By Lisa Nault
Contributing Writer

From iconic director Martin Scorsese (“Taxi Driver,” “GoodFellas,”  “Shutter Island”) comes his latest contribution to the big screen, “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013).

Based on a true story, the film follows the life of wealthy stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). His journey begins from an average joe lifestyle to a world spiraling in crime, and drugs, not to mention…sex.

The first reviews preceding opening week from both professional critics and the general public were overwhelmingly aghast by the amount of nudity and sexual interactions the film had throughout its three hour runtime. Word had spread of people being so appalled that they left the theater since they could not watch the rest of the film. However, when this reviewer went to see the film, she had expectations going in knowing that there was going to be many graphic visuals being projected.

That being said, in this humble reviewer’s opinion, the sex scenes were not as explicit as expected. If you have seen sex on HBO programs, then these scenes will not be anything too surprising. The sex scenes are usually humorous in nature with comical narrations from Belfort. It is important to go in knowing that the film does have sexual content, and if that is a problem, maybe the film is not for you. Therefore, if you can survive that, then you will be in for a great character study.

The film itself is very entertaining. Despite its great length, it keeps its audience engaged to the very end. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a wonderful performance as the sleazy yet charming “wolf.” Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff and P. J. Byrne as Nicky “Rugrat” Koskoff create very memorable characters as supporting actors.

Besides the overall great performances, the highlight of the film has to be its style as well as a ‘subtle’ message it conveys. The film had very bright saturated colors, many long shots capturing how vast Belfort’s power was, and several slow motion moments to capture every single instant of what was going on in the characters minds.

The style conveys a mood of euphoria as well as electric energy. The scenes containing swarms of people partying and having a good time appear to the audience as controlled chaos, not overwhelming or impacting any characters negatively (even though the things the characters do would normally have huge consequences).

The controlled chaos is relevant to the film because “Wolf of Wall Street” is not only retelling a stockbroker’s tale but also examining human behavior. In the promotion trailer for the film, Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) is humming and beating his chest to a distinct rhythm.

At this point in the film, Belfort is a new stockbroker and is uneasy about Hanna’s humming. Belfort has just entered a new world, a barbaric world. The beating of the chest portrays an act of masculinity.

Hanna is what Belfort aspires to be: a man who gets what he wants. Belfort wants to succeed and by the end of this scene he begins displaying his own masculinity by joining Hanna in the ritualistic chest beating.

The act is repeated later in the film after Belfort has reached his goal. He is running a huge company and is rich but was just confronted by the FBI. He begins to beat his chest after a speech as an act of defiance against the feds. Joining him is the whole company which builds the chaos in the only scene that seems out of control, a room full of people are all acting like primitives.

That is what Scorsese reveals to the audience: how primitive humans are. Belfort and the other men consistently succumb to their basic needs. They want money; they get it. They want to feel good; drugs of all variety are easily reachable. They feel aroused. They have women. An important note about the film is that women are not portrayed in a good light.

There are only three or four women who are given enough screen time to be remembered when the film is over. The only important role for a female is Belfort’s second wife, Naomi. Her role is to be a goddess that Belfort claims as his own during the height of his power, a source of his sexual activities, and a character who creates problems for Belfort to deal with. She has no real character development even though the film pretends she does when she leaves him. “The Wolf of Wall Street” illustrates the primitive nature of men while depicting women as under the male’s controls. Men are the alphas: they want, women provide.

The film is perfect for movie- goers who want to experience a fun atmosphere and have a laugh. It is creative and filled with a star-studded cast giving worthy performances. Scorsese’s style and storytelling engrosses the audience.

However, the sex may be too graphic and frequent for some. If character development is an important component for an enjoyable movie going experience, this film is probably not for you. The primitive nature of these powerful men is fascinating but at the cost of negatively representing women. It is not perfect by any measure, but well worth seeing.