9. Yuri Orlov in Lord of War
One of Nicholas Cages better roles, Yuri Orlov is a composite of some notorious real-life arms merchants, who slithers through a turbulent world of amorality and horrible suffering, flogging the contents of ex-Soviet armouries to some of the planets most ruthless and violent men. The movie is so slick, and Cages portrayal of the dastardly Orlov as an audacious and gifted businessman so engaging, that its easy to be impressed by his ingenuity and skill as he prospers in his deadly trade. Orlov runs rings around law enforcement and talks his way through encounters with some truly scary individuals. However the film hammers home the point that Orlovs business abilities dont just finance his glitzy lifestyle and provide him with personal fulfilment; they keep the murderous wheels of modern warfare turning, eating up thousands of innocent lives, seemingly impossible to stop. While Yuri is still at large as the credits roll, he ultimately wins his liberty through the patronage of amoral First World powers that find his wares useful, rather than his own cleverness, and his hunger for success at any cost only succeeds in driving away anyone who ever loved him, leaving him a forlorn and pathetic figure stalking an endless battlefield.