Lord of War - The Black Sheep of Political Films

2005 had its' share of politically charged dramas. Most notably Syriana and The Constant Gardener. Both films were critically acclaimed and both opened up talks about big business and corporate corruption, whether it be in the oil business or pharmaceuticals. But, what about Lord of War? Though the trailers would lead you to believe otherwise, Lord of War makes just as strong of a political statement as Syriana and Gardener, maybe stronger. So why other than the typical movie review did I not hear much about it. No talk show interview, no NPR discussion, nothing. Nicholas Cage is a strong, well known actor, so it had star power. Ebert and Roeper gave it two thumbs up, so critically, it was well received. So why did it come and go without much fanfare? Well, first I would say reason number one, is the classic bait and switch with the trailers and the type of movie advertised. With up beat pop music in the background, fast clips of Cage giving the thumbs up and line after line of witty remarks all while the guy doing the voiceover sounds like he's advertising for a National Lampoons movie. But, thankfully this movie is much better than that. Though classified as a Drama/Thriller, I would throw a little dark comedy in there as well. And I think this is why the movie did not get the same attention as the others. Cage's character is not your typical protagonist. He's a dishonest, immoral, gun dealer who rationalizes the sale of illegal arms to the troops (and little children) of one country so they can fight an unjust war against another. Actually, he doesn't care who's fighting who or why, just as long as they are buying guns from him. As the movie begins you half believe you are going to see a typical international thriller (with some comic relief according to the trailer) but, before it's all over you realize that this movie is making a strong political statement and you are left thinking about the world that goes on around us. It's worth noting that one of the special features on the DVD states that events in the move are based on real world wide occurrences, making the story that much more poignant. I think the movie takes sides and for that reason it may alienate some views. But, I think most of all the reason this movie did not get the attention it deserved is because it talked about an issue that does not effect you or me. Let's face it. Most of us are familiar with big companies and we are not surprised when we hear of the measures they will go through to make money. And we all know first hand how much gas cost and how sensitive an issue that is for everyone. But, I've never been to war. Chances are you haven't either. I've never seen a kid with an AK-47. When I go down the street, the only gun I might see is on a police officer. Even in our worst Americans cities where gangs run rampant I don't think it compares to the conflicts that rage between countries that go from civil war to dictatorship to an uprising to civil war. In short, I think that this movie didn't have the same "impact" as some of the others because it deals with an issue that many would say is "just is not our problem."