The opening Credits of the film Lord of war show the life of a single bullet, from its creation to its use which is to kill a child in a war torn country. Set entirely from the bullets eye view and set to the Buffalo Springfield song 'For what its worth' (which is used contrapuntally) , the credits set the viewer for a movie about the illegal arms trade. The white font of the text contrasts with the images of the bullets being made as the white has connotations of innocence.The font can also gives connotations of war and which relates to the title of the film and this also gives the audience an idea about what they are going to see in the movie as its suggests conflict and Russia which hints at a important part of the film.The sequence then moves to a shot of the production line, showing the metal casing of a soon to be bullet. Low key lighting, enhanced by a blue filter creates a dark atmosphere, giving off vibes which makes the audience uncomfortable. The tone of the clip represents the tone of the film, and the audience know this right from the start. The gold casing of the bullet shows the glamorous side to war, connoting the money and the power behind the act of crime; and the only light being reflected off it makes the audiences attention solely on this. This is what the film is about. The filth of the factory contrasts to the delicate copper plating running through it, reflecting the light of the factory. I can tell that the bullet is valued more than the workers or factory that makes it, they are just mules to be used and thrown away. The machine that creates the bullet has overcome the use for people, and that in the industrial struggle they are in, the bullet rules over men. The production stage of a bullet reflects the life it has, how it can start and end, just like the sequence when shot, how it can leave the barrel of the gun, and then end at its final destination; or relate to the life it has taken. The soldier who started by being trained to kill, and the end when a bullet reaches its target destination, and ends the life of its self and the soldier.
This shot introduces the camera work that has taken place, unknown to us before, we actually view the bullet in first person, giving it an identity, and forcing the viewer to forge a relationship with the bullet. this gives us a much more in depth understanding of the power it holds, as you see the delicate process that takes place. The metallic gold color shows the struggle between good and evil, as the contrast of the factory, just like before, represents the cold war that is taking place, and the effect it has on the world. The title 'LORD of WAR' comes on the screen, instantly confirming to the audience that this is actually about war, and not just a common relation with the term 'war', just like many films are. The size of the text is over shadowed by the presence of the bullet, towering over the letters, stating authority. The font isn't fancy. It doesn't need to be, the words that it says is just enough. It has no point to prove, and no means to over complicate the mise-en-scene of the shot.
The angle the bullet is pointing in the next shot proves the point of destruction. We see workers working the production line, making sure every bullet is perfect enough to kill. Its this deadly accuracy, and precision that makes these weapons the most destructive in the world, killing more people than any other. Numerous bullets flood the line, showing the mass scale of the operation. Sparks fly from machinery connoting the death and mayhem they create. The light passing through the window high lights the open world, and how these weapons are going to be released upon it. It also shows how poverty can affect the way people need jobs. The workers in this scene wont earn much, and I doubt their doing it for the passion of making bullet's. During war people are forced to do things they wouldn't normally do, making them at the mercy of their bosses and ranking officers, and especially in the production of weapons, they do not hesitate to eliminate you if you do not do a good job.
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