Synopsis - An arms dealer confronts the morality of his work as he is being chased by an Interpol agent. Camera -
A tilt is used to move the cameras view from dead bullets on the floor to a man standing center of shot holding a briefcase. The camera then zooms in on the lead holding the briefcase, the shot then becomes a mid shot. This shot is used in this way to build tension going from evidence of destruction to a stranger holding a briefcase, also builds suspense. (1 & 1.1)
Camera tilts and lowers towards factory floor showing the factory workers and a machine, increasing the audiences curiosity as to what will happen next. (2 & 2.1)
Camera zooms in on machine once again increasing intrigue and tension. (3)
The camera then follows the beginning of the creation of a bullet through a machine going across a conveyor and several other aspects of the machine. (4 & 5)
Then the camera following the bullet continues along the conveyor but camera tilts upwards giving a low angle shot to the bullet making the bullet look bigger and more powerful than before. (6)
The camera shakes giving the illusion the audience is shooting down a tube, increasing tension. (7)
The camera is then cleverly raised following the bullet being picked up and showing this perfectly. (8)
Camera then again follows bullet through another tube using same technique of a sudden fast movement down. (9)
After the bullet has been put in a crate the camera get's a low angle close up creating the idea that the Russian soldier was greater than the bullet. (10)
The bullet then falls on the floor and then camera follows the bullet using a rolling motion in the camera. (11)
Another clever camera technique is that which was used to create the illusion of the camera being thrown, the camera tilts up and then down very fast while tracking across.
A super close up of the bullets then makes them look greater to the audience. (12)
Rocky unstable tracking is then used to show the bullet being carried, then again shows the bullet as almost insignificant. (13)
Another close up of the fingers lifting the bullet and a tilt and a track shows the bullet being put in the gun. (14)
A close up of the inside of the gun makes the bullet look huge creating an illusion of mss amounts of power. (15)
Then see a long shot down the barrel of a gun which actually creates an ominous feeling of tension as men firing guns are shown down the barrel of the gun. (16)
Finally the extremely fast zoom finally follows the bullet hurtle towards the target. (17)
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1.1
2
2.1
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12.1
12.2
13
14
15
16.1
16.2
16.3
16.4
Sound -
'For what it's worth' by Buffalo Springfield is being played throughout the rest of the video, which is a calm western song featuring guitar and calm male vocals this makes the creation of the bullet seem like a calm and peaceful event. Which is the desired effect as the audience will get comfortable listening to the music of Buffalo Springfield and just as the bullet reaches the end of it's cycle and is fired the music stops and all that can be heard is the bullet flying through the air, all that is seen is the child being shot dropping the audience into a state of shock. The music also acts as a tension builder giving the audience a false sense of security.
Nicolas Cage speaks before the creation of a bullet is shown accompanied by Buffalo Springfield, Cage speaks with received pronunciation showing he has a high class. Cage also breathes out heavily not in a panicked manner but in such a way to show he is relaxed this suggests he has high status as well.
Various non-diegetic music is heard reinforcing the idea that the shot is in a factory, for example trolleys rattling and factory workers can be heard.
When the shot is showing the African soldiers with the bullets the non-diegetic sound of the gun cocking and bullets being thrown on the floor can be heard creating verisimilitude.
Editing -
Jump after lead character Yuri opens with a quip.
The shot cuts to what seems like a fairly continuous shot but includes plenty of CGI added in the editing stage to show the audience the life of a bullet, this includes machines stamping out metal and putting lids on bullets, etc.
Following the CGI look at a bullet assembly line an editing technique is used to show a factory worker lift the bullet and view it, the effect makes the audience feel like they are the bullet and being lifted themselves. The effect is successfully done by showing the mans finger and thumb holding the bullet in front of his face.
The camera then follows the CGI bullet down a chute into a crate full of other CGI bullets.
An extremely clever editing technique is used next where they show the crate of bullets being sealed and still leave cracks of light showing even though it is then a jump cut to a Russian Sergeant opening the box.
The effect is used again but this time the crate is opened by African soldiers near a dock.
The CGI bullets are then knocked out of the crate and roll across the ground the camera only follows one which is then picked up by computer generated finger and thumb.
The computer generated bullets are put back in the crate and rock gently as the crate is moved keeping the illusion that they are real going.
As before the editors have been clever when cutting, this time instead of a lid covering the view the bullet falls down showing a view of other bullets in the crate when it sees light again the shot is in a different part of Africa.
The bullet is then CGI picked up for the final time and put into a gun which is also computer generated. Following this the bullet is fired and as it hits the child in the fore head a jump cut to a CGI red blood stain fills the shot.
Mise-en-scene -
A bullet ridden field of war is the first thing to be seen giving the audience a sense of threat straight away.
The setting seems to be a foreign country with palm trees and building with smoke puring from them this also reinforces threat and keeps the audience alert.
The lead character Yuri Orlov is then seen standing dressed in a sharp suit with a brief case in one hand and a cigar in the other, this shows he is wealthy.
Another reason to suspect the shot is in a foreign country is because of the high key lighting.
Yuri is stood center of shot facing away increasing the audiences curiosity.
The following shot is in a factory with a lower key of light but not in anyway dark.
Several factory workers are seen in overalls and hats.
The setting changes slightly as the camera takes you on a journey through several machines with varied lighting keeping up the illusion and making it feel real.
The finger and thumb of a factory worker is seen next they are extremely grubby showing a lower status than Yuri beforehand.
The next character to be seen is that of a military officer which is obvious from the fact he is in military uniform. This character is still out in the open but in a different country obvious from the change in light, the boat behind the character is that of a very wealthy military vessel.
The shot turns to African soldiers at a dock apparent from the boat in the background but the boat is in a worse condition than the one before suggesting a lower class and status. The African soldiers them selves show a lower class by what they are wearing but suggest high status by the gun in there hands.
More African soldiers are shown but then an African child is shown wearing simple clothing and holding no gun suggesting a lower status and class than that of the soldiers.
Title list (in appearance order) -
Nicolas Cage
Lord of war (Title)
Jared Leto
Bridget Moynahan
Ian Holm
Eamonn Walker
Sammi Rotibi, Eugene Lazarev
Jean-Pierre Nshanian
Shake Toukhmanian
and Ethan Hawke
Casting b Mindy Marin, C.S.A
Music by Antonio Pinto
Costume designer Elisabetta Beraldo
Edited by Zack Staenberg, A.C.E
Production Designer Jean Vincent Puzoz
Director of photography Amir Mokri
Executive Line Producer Ronaldo Vasconcellos
Douglas E. Hansen co-producer
Executive producers Fabrice Gianfermi, Bradley Cramp, Gary Hamilton
Executive producers Christopher Eberts, Andreas Schmid, Michael Mendelsohn, James D. Stern.
Producers Nicolas Cage, Norm Golightly
Producers Andy Grosch, Chris Roberts
Produced by Philippe Rousselet and Andrew Niccol
Written and directed by Andrew Niccol
Credit Analysis - An example of the font used in the opening credits are below. The reason this font was chosen was to add to the idea of war in the audience created by the talk of weapons and of bullets. The different names are faded in and out to create a smooth effect and not take away the smoothness from the images there being shown over.
Finally here is the opening to Lord of war (2005).
Finally here is the opening to Lord of war (2005).
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