"Lord of War" (2005)

[GoogaMooga]

"Lord of War" from 2005 is one of the most morally reprehensible films I have ever seen. Nicolas Cage plays Yuri Orlov, a Ukrainian immigrant to the US, who trades in death as an unscrupulous freelance arms dealer. It is an extremely trigger-happy film, almost fetishistic in its worship of firearms. Much of it is first person narration - not that it helps much, but at least the Cage character gets to validate his work and try to justify it in the most hypocritical way. You know the argument, if he doesn't do it, someone else will take his place. And he is good at what he does. Simply the best. By rubbing shoulders with every known despot and supplying trouble spots in West Africa, he is almost untouchable, and although he gets his come-uppance in the end and the film finally takes a moral stand, the killing continues and we are reminded of the grim reality of realpolitik winning over human decency. An important message, to be sure, but served up in the most gratuitous and exploitative way. At first I wanted to turn it off, but I couldn't... I had too see it to the end because of the absurdity of it all and the absolute inhumanity that was shown in the most cynical light. Two thumbs down.

[naughty boy]

You should see the musical!

[GoogaMooga]

Your sole raison d'etre here is to make my life miserable. I write. You bring nothing to the table. Fucking troll.

[naughty boy]

Oh! I was just trying to make a joke!

[GoogaMooga]

Oh! I was just trying to make a joke!

Hard to distinguish, knowing our shared history.