The film follows (Nicolas Cage), a Ukrainian-American immigrant who rises from selling Uzis in Little Odessa to becoming a global "Lord of War". While Yuri is a fictional character, he is a composite of several real-life arms dealers, most notably Viktor Bout , often referred to as the "Merchant of Death".
Other incredible behind-the-scenes facts from IMDb and Wikipedia include:
Filmmakers had to warn NATO before lining up the tanks for a shot so that satellite imagery wouldn't mistake the production for a real military buildup.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Lord of War is how the production itself mirrored the industry it critiqued. Because prop replicas were more expensive than the real thing, the filmmakers actually to use in the film.
The narrative doesn't just focus on the deals; it tracks the personal decay of those around Yuri. His cocaine-addicted brother Vitaly () struggles with a moral compass that Yuri has long since discarded, while Interpol agent Jack Valentine ( Ethan Hawke ) relentlessly pursues him as the embodiment of an elusive justice. The "Method Filmmaking" of Lord of War
