The True Story Behind 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
What's the deal with the real Jordan Belfort?
Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is a darkly comedic portrayal of unrestrained Wall Street hedonism and greed that ranks among the maestro’s greatest works of the last decade. Like all narrative films based on true stories, a few liberties were taken with Jordan Belfort’s life and crimes, such as using Jonah Hill’s Donnie Azoff character as a stand-in for multiple real-life friends of Belfort’s. Overall though, the film is remarkably accurate and certainly conveys the underlying truths of Belfort’s 2007 memoir, which was the primary source material for the film. Although the film is 3 hours long, some details and interesting subplots were unable to make the final cut. As we explore the real-life stories of some of the film’s principal characters, we’ll see where Scorsese’s film diverted from the truth, and we’ll understand the additional context that helps add complexity to this remarkable, hilarious, and tragic story.