Nicolas Cage not only starred in, but also produced Lord Of War, a "very funny, stylish and daring" portrait of life as an international gunrunner. Even so, it divided critics and moviegoers, not so much for its subject matter as its refusal to fit neatly into a genre pigeonhole. Writer/director Andrew Niccol deliberately flouted Hollywood convention - a strategy that sadly backfired at the box office.
Caught In The Crosshairs
"No one can accuse us of being a typical Hollywood film," Niccol says proudly in his audio commentary. He gives a thoughtful treatise on the themes underlying the story, but he's equally forthcoming on the stickier aspects of making the film. Initially, he says, none of the studios wanted to touch it. The implication is, that without Cage on board, the project may never have gotten off the ground. Then, once it came to filming in South Africa, Niccol was confronted with more resistance. In a nonchalant manner he reveals that he had to pay off a street gang to allow the production to shoot in their neighbourhood. From the writer's point of view, he also talks about having to cut scenes from Yuri's childhood because of budgetary constraints.
The relationship between Yuri (Cage) and Ava (Bridget Monaghan) was obviously a casualty of the cutting room. Most of ten deleted scenes are devoted to fleshing out their relationship, including a rare moment of vulnerability for Yuri when Ava threatens to leave him for good. Aside from that, he offers more of his skewed wisdom on the protocols of buying and selling guns.
Shooting People
Cameras follow Niccol and his outfit on location in a 20-minute Making Of featurette. Apparently, finding enough guns was a major challenge for the production and in the end they wound up having to buy real Kalashnikovs because they were cheaper and easier to get. "It was akin to being a arms dealer," says the director, adding that he took meetings with arms dealers just to get into the mindset. "I actually liked them," he admits, "which is the disturbing part." Similarly, Cage reveals his initial reservations about taking on the role because, "I was afraid it would get into my head too much."
In a reel of cast and crew interviews, Cage talks more about the aspects that drew him to the project, eg "I like movies that aren't typical." The same goes for co-stars Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke, the latter admitting that he was "completely uneducated" about the international arms trade before making this film. For those who seek a little more information on the subject, the featurette Making A Killing reveals how America is essentially at war with itself - selling military hardware to its own enemies. Amnesty spokesman William Schulz calls the situation "one of the most fundamental human rights issues in the world today".
A separate interview with Cage adds little to the discussion, but that's largely because he's asked inane questions like, "Can you tell me what the film's about?" It's a modest but well-rounded package that asks some worthwhile questions as well as opening a window on the mechanics of filmmaking. Lord Of War certainly deserves a second shot on DVD.
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