviet Union. The main protagonist, Yuri Orlov, is loosely based on several people. His character as the world 's arms dominator is based on Lebanese - Armenian arms dealer Sarkis Soghanalian. He shares his surname with Oleg Orlov, a Russian businessman arrested in Ukraine on suspicion of smuggling missiles to Iran. In 2007, Oleg Orlov was strangled in Kiev 's Lukyanivska Prison during the investigation into his activities. TV channel History claims that Orlov 's life is based on Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer notorious for smuggling arms and other merchandise through several aviation - company fronts. His background is loosely inspired by that of Semion Mogilevich, a Ukrainian - born suspected mastermind in Russian organized crime. The way he was imprisoned and later released resembles Edwin P. Wilson, a retired US intelligence officer who smuggled arms for Libya. The character Jack Valentine is partly based on Lee S. Wolosky, who doggedly pursued the real - life Viktor Bout as he sought refuge in various African and Middle Eastern countries. The character Andre Baptiste, Sr. is partly based on Charles Taylor, the President of Liberia until 2003. The character Andre Baptiste Jr. is partly based on Charles Taylor 's son, Charles McArther Emmanuel. The character wields a gold - plated AKS - 47, much like one found in the private quarters of Saddam Hussein 's son Uday Hussein during the US - led invasion of Iraq. The character Colonel Oliver Southern hints at Oliver North, known for his involvement in the Iran - Contra scandal. The conflicts portrayed in the film are all real conflicts in real countries, particularly those in Lebanon, Sudan, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Liberia, Colombia, and Sierra Leone. Conversely, the image of Interpol as an acting security agency is entirely fictional. Production Some of the Russian language dialogues in the film ( mostly those by Eugene Lazarev as Gen. Orlov ) contain very obscene Russian mat wording, translated by far softer expressions in the original English subtitles. It is unclear whether these pieces were part of the script, or Lazarev 's improvisation. A scene in the film featured 50 tanks, which were provided by a Czech source. The tanks were only available until December of the year of filming, as the dealer needed them to sell in Libya. The production team rented 3000 real SA Vz. 58 rifles to stand in for AK 47s because they were cheaper than prop guns. Release Critical reception Lord of War received fairly positive reviews from critics ; the film received a 61 % rating on Rotten Tomatoes ; the consensus states : `` While Lord of War is an intelligent examination of the gun trade, it is too scattershot in its plotting to connect. '' The film also received a special mention for excellence in filmmaking from the National Board of Review. It received a 62 / 100 score from Metacritic. Box office The film grossed $9,390,144 on its opening weekend, ranking number three at the North American box office behind Just Like Heaven and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. After the film 's 7 weeks of release, it grossed a total of $24,149,632 on the domestic market ( US and Canada ), and $48,467,436 overseas, for a worldwide total of $72,617,068. Home media The UK DVD release of Lord of War includes, prior to the film, an advertisement for Amnesty International, showing the AK - 47 being sold on a shopping channel of the style popular on cable networks. The American DVD release includes a bonus feature that shows the various weapons used in the film, allowing viewers to click on each weapon to get statistics about their physical dimensions and histories. The DVD bonus section also contains a public service announcement from Nicolas Cage that addresses the issue of illicit arms sales. See also The subject and the topics covered are reminiscent of an Italian film of 1974 ( directed and starring Alberto Sordi ) While There 's War There 's Hope. References ^ Jump up to : `` Lord of War ''. British Film Institute. London. Retrieved September 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Lord of War ''. Jump up ^ Deming, Mark. `` Lord of War ''. Allmovie. Retrieved September 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Viktor Bout : in the Movies ''. Ruudleeuw.com. 2005 - 12 - 24. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ Nov 10, 2007 ( 2007 - 11 - 10 ). `` Bertil Lintner : `` A necessary evil '' ``. Atimes.com. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ William Norman Grigg : `` Permanent War, Perpetual Profiteering '' Jump up ^ `` Lord of War '' ( Press release ). Amnesty International. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007 - 10 - 12. Retrieved 2007 - 09 - 17. Jump up ^ Hamid, Rahul ( Spring 2006 ). `` Lord of War / Syriana ''. Cineaste. 31 ( 2 ) : 52 -- 55. Jump up ^ Brokers of War Jump up ^ Noah Rosenberg ( 2 November 2011 ). `` Guilty Verdict for Russian in Arms Trial ''. The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Burr, Ty ( September 16, 2005 ). `` Provocative ' War ' Skillfully Takes Aim ''. The Boston Globe : D1. Jump up ^ History Television, series Fact and Film, episode `` Lord of War '' Jump up ^ `` Director finds real guns cheaper than props ''. The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. September 14, 2005. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2011. Jump up ^ Lord of War at Rotten Tomatoes Jump up ^ Lord of War at Metacritic Jump up ^ Lord of War at Box Office Mojo External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Lord of War Official website Lord of War on IMDb Lord of War at the TCM Movie Database Lord of War at AllMovie Lord of War at Box Office Mojo Lord of War at Rotten Tomatoes Lord of War at Metacritic Lord of War at Internet Movie Firearms Database Andrew Niccol filmography Director / writer Gattaca ( 1997 ) Simone ( 2002 ) Lord of War ( 2005 ) In Time ( 2011 ) The Host ( 2013 ) Good Kill ( 2014 ) Anon ( 2017 ) Writer only The Truman Show ( 1998 ) The Terminal ( 2004 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_of_War&oldid=801004969 '' Categories : 2005 films 2000s crime thriller films 2000s drama films American films American crime thriller films American political drama films German films German crime films German drama films English - language films Works about arms trafficking Films based on actual events Films directed by Andrew Niccol Films set in Liberia Films set in Sierra Leone Films set in Berlin Films set in Ukraine Films set in New York City Films set in Colombia Films set in the 1990s Films shot in the Czech Republic Lions Gate Entertainment films Anti-war films Saturn Films films Films produced by Nicolas Cage Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from February 2016 Film articles using image size parameter Articles needing additional references from August 2017 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Brezhoneg Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenčina Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 02 : 44. 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Question: who was the lord of war based on
Answer: Sarkis Soghanalian