The Wolf of Wall Street and Dante’s Inferno – Oscars 2014

If you guys have read the first part of Dante’s Divine Comedy which is “Hell” you will instantly see the reference in the title of this post. Greed, adultery, cheating, lust, orgies, hedonism and beyond, pumped up egos, betrayal, incest, there was not a single character that didn’t deserve to be at least in one of the nine circles of hell.

It is very important when watching the movie not to judge it by whether you love or hate the characters, because most of the characters are unrelatable, unlovable and primitive. Nobody there strives to be a better person, but a richer person. Filthy rich, with no remorse whatsoever about what lies they mouth to gain wealth.

The Wolf of Wall Street is centered on the character for Jordan Belfort, (DiCaprio) a young stockbroker who moves to New York at young age with his wife to survive. He states himself that New York is the only place that would satisfy his need for money. One thing leads to another, literally, and he becomes a millionaire abusing the “penny stocks” market. While he is getting rich he also makes rich many other associates rich but also criminals.

Although is in the movie you don’t quite understand how they manipulate and what illegal actions they’re undertaking, even Jordan Belfort while narrating states that “it doesn’t matter”. And it really doesn’t, The Wolf Of Wall Street is not a movie about the crimes committed or the big chase after the stockbrokers turned criminals. It’s about Jordan Belfort, and it seems that every other character is just an extra. The Wolf explores the levels to which a human being can be involved in satisfying the lowest most primitive desires without any shame and always wanting for more. Jordan Belfort at one point is convinced by his father mostly, to pull back from the business, and just when he is about to announce it, he pulls back in, because he loves money…and the drugs and the prostitutes and the rush of it. 

So, do these three hours of Sodom and Gomorrah depiction deserves an Oscar for Best Motion Picture? Maybe, if the competition wasn’t doing any better. It’s still an interesting movie that you should definitely  see.