The Wolf of Wall Street
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
Length: 179 minutes
Country: USA
Does The Wolf of Wall Street glorify what it depicts? Does it revel in what it should be condemning? More importantly, does this even matter when a film is this gloriously entertaining and unhinged? Martin Scorsese, in what is quite possibly his greatest cinematic achievement since Goodfellas creates an epic saga of debauchery and excess, which depicts the hyperbolic nature of its central character in an equally decadent fashion. Highly anticipated, prestigious films like this are often plagued by expectation- Django Unchained which also stars DiCaprio springs to mind for me. Wolf on the other hands delivers and even exceeds all that its premise promises.
Like most of Scorsese’s best films, Wolf has an almost non-existent plot. It tracks the rise and fall of successful Stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his involvement with drugs, wealth, corruption and eventually the federal government. Scorsese is famous for prioritizing character over storyline; a technique particularly fitting for portraying Belfort’s life. The film’s free, loose structure allows him to repeatedly show Belfort’s life of drug and sex fueled indulgence without becoming stale. One scene involving outdated Quaaludes and Jordan losing control of his body will almost definitely go down as one of Scorsese’s most inspired moments and proof that Dicaprio is surprisingly gifted at physical comedy when he wants to be.
It is impossible to look at The Wolf of Wall Street without addressing the controversy that has surrounded its release. Countless articles have accused it of condoning the actions of its protagonist when perhaps it should be preaching a moral message. These criticisms fail to see however that its success lies in its comedic approach and an alternative would have been detrimental to its appeal. When Wolf was first announced many, myself included were unsure whether they wanted yet another look at the corruption of Capitalism in the world of banking – the film Boiler Room was even a loose adaptation of Jordan’s memoirs so you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering if this film was really necessary. Wolf’s comedic, superficial style is perfectly representative of Jordan’s character and what sets it apart from previous films centered on banking; its preoccupation with excess allows a convincing presentation of Belfort’s materialism and corruption whilst avoiding placing too much emphasis on the morality of the situation and the tiresome details of the financial world.
Yes, Wolf is in many ways Goodfellas on Wall Street, but it always feels original and varied.
Black comedy has always been an essential part of Scorsese’s work and he relishes in any opportunity to infuse his films with a satirical edge. Whilst The Wolf of Wall Street does this, it also sees him venture into a broader more slapstick comedy. This is achieved to perfection and forms some of the film’s grandest moments. Scorsese must again be credited for consistently maintaining this humor for the entirety of its three hour running time. He is essentially doing what he’s done before but still finds fresh ways of approaching themes of crime, corruption and power. Yes, Wolf is in many ways Goodfellas on Wall Street, but it always feels original and varied.
Leonardo DiCaprio, maybe more so than any other actor, has often been brought down by the burden of expectation – his film choices hold such potential that every performance is singled out as the year that he will finally win his overdue Oscar. This can lead to disappointment as displayed by the overwhelmingly mediocre J. Edgar. It is really in Wolf however that DiCaprio goes to another level and puts forward his greatest performance. Even with a character this despicable, DiCaprio makes him inherently watchable and there is a manic energy to his performance that grips the viewer from beginning to end. Goodfellas featured a great central protagonist in the form of Henry Hill but he often seemed less interesting than some of the supporting characters. In the hands of DiCaprio we don’t want to be following anyone else. Jonah Hill is equally manic, despicable but ultimately watchable as Belfort’s sidekick Donnie Azoff.
The Wolf of Wall Street is a deliciously enjoyable ode to excess; it also shows that Hollywood is still capable of releasing daring films of high quality.
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