Martin Scorsese’s approach
and execution in The Wolf of Wall Street
is comparable to driving a car with warp speed backwards against heavy traffic
with nothing short of full control and confidence. From minute 1 to 180 (Yes, 3
hours but don’t worry, it feels like 1), Scorsese’s latest film is as much an
energetic high as the one experienced by the characters on screen. The best way
for me to describe The Wolf of Wall Street
is “controlled chaos”. Scorsese never takes his foot off the gas not just for
entertainment reasons but also to make his point.
Some would argue that Jordan
Befort’s actions are romanticized in The
Wolf of Wall Street but that’s not how Scorsese presents the stock broker’s
actions in the film. Constant drugs, prostitutes and an arrogant Belfort all
while the FBI is hot on his tail doesn’t just make up a large majority of the
film, it is the film. Sure, none of this sounds all that pleasant on paper but
it is no secret that the power of film can make these things look like hell or
it could look better than a day at the beach. So the question is what approach
does Scorsese take?
Before I answer that,
it may be important to briefly address the entrainment value of the film. Is
Scorsese’s take on the rise and fall of real life stalk broker Jordan Belfort entertaining?
Yes and I can say that with absolute ease. I haven’t read the book by Belfort
that the film was adapted from but from what I have heard it is presented in a
humorous manner so the overall mood of the film could very well just be
following its source material. With this said, getting to the question
concerning Scorsese’s approach, the director never really allows you to
honestly say that you want the life that Belfort and associates are living on
screen. This has a lot to do with the confrontational, high speed pace that
will have your head spinning uncontrollably.
While each scene is
clean cut and nearly perfectly constructed, the mannerisms and actions of the
characters in the film are far from it. The paranoia, the trouble, the
suffocating holds and just loudness in general that is happening to these
characters is amped up just enough by Scorsese to come off as a complete circus
of a life. Belfort, when focusing on the presumed feelings of the character,
appears disturbed to say the least. He comes right out and speaks about his
paranoia but to Scorsese’s, Writer Terence Winter’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s
credit, Belfort appears to be tortured with in by his own actions and power. He
uses his talents in a way that help him but harm him twice as much. This is
ultimately what you take away from the film.
Of course, the actions
and activities of Belfort in his downfall are much more undesirable than those
of his rise but his downfall is a direct cause of his rise which forces the
audience to ask the question: Was it all worth it? Scorsese’s approach only
makes this question even more unavoidable. His approach also makes it easy to
answer. Again, this is seen in the films darker second half but there is a
scene at the end of the film that features the FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle
Chandler) that was belittled and underestimated but at the same time secretly feared
by Belfort. This scene shines light on the person that is reasonable and humble
in their actions. As it relates back to something Belfort says to the agent, it
is the most powerful scene of the film and nicely wraps all the chaos up and
pulls everything together.
At this point in his
career I couldn’t think of a more appropriate approach for Scorsese to take.
Seen as a master of his craft for decades now, with The Wolf of Wall Street, Scorsese, depending on how one saw him
before, prove or reiterates that as a filmmaker, he knows exactly what path to
take when telling a story and is more than capable of fully relaying his
message through that chosen path which puts in him in complete control of the
cinema he immerses himself in. Because of this, he can gain an audience
member’s full trust, a goal of any good filmmaker.
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