In The Wolf of Wall Street, the comedic high point is a drug overdose–or at least it’s supposed to be funny. In a voiceover, Wall Street con man Jordan Belfort jokes that he’s bypassing the usual stage of a Quaalude high–drooling–and going straight to seizures instead. Jordan, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, drags his contorted body to the steps of his country club, rolls himself down the brick stairs, and struggles into his Lamborghini so he can drive home.
“It’s Just a Movie” but It’s Not a Great Message
Then follows a slapstick scene in which Belfort and his partner in business and vice (Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill) tumble across the floor of Jordan’s mansion and self-administer a remedy of a bump of cocaine. Given the length, the cheeky narration, and the way it’s spliced with cartoon scenes of Popeye getting a spinach boost, the scene is supposed to be a highlight joke in a film whose comedic sense is focused largely on showing what people do while crazed on drugs and alcohol. This includes, but isn’t limited to, prostitution in the office, helicopter landings while high, assaulting airline attendants, and coming up with plans to get rich by bilking investors. It’s hard not to get the feeling, from the close-up slow-motion shots of spinning prescription pills and the sensuous descriptions of the highs, that the film is saying drugs are hilarious and a lot of fun.
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