Film: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Director: Martin Scorcese
Film Type: Blockbuster
Scriptwriter: Terence Winter
Primary Relationships Examined:
Relationship with money
Relationship with coworkers
Men’s relationship with women
Men’s relationship with their genitals
Dear Martin S,
There is just so much talk about you these days that I decided to watch something you made a while back, that I heard so much about but never actually watched.
First things first—how do I pronounce your name? Scorceez? Score-says-ee? Scorceez-ee? I have to ask you when we get a bite. Do you come to Philadelphia often? I just can’t listen to anyone else tell me about matters like how to pronounce your name. I want to hear it from Martin’s mouth alone.
Anyway, Martin, I want to tell you that I approve of The Wolf of Wall Street. I really do.
Now, the old Ms. Wonderful—before she became Ms. Wonderful and was just a somewhat uptight, reactive know-it-all—would have shunned your movie because of all the naked women having sex with the snakey cheating men.
The old Ms. W would have said that this emphasis on sex and prostitutes was damaging to women and objectifying women, before even watching the whole film.
I really struggled with this topic for years when it came to film and cinema and culture and literature. And I am not saying that everything is A-okay now, but I have a deeper and wiser understanding of how things work and what the root and source of creativity, which is to tell a story and show something true. These days, I sit with something before I react, because reactivity is just not helpful for our world anymore. Everyone is angry about something and if we act from anger and reactivity, really bad things occur. When we practice discernment, however, we comprehend a situation more fully. When we look below the surface, we know that some people are actually wise and intuitive rather than being derogatory to our cultural norms.
And so, I recognize the purpose of what you created in The Wolf of Wall Street. It is the classic tragic hero, like in Greek plays and Shakespeare, is it not? A modern day epic story of hubris. And the movie’s execution itself is pure genius. A morality tale we cannot stop watching. No wonder you were thinking of becoming a priest! You are still doing the root work of priesthood, perhaps, just in a cinematic way.
It is clear I am not the audience for your movie The Wolf of Wall Street. I can enjoy it, respect it, and appreciate it. It was not necessarily made for someone like me, and yet I found myself wanting to make sure I was handling my affairs in a better way while watching it. It was a subtle warning of how little hiccups here and there can lead to big catastrophes. Especially hiccups about the way we handle or show devotion to money.
Also, I loved watching Leo Dicaprio have so much fun in the over-the-top nature of the role of Jordan Belfort. He is excellent, but it is also clear at a deeper level that Jordan Belfort is fun to play because he is a fool. If one is going to play the fool, best to do it in a movie than in life, correct?
The audience you made the film for, I think, are those who need to heed its warnings. Those for whom money is God. And despite the warnings, people don’t often receive the message, do they? Many still revere the fool whose house is made of straw instead of stone. It is because the fool is so convincing. The fool thinks he is invincible, and we start to believe he is invincible too. If he is having so much fun, if his possessions are so luxurious, he must be doing something right-ish? We are tested throughout. The fool starts out with a code or compass, but devolves into a greedy animal because of the company he keeps—focused only on self-satisfaction, domination over others, outwitting with charisma and charm and artificiality. He justifies everything. He redirects. Such a brand of “intelligence” runs neck-and-neck with stupidity and evil. As humans, we are capable of knowing the spiritual realm. We are capable of knowing the higher path. We can accomplish great good and also great bad. It is all in what path we choose.
Your movie came out before a guy like Jordan Belfort won the title of presidency for the United States. You must have had a sixth sense of what was to come. Both seem to meet the same end result.
The devil, as you know, is so nefarious and present in this world. And I am proud of you for continuing to address the devil and the demons of this country of the United States, through film.
Before I end, let me ask you this, though.
Who is a man we can look up to, in your opinion?
The term “good man” is a little didactic, so let’s go with trustworthy.
I want to see more trustworthy men lit up through film. Men who have purpose that is bigger than themselves. Men who do not behave according to an us vs. them mentality, putting people into categories of importance or social ranking. The man who is not swayed by fads or trends of the day, though he is able to acknowledge beauty and truth when it shows up. The man who has backbone, depth, and wisdom. The man who sees and knows. The man who is non-harming in his approach, and shows character again and again. He knows and loves his Maker, and he leads and guides and operates his life from a place of humility, faith, and peacefulness. His conscience is a guiding force for him.
Does such a one exist, which you can make into a film? I am wondering, because we need to see some good examples for models. They are all too scarce.
If you do not find a man to fit the role, try a woman. No one has to be a superhero, here. Just human. Just loving. Showing a path of love so that people know there is that road to walk down, too, and it already has quite a few footsteps.
Hugs,
Ms. Wonderful
For readers’ reflection:
Are there relationships in your own life, or relationships you have witnessed, where the dominant mode of operating is one of power over another instead of love and connection?
How do love and power exist in your relationships or the relationships you’ve witnessed?
Do you think hurting another is a signifier of true power, or is kindness more aligned with true power? Discuss!
Is money our Source on this earth, or is it Mother Nature? If you had to choose money or nature, which would you choose? (This is a trick question.)
The next Ms. Wonderful post will be for paid subscribers only.
Check out the Ms. Wonderful About page for updates and intentionality around what this film club is for.