The film is like a biography of the arms dealer Yuri Olof. It started from making a fortune to becoming the world's premier "king of war". Most of the warlords and leaders in the world have done business with him, and most of the war-torn areas in the world are using the weapons he sells. Perhaps, he brought this chaotic order, brought countless family disasters, and brought the shadow of death, but this evil incarnation is an inevitable and necessary existence.
Is this an irony or a tragedy? Perhaps it is both.
From Yuri's perspective, the film talks about business again and again, and talks about the world in his eyes. So as an audience, it is inevitable to bet on his side first-not to mention, the actor is such a mature and charming Nicholas Cage. There is production when there is a need, and some people need to supply arms when they fight. It seems that this is a matter of course. It is understandable to sell arms and make money. We followed Yuri to see a bizarre world, where high-level military generals sold arms privately, pacifists and religious followers bought guns, and children from some war-torn countries in Africa armed with simple weapons to their teeth, proclaiming "free xx" The "democratic xx" groups bloody their opponents...at first they felt fresh and interesting, but slowly, they realized a lot of absurdity in the world, but still laughed, but the taste has changed a lot.
This world seems to be such a thing, there are many rules and laws, but most people don't want to think about it. Those who can't see through find it mysterious and unpredictable, and those who see through know how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages and how to survive better. Yuri belongs to the former. He knows the meaning of his existence, as if it was for such a mission that he was born, grew up, and learned languages. Evil is more evil, but it must exist, otherwise justice will have no reason. Just as there is no sense of peace without war, there is no way to consume too much production to ensure social stability.
What is very exciting in the film is Yuri's entanglement with the international policeman Jack several times. Yuri uses loopholes in the law to avoid guilt. Although Jack knows that Yuri's crime is unpardonable but there is no evidence, he has to watch Yuri escape again and again. Especially during the emergency landing of the Yuri plane in Africa, the plot design is really wonderful. Later Jack finally caught his prey, but the other party just calmly said something, telling him that his own existence is a must, even those who seem to be righteous need his work. Because of this, someone has to do it.
Jack is a very idealistic person. He has been pursuing justice and fairness, and he refuses to use illegal means to uphold the law. In the end he lost, seeing that his efforts were meaningless. Because the world is not so ideal, it is very realistic. Contradictions must exist, and so do struggles, otherwise everything will not last forever. His work may continue, just because society needs such a job, a symbolic meaning, but it may not necessarily require a certain result.
Thinking of the political science that I have been looking at recently, politics is the activities that people carry out for public power and the process by which the government uses public power to allocate resources. Because people always have desires and needs, and these needs must be met by some usually scarce resources. When resources are obtained, there will be costs. The fight for public power is to obtain the ability to allocate resources and costs, and to decide "who gets what." The ruler will use various methods to cultivate the political consciousness of its internal members, and make them identify with the same mainstream political culture. Once they are identified, they will be obeyed, and the rule will continue.
So politics is probably a kind of order, a kind of game. Some people have gained power and tried every means to protect their rights, tame the public through war, mass media, and democratic elections, hoping to maintain their status for a long time. Everything that appears in this process is a tool, maybe it has no real meaning, or maybe its meaning today is completely opposite to yesterday's, because everything is just for the convenience of rule. Just like war, it may be because it wants to divert people’s attention from internal conflicts, or it may be the use of war consumption to solve the economic crisis of oversupply. In short, it is just a means. There is never a war for peace and justice. Perhaps one day, as described in "Nineteen Eighty Four", it might be: people need war instead of enemies. The enthusiasm of war and the consumption of war are conducive to ruling, and whether the enemy is or not is second.
The only thing that can be entangled with interests is probably morality. It is strange that the pursuit of benefits is human nature, and the human heart’s goodness is also nature. After all, people are still fighting against themselves. The pursuit of basic human ethics is delaying our pursuit of profit. For example, justice, fairness, democracy, equality... the lowest ethics are also the most difficult to achieve.
Yuri's brother suddenly awakened during the last sale, he realized what kind of business he was engaged in, and he quit. However, this respect for life and the maintenance of justice cost him his life. Is this a mockery of ideals by reality?
Yuri was completely numb. His brother tried to wake him up with the cost of his life, but after he shed a tear, he still stumbled and sat opposite the man who killed his brother and continued to talk about the price of arms. He said that whether he accepts the money or not, he has lost something, so he still accepts it.
Yuri’s reasoning has always been: I didn’t use a gun to force others to shoot and fight, and I didn’t want to harm people, so I was not responsible. After they got the gun, it was their own choice to fight or slaughter them. It was not my war.
Every time I see his defense, I always think of the passage: "In Germany, at first they hunted down communists, but I didn’t say anything—because I’m not a communist; then they hunted down Jews, but I didn’t say anything. ─Because I am not a Jew; later they hunted down union members, but I didn’t say anything—because I’m not a union member. After that, they hunted down Catholics, but I didn’t talk──because I was a Protestant. Finally they came to me, but No one will stand up and speak for me anymore.” This is a short poem inscribed on the Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Boston, USA. The author is a German Protestant priest named Martin Niemoller. "Omission" is a sin in many cases.
The actors in the film performed very well. Nicholas Cage, of course, needless to say, Ethan Hawke’s Interpol is also very brilliant, and Jared Leto, who plays Yuri’s younger brother, is my favorite. He is an older child who is more emotional than rational. . Director Andrew Niccol has many famous works, but the only one I have seen is "Trumen's World". "The King of War" has followed the irony features that began at that time.
The last thing I want to say is that I really like the photography of this film. It is smooth and shocking. The light and shadow are used properly, the length of the lens is alternated, and the structure is also very compact. For example, a long shot that moves on a bullet at the beginning is excellent.
After watching the second time, I still think this is a five-star film. ^_^
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