The Wolf of Wall Street Review
With The Wolf of Wall Street, legendary director Martin Scorsese has created another classic. The Wolf of Wall Street tells the real-life story of Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, an investment banker who in the 80s and 90s amassed an enourmous wealth and began his own company, Stratton Oakmont. Belfort was eventually captured and imprisoned for fraud, and then wrote the book, The Wolf of Wall Street on which the film is based.
The film itself is not for everyone. Ridden with exploitation including orgies, and endless drug-fueled decisions, this is most definitely not a family film. But see, The Wolf of Wall Street is far more than the story of a drug-addled, power-hungry millionaire, and this is where I feel the film is lost on many people. Many have took shots at the film, claiming that it is devoid of any meaning, that it is a repungent three hours of glorified excess. I most defintely do not feel this way. The Wolf of Wall Street is the story of us.
Yes, the film is based on Jordan Belfort's life but it is not a character study it's message is much farther reaching. The Wolf of Wall Street is a social commentary on the effect greed has on modern society. Early on in the film, a humble young Jordan Belfort climbs off a bus and walks to his first job at a Wall St. firm, working under Mark Hanna, played by Matthew McConaughey. It is not long after Hanna's firm closes and Belfort starts his own and soon enough, he is the power-hungry, ultra-sucessful leader of his very own firm, Stratton Oakmont. With power though, comes responsibility, and Belfort is certainly lacking in the latter. At his peak, Belfort was taking, as he states, "enough drugs to sedate Manhattan, Long Island, and Queens for a month," and making more money than he could ever know what to do with. His lavish living soon garners him the attention of federal officers who, coupled with Belfort's collapsing relationship with his wife cause his ultimate demise and eventual imprisonment.
Belfort's crash is clear, Scorsese's warning is clear, if one takes the time to consider the film before dismissing it for it's excess. All in all, The Wolf of Wall Street is an expertly crafted film, complete with an outstanding and fearless performance by Leonardo DiCaprio. Martin Scorsese has faced opposition in the past, and I'm sure he will in the future, but he continues to churn out masterpiece after masterpiece, proving why he is the legendary director he has come to be known as.
5/5 Stars
