Blind Eye

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2013)

Whether it's the meat industry, child slavery or even racism, these are all modern day outrages widely present in society. Yet, people don't regularly stand up to these injustices since life is too comfortable, and that's the internal moral conflict Yuri Orlov fights. Always feeling inferior his entire life, he begins profiteering from trafficking weapons to build a sense of worth. Most people would find this ethically unacceptable since you are providing arms for ruthless dictators and causing the deaths of millions of innocent civilians. Especially because it is just for monetary benefits.
I will honestly say Nicholas Cage is not my favourite actor. I must also add that he performed exceptionally in this film, and that he definitely pulled Lord of War together. It's surprisingly revealing to see how the world revolves around money, and how people will act superficially in the face of controversy. Money equates to power, and this unfortunate truth represents how isolated we are from others. This movie certainly offers a unique perspective with regards to warfare, and offers a viewpoint most contemporary war movies don't. Regularly, war veterans are glorified and combat is shone in a bright light. The reason I enjoyed this movie so much was because it demonstrates how warfare can affect relationships and completely transform your sense of the world.
One of Yuri's primary arguments for his abhorrent work is that if he didn't do it, someone else would, and he would lose money out of it. Similar to other problems across the globe, the main reason why atrocities still occur is because people are passive and unwilling to risk their comfort for the sacred life of others. It is for exposing this side of war that I truly loved Lord of War.