The Wolf of Wall Street tells the story of Jordan Belfort, one of the most notorious men on Wall Street, but there was another film released 24 years ago that surpassed Scorsese's epic. Before the Leonardo DiCaprio-led film became a smash hit, there was a memoir of the same name based on Jordan Belfort's story. Your memoir, The Wolf of Wall Street, chronicled his professional life and how he co-founded (alongside Danny Porush) the notorious brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont, which eventually closed in 1996 after several executives were arrested for fraud, including stock market manipulation and scams.
Those arrests included Jordan Belfort, of course, but he only spent 22 months in prison, eventually writing his memoirs and becoming a motivational speaker after all. All of this led the legendary Martin Scorsese to tackle Belfort's story, but long before The Wolf of Wall Street was released, another film was made that Jordan Belfort claims is about his own life; the underrated film, Boiler room.
The Wolf of Wall Street Made Jordan Belfort's Story Strangely Aspirational
Scorsese's grotesque tale of excess made crime look compelling
Much can be said about The Wolf of Wall Street and Jordan Belfort's portrayal in the film. Although it wasn't likely that Martin Scorcese intended the film to be some sort of rallying cry for those similar to Leonardo DiCaprio's Belfort and most of the other cast members present. Because of this idea, The Wolf of Wall Street feels strangely aspirational, no matter the intention behind itand despite exploring the life of Jordan Belfort, it should not be an inspiration to anyone.
There are people who watch a film like The Wolf of Wall Street and I immediately want to imitate everything Belfort does.
Exactly why The Wolf of Wall Street It seems that way while watching the film is not so clear and is part of Scorsese's long stroke of genius. Leonardo DiCaprio is undeniably charming as Jordan Belfort, and the supporting characters support him as if he were a god, but there is no world where anyone should see a film like The Wolf of Wall Street and I immediately want to imitate everything Belfort does. It's a strange phenomenon, and something that Martin Scorsese has dealt with at various points in his career, especially with the idea that some have about Good companions'glorification.
Boiler Room told the same story of merchant corruption
Ben Younger's thoughts on crime in the financial sector came first
13 years before The Wolf of Wall Streethowever, another film was released that was supposedly based on Jordan Belfort's story. Written and directed by Ben Younger, Boiler room is the story of commercial corruption in a similar vein to The Wolf of Wall Street or even Wall Streetto which the latter is referenced throughout the film. The underrated American drama revolves around young men who work as shady brokers, whose actions border on predatory and illegal activities, and in the end push their luck a little too far.
In fact, Jordan Belfort said that Boiler room is also based on his own story, although Ben Younger never confirmed this was the case, instead pulling from your own experiences. In a 2002 Forbes ArticleYounger's inspiration for Boiler room was discussed; the director was a former intern at a Long Island-based brokerage firm that turned out to be a pyramid scheme. Following this experience, Younger wrote Boiler room and then directed the film himself.
Why the Boiler Room Deserves More Attention in 2024
A dramatic gem that has only grown in stature since
The Wolf of Wall Street dominates the cinematic narrative revolving around Jordan Belfort so much that a film like Boiler room gets lost in the shuffle, especially next to even more films like Wall Streetor even The Great Short, all focus on similar themes that revolve around different events. Seemingly underrated compared to the rest of them, Boiler room absolutely deserves more attention twenty years laterespecially in the way it exploits corruption within stockbrokers.
In addition to the stellar premise, which may be based on Jordan Belfort although it was never actually confirmed, Boiler room features a cast made up of younger actors who were continually working to make a name for themselves. Among them are Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Ben Affleck and Nia Long. The performances across the board are great, with these actors playing seemingly unapologetic characters consumed by greed and the money they want to accumulate to give their lives any kind of purpose.
Jordan Belfort is undeniably an interesting person, despite being terrible, and his story lends itself well to film. The Wolf of Wall Street is one of Leonardo DiCaprio's biggest hits, and his performance as Belfort is one of the main reasons for its success. Beside that, Boiler room also takes an interesting look at the world of stock market trading, but it's not as grand as Scorsese's three-hour epic about corruption in the American Dream.