The Notorious Mr. Bout

2014

1h 30m

Documentary

List

80%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

73%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Viktor Bout is an international arms dealer who carries the nickname "the merchant of death."

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Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

As the documentary makes clear, those accusing him of misdeeds don't exactly have clean hands themselves.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 15, 2014

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

As ever, this documentary demonstrates that true-life stories are often simultaneously more quotidian and bizarre than their Hollywood versions.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 14, 2014

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Sophie Monks Kaufman

Little White Lies

Overambitious politically but on the money character-wise.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 14, 2014

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John Bleasdale

CineVue

A portrait in amoral, para-legal paradox. Utilising the oddly comprehensive home movies Bout himself... the filmmakers bring to life a figure of beguiling opacity.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 3, 2019

Full Review

Jared Mobarak

The Film Stage

The Notorious Mr. Bout becomes more 60 Minutes expos than cinematic must-see.

Rated: C+

Feb 20, 2016

Full Review

Lisa Giles-Keddie

HeyUGuys

A fascinating insight into the corruption of free-market capitalism, and what happens when anything goes and borders become irrelevant.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 29, 2014

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Audience Member

Perfect mix of archival material and interview, a compelling behind the scenes venture into the life of Viktor Bout through his own camcorder lens.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

Documentary used mainly with decades of Bout's own home movie footage. Bout who was the inspiration for the Nicholas Cage film 'Lord of War'. Quality as sin but it is really ironic that the U.S. can single out one person for been an arms dealer when in fact they themselves are the world's biggest dealers.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

paul b

A very interesting documentary largely about just who the real criminals are when they operate in an industry that is duly unregulated. Scapegoated but a criminal nonetheless this is a morality tale about the standards of those who choose to judge others to a level that isn't prevalent.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The last thing you expect to feel when watching a documentary about an international arms trader dubbed the 'Merchant of Death' is much empathy for him - but this remarkable film lays bare not only the man himself, but the mysterious marketplace he worked in. Viktor Bout's story is most notable as the basis for the 2005 Nicolas Cage movie Lord of War, and as expected the reality is far less glamorous and two-dimensional. Coming across as a thoroughly decent bloke who loves his family and wants to pursue legitimate business interests, we follow the young Soviet Army translator's savvy decision-making of his early twenties - setting up an import company to Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and moving on to Belgium and the United Arab Emirates, continually following the money and the emerging markets. At this stage he is certainly no 'Merchant of Death', just a slightly scruffy guy from Tajikistan with a tash. But as his business expanded to war torn African states his old soviet carrier planes became perfect for transporting vast arsenals back and forth around the globe - the title begins to fit. Roll on decades of the high life, making millions, travelling the world and opening business after business. But ultimately this arrogance and naivety developed over years of unqualified success proves his downfall - as he guilelessly embraces the media limelight and stumbles into the most laughably inept CIA sting imaginable in 2008. Although directed by Tony Gerber and Maxim Pozdorovkin, the standout material in The Notorious Mr. Bout comes from Viktor himself. His aspirations of being a filmmaker lead him seemingly to videotape almost every second of his life. The gift of these tapes from his wife Alla to the directors must've been beyond their wildest dreams. They allow his story to be told visually with sparing exposition, and perhaps most importantly capture a fantastic sense of the period of the narrative. We witness Bout meeting with African generals, celebrating his birthday and snapping photos as a wide-eyed tourist. "I wanted to travel, see world, make documentary film," he states in an email from his current prison cell. The unbelievably frank footage rarely feels like the coverage of a master criminal. There will be no shortage of voices claiming the film gives Viktor a mercifully easy ride for, intentionally or not, he has fuelled conflicts and death with a morally bankrupt approach to his cargo businesses. But by no stretch of the imagination is he the all powerful head of the arms trade - he's more a publicity hungry fool. The real evils are the laws that allowed these weapons to be freely shipped around with no punishable crime being committed. Unquestionably a scapegoat for a murky billion dollar industry, Viktor Bout has been morally suspect, but seldom criminally so. The Notorious Mr. Bout is an unexpectedly absorbing watch. From the opening grainy CCTV footage of the sting it appears to be taking us on a tabloid path - but here is a far more rounded, ambitious film that delves into the human side of the story, not just the evil deeds and sensationalisation. It's a documentary that instantly encourages debate - and a reassessment of media driven snap judgements.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Tony Gerber

Director

Maxim Pozdorovkin

Director

Gennadiy Vengerov

English voice of Victor Bout

Nick Fraser

Executive Producer

Lynn Nottage

Executive Producer

Kate Townsend

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

Viktor Bout is an international arms dealer who carries the nickname "the merchant of death."

Director: Tony Gerber, Maxim Pozdorovkin
Producer: Nick Fraser, Lynn Nottage, Kate Townsend
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Russian
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 26, 2016
Runtime: 1h 30m

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