THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
US, 2013, 175 minutes, Colour.
Leonardo Di Caprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Rob Reiner, Jean Desjardin, Jon Bernthal, Matthew Mc Connaughey, Jon Favreau, Joanna Lumley.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Fascinating and repellent.
There is something mesmerising about films which portray the wheeler dealers of big finance, especially on Wall Street. In the 1980s, Oliver Stone gave us the archetypal insider dealer, Gordon Gecko (who is mentioned in passing in this screenplay). Other films which led us into the world of finance and sales include Glengary Glen Ross, based on David Mamet’s play, and the world of young dealers in Boiler Room. While 2013’s American Hustle is about fraud, it is still based on the premise of getting money as the most important quest in life. The miss quote from the Letter of James, ‘money is the root of all evil’, actually reads ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’. And the behaviour of Jordan Belfort and the other brokers in The Wolf of Wall Street certainly illustrate this dictum. So here is Martin Scorsese’s take on this world, his fifth collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio?.
There has been quite some controversy about this film, some claiming that it glorified this self-centred, warped and sometimes degrading world. Those who defend it say it is ‘a cautionary tale’, not an exhortation to be another Jordan Belfort. Some audiences have been disgusted by several orgiastic interludes but out of a film that runs for 175 minutes, they are comparatively brief and are meant to illustrate the way of life that the central character, Jordan Belfort, has become accustomed to.
In this kind of cautionary tale, there is always the possibility, especially in the early part of the film, that some members of the audience, especially ambitious men, might identify with this kind of behaviour. But, as Jordan’s father reminds him early in the film and he neglects to remember it, chickens come home to roost. Nothing succeeds like excess – until it catches up with you.
Leonardo DiCaprio? has won some awards for his performance as Jordan Belfort. This time he is something of a combination of his landowner in Django Unchained and the great Gatsby. Starting as a naive young man with ambitions, he is overwhelmed by the energy and frenzy of the brokers on Wall Street, listening attentively to his mentor or, a very effective small cameo from Matthew McConaughey?, who glorifies the exhilaration of making money, egged on by cocaine, alcohol and womanising. It is not long before Jordan is not only part of this world but a leader.
Everything might have collapsed after the Stock Exchange failure of October 1987. Jordan goes on the road giving talks about making money but his wife urges him to follow up and ad and he discovers a small company, dealing in small shares and almost instantly takes it over, recruiting a group of avaricious men who are not the greatest intellects but have killer instincts for their job. He is pursued by a young man, Don (Jonah Hill) who gradually becomes his right hand man, not only in work, but in self-indulgence and a willingness for debauchery.
These themes sound serious but, in fact, the tone taken is rather comic, often sardonic and ironic, sometimes, as with a prolonged scene where Jordan and Don indulge in pills which take time to take effect, and Jordan, affected by them, has to crawl along a hall and fall down steps to get to his car and drive it under this influence – which does lead to a crisis with the police, with his wife, and his daughter.
It is a long film, prolonged at times, but it shows the ambition and self-delusion of a would-be highflier, ignoring realities, including investigation by the FBI, opening accounts in Switzerland with the aid of his wife’s aunt (an unexpected cameo by Joanna Lumley) which unexpectedly leads to more crises and a reckless voyage in the Mediterranean in the lavish yacht he has bought for and named after his wife, his second wife, Naomi (Australian Margot Robbie). The Swiss banker is played by Jean Desjardin, Oscar-winner for The Artist.
Often it is said that this is an amoral world and, indeed, it is. But on the evidence of The Wolf of Wall Street, it is an immoral world, recklessly so, exploitative lease so. But this is not to say that it is advocating this kind of world – it is presenting it in a way that is both fascinating and repellent.
1. The impact of the film? Awards? Critique and controversy? Drama and comedy?
2. Based on a true story, the 1980s, the decade of Gordon Gecko? The collapse of 1987, re-building, new success? Excess and failure? A cautionary tale?
3. The accusation that the film-makers were glorifying this way of life? Does depicting it mean glorifying it? Making it attractive? But making it attractive until the accountability at the end?
4. Leonardo Di Caprio as Jordan Belfort, age, within his family, his ambitions, going to Wall Street at 22? The introduction to the floor, his boss and his language, expectations? Answering phones? His naivete, wide-eyed? Mark Hanna and his taking him under his wing, the talk, the restaurant, the high life-style, explanations, the interlude with the humming, the cocktails, the cocaine, the quest of money? The 1980s and greed?
5. Jordan’s introduction to the film, his continued voice-over throughout, looking straight at the audience? His boasting, his wedding, his marriage, wealth, excessive drugs, drink, women, the helicopter and his getting home to his mansion?
6. His journey, any values at the outset? Morals? The American secular worldview? Success and getting approval through success? Before 1987, his success, money, explanation, the victims on the phone, his way of life, the collapse?
7. At home with his wife, giving talks about making money? The ads, his wife’s urging him on, the visit to the small company, shady, the small businesses they dealt with? His demonstration on the phone, his plausibility, leading customers on, their becoming victims, willing victims? His plan and taking over the company, gathering the range of friends, their being assertive but not particularly brainy? The range of characters, the glasses, the hairpiece, Brad…? Don, his job, hearing about Jordan, pursuing him, persuading him to take him on, his being employed, the set up?
8. The loyalty of the staff to Jordan, a kind of Hitler-syndrome, his powers of persuasion, his speeches, rousing them up, they’re responding, calling out, loyalties? His expanding his company and the number of people employed, hiring some, firing others who are not paying attention, the woman to whom he gave the $25,000 gift, her gratitude towards him?
9. The workplace, the success, the increasing indulgence, the sequences in the office, the women, the drink, drugs, crude and crass, the exhibitionist in the elevator? This becoming a lifestyle for Jordan and the company?
10. The character of Donny, his wife, his betrayals, greed and gross? Continually faithful to Jordan? His clash with Brad, the big mistake, Jordan forgiving him, providing the old drugs and the repercussions with him on the phone?
11. Meeting Naomi, their talking, seductive, the affair, prolonged, his being caught in the car by his wife, the divorce?
12. His life with Naomi, the wedding ceremony? Her character, love, indulgence? The house and Jordan’s boasting? The lavish yacht? Time passing, the daughter, his betrayal and Naomi’s anger with him?
13. His father, support, the Mad Max Syndrome, seeing it illustrated, bursting into anger and then calm? His continued support of his son, yet warning him
about the dangers?
14. The FBI agents, the pursuit of Jordan, the surveillance, their visiting the yacht, all smiles, the fruit drinks, the greater tension, Jordan ordering them off the yacht, condemning their subway style of life?
15. The test case, Don’s friend and issues, the demonstration and the staff, their fickle reaction, the pursuit of the company, ownership, it’s later coming undone, the friend and his selling his shares?
16. The lawyers, the advice and warnings, the documents, dealings, the investigations and the responses?
17. The comedy throughout the film, especially in the sequence with the slow-burning pills, the phone being tapped and the warning, Jordan going to the
club for the phone, the influence of the drugs, crawling along the hall, falling down the steps, driving the car, his boast that nothing happened – and the police showing him the wreck and the flashback to all the damage?
18. The incident with Donny and Brad, delivering the money, Donny and his anger at Brad, the fight, the police watching, the case with the money opening, Brad arrested, keeping quiet about Donny? Welcome back – but the offhand remark that he would be soon dead?
19. Jordan making mistakes, the investigations, going to Italy, the yacht, the captain warning against the storm, his need to get to Switzerland, the effect of the storm, disaster?
20. The Swiss situation, Aunt Emma and her visit, her agreeing to help, the mutual flirting, sexual encounter? Opening the Swiss account? The Swiss manager, smooth talk with Jordan, the account, the wife and the money being taped to her, her family and the transfer of money through Europe, the deposit in the bank? Emma’s death? Invitation to Jordan, forging accounts? The irony of the Swiss man arrested in the United States?
21. Jordan, the deterioration of his relationship with Naomi, the final sexual encounter, his angry reaction, leaving, his taking the child, in the car, the garage?
22. The agents, the arrest, the interviews about deals, persuading him to wear the wire, writing the warning to Donny on the serviette?
23. His giving up names? his decision to stay with the firm, the acclamation and blind loyalty? The collapse? Prison?
24. His giving lectures again, in New Zealand, the memory of the technique of selling the pen, the ineffectual ambitions of the Kiwis?
25. Serious, comic, fascinating and repellent?
