Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street was a huge box office success and a critical darling when it outset hit theaters in 2013. Leonardo DiCaprio was showered with praise for his lead performance equally stockbroker Jordan Belfort, while the "Goodfellas meets The Hangover" tone made The Wolf of Wall Street one of Scorsese's most entertaining efforts.

Just information technology wasn't without its detractors. The moving-picture show was accused of glorifying Belfort's criminal lifestyle. In the face of these critics, Scorsese and DiCaprio staunchly defended their work equally a satirical critique of Wall Street swindling. In a way, both sides are right.

10 Great Satire: Belfort Is Corrupted By Wall Street

At the showtime of The Wolf of Wall Street, Hashemite kingdom of jordan Belfort is an all-round adept guy who wants to go far in finance then that he can provide for his family. Information technology's the Wall Street civilisation that corrupts him.

He scams people to brand a quota. He swears constantly because anybody around him does the aforementioned. He'south instructed by Marker Hanna (better known by his actor'south proper name, Matthew McConaughey) to accept drugs to become through the working solar day. Everything that becomes reprehensible about Belfort is a result of his occupational surroundings.

nine Glorifies Belfort's Lifestyle: Leonardo DiCaprio Brings Lovable Charm To Belfort

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the nearly charming and lovable leading men working today. And to his credit, he's so charismatic that it's hard for him to turn information technology off. Notwithstanding, his portrayal of Jordan Belfort has an undeniable charm that is completely unearned.

Anyone who knows anything well-nigh Belfort wouldn't get into the moving-picture show wanting to like him, only DiCaprio'south operation has a disarming coolness.

8 Corking Satire: It'south Nearly The Unrealistic Fantasy Of Richness

Throughout the pic, information technology's made clear that Belfort doesn't come from money. He grew up in a eye-class surroundings, raised by two accountants. At first, he's not a rich guy who wants to go richer (although he does get that); he'due south a regular guy who wants to become rich.

Coin has the ability to corrupt anyone, as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre taught the states, and The Wolf of Wall Street teaches that richness won't solve all your problems — in fact, information technology can create a lot of new ones.

seven Glorifies Belfort's Lifestyle: A Life Of Excess Seems Like Fun

Jordan Belfort and his associates lead lives of excess in The Wolf of Wall Street. Information technology's not plenty for an function party to consist of drinks and a few balloons. They need a literal parade of immoderacy to have fun.

And frankly, the film does make that lifestyle wait similar a lot of fun. Viewers don't milk shake their heads at the absurd levels of excess in the movie; they cheer along.

half dozen Groovy Satire: That Excess Eventually Becomes Belfort's Downfall

Equally fun as the cocaine and casual sex might look at the beginning of the movie, Belfort's many vices take their cost on his health — both physically and mentally — past the finish of information technology.

His eyes look vacant when he'due south enjoying the services of a prostitute and his drug usage eventually peaks, causing a rapid psychological decline. The film teaches that a life of excess is fun for a while, but it'south just that — it's too much.

5 Glorifies Belfort'due south Lifestyle: It Ignores The People He Afflicted

Plenty of real people were afflicted by Belfort's scams. He didn't con ultra-wealthy banks and airlines out of their money like an earlier biopic subject played by DiCaprio, Frank Abagnale, Jr.; he conned regular working-grade people out of their hard-earned paychecks and savings.

But anyone who watched The Wolf of Wall Street wouldn't know that, because the movie completely ignores the people who were affected by Belfort's crimes.

4 Great Satire: Information technology Shows How Like shooting fish in a barrel He Got Off

When the FBI finally manages to get together plenty show against Belfort to abort him at the end of The Wolf of Wall Street, he gets off incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel. He buys his way into a minimum-security prison for rich people that'south basically a land club, where he gets to play tennis all twenty-four hours.

Before too long, he's out of jail and giving financial advice to the hopeless concern minds of the future. This isn't a case of the movie glorifying Belfort; it's a case of the actual justice organization just giving him a slap on the wrist and the movie shining a light on that.

3 Glorifies Belfort's Lifestyle: Stratton Oakmont Is Depicted As An Empire

When Jesse Pinkman asked Walter White if he was in the meth business organization or the money business, Walt famously replied that he was in "the empire business." Jordan Belfort adheres to the same principle.

He doesn't desire Stratton Oakmont to be a successful business; he wants it to exist an empire to rival Caesar'south. And the movie takes that unscrupulous appetite and runs with information technology.

2 Keen Satire: It Holds A Mirror Upward To The Audition

In the final moments of The Wolf of Wall Street, Belfort gives a seminar on sales using his "Sell me this pen" technique and is bitterly disappointed by the results. The final shot pulls up on the entranced faces of Belfort's audience.

This is Scorsese holding a mirror upwardly to his own audience, specially the viewers who would accuse him of glamorizing Belfort's crimes. People like Belfort are ten a penny and consumers hypocritically give money to amoral corporations all the fourth dimension, and seek get-rich-quick tips instead of challenging the muddied dealings of the finance industry.

ane Glorifies Belfort's Lifestyle: "Greed Is Expert" Message

The quote "Greed is good" is actually from a different Wall Street movie, Oliver Stone's aptly titled Wall Street, simply the appetite and ability hunger of Gordon Gekko tin can be seen all over Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street.

He doesn't say, "Greed is good," but he says something with a very similar sentiment: "I have been a rich man and I accept been a poor man, and I cull rich every f**rex fourth dimension!"

NEXT: 10 Movies Martin Scorsese Nigh Directed

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Ben Sherlock (3638 Articles Published)

Ben Sherlock is a author, comedian, contained filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Bluster. He's currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). Yous tin can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the U.k. that volition give him stage fourth dimension. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resource, and BabbleTop.

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