A treatise on the morality of the Arms trade from an arms trader

Rating: 8/10 (18 March 2006)

Never has so much been said about the arms trade in this film than the beginning of it when we view the world from a bullet's point of view: from it's manufacture to it's subsequent use. This scene alone defines the tone of this whole film. Cage as ever plays a Ukranian born American citizen small time arms dealer. He might as well be one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse as he plies his trade literally all over the world. However, although he does extremely well for himself, he quickly realises that he has a problem in FBI man Jack Valentine who tries to find a reason to put him in jail without opening himself up to bribery. Cage's narration is an exercise in the sardonic, even black and dry humour that surely comes from an arms dealer who has seen too much of his product used in conflicts throughout the world, but particularly in Africa. He is called a Lord of War by an African leader but disagrees with the title, saying he is really a Warlord. The African leader replies 'I like my title best'.
That really does sum up this film. There is a sly morality to it. Cage's character sells guns because he is 'good' at it and it is the only thing he really knows how to do well. Trade in death.