Martin Scorsese: Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best

14. The Wolf Of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese's latest movie, The Wolf of Wall Street, kicked up some controversy upon its release - if not quite a storm then certainly a strong wind. Some took issue with what they perceived as the glorification - or at least trivialization - of its central character Jordan Belfort, a man whose actions had defrauded countless people and left many penniless. Whether or not The Wolf of Wall Street deserves this opprobrium is debatable - Scorsese's depiction of Belfort's hedonistic lifestyle off the back of his dubious ethical behaviour certainly doesn't moralise about the man, but at the same time his excesses are depicted with such deliberate virtuosiity that you can't help but feel that the director is transforming him into a figure of parody. Leaving aside the issue of The Wolf of Wall Street being a celebration of immoral behaviour, the film is nevertheless entertaining for much of its near-3 hour running time, and can equally be seen as a no-holds-barred unflinching look into the mindset of the rich bankers and investors who play with ordinary people's lives daily for their own greed.