Jordan Belfort is a handsome young man who wears a $2000 Armani suit and drives around in a Lamborghini. Charming, isn't he ? Well the same man also indulges in illegal stock market manipulations and robs the common man of his hard earned money.
The Wolf of the Wall Street directed by Martin Scorsese chronicles the life of New York stock broker, Jordan Belfort who makes it big in life, but not necessarily through ethical means. Leonard Di Caprio's fearless and authentic performance as the protagonist has earned commendable laurels, from even the strictest of industry critics.
Although the performance of the cast, storyline, and plot of the movie are impeccable, there has been much controversy and critique regarding it. Pitched as a black comedy, the film is characterized by excess and debauchery that defined life for Corporate Americans in the 1990s. It unapologetically shows criminals having a grand time while the fun lasts and does so in graphic but comedic terms. By shifting the attention away from victims of white collar crime, the film has been criticized in some circles as a glorification of bad people, a celebration of immorality, an enthralling portrayal of sin that makes the sin itself look enthralling. Fueled by drugs, sex and profanity the movie has a quite vivid impact on the modern day teenagers.
Now a question arises - Should a movie be condemned just because it portrays immoral behaviour ? When it comes to art, there is no absolute right or wrong. It is solely the viewer's perspective, which makes it so. As an artist, the director definitely has liberty to create quality content which not only engages with the audience but is also a true portrayal of the society, however vulgar it may be. However, with that liberty also comes a much greater responsibility to adhere to the moral and constitutional parameters laid down by our law and common society. All in all, The Wolf of the Wall Street makes a bold statement and provides a dauntless insight into the American culture, with all its glory and shortcomings. This makes it not only a theatrical, but also a radical success, which contributes to the advancement of our conservative society.
Scientific research has shown that the major cause for the rising drug abuse among teens can be attributed to the glorification by mainstream media outlets or popular culture.
A similar pattern can be associated with the Bollywood movie Sanju, starring Ranbir Kapoor. The movie revolves around the life of up and coming actor, Sanjay Dutt who at the peak of his career begins to struggle with his drug addiction. Later he is convicted due to possession of illegal firearms, but still is portrayed as a hero throughout the movie, through controlling the narrative. India has seen many trends come and go, but there is one that has remained incessant and cuts across boundaries - the idolisation of film stars to the point that even their worst vices are romanticised and glorified in a manner that is often perplexing.
However, if we observe the film through a different lens, we see that its entire premise is actually based on themes of repentance, reconciliation and redemption. However appealing drugs, womanizing and alcohol may seem there are always strict consequences associated with them. Sanjay Dutt - an all powerful icon in the Indian society serves as an epitome that no one is above the law. The film fires a warning shot to all viewers, especially teenagers, how vices often perceived to be harmless and "cool" can lead to their undoing. Awareness regarding morally corrupt behaviour can be spread most effectively, when the people witness first-hand its destructive consequences. Through the cast's stellar performance and impressive storytelling the film has done justice to its purpose of spreading awareness against social evils.
There is often a thin line between romanticizing vices, and their accurate representation. By keeping in mind this fine distinction, artists can truly adhere to their moral obligation to society. For example the movie Schindler's List highlights the hardships which Jews had to face in Nazi concentration camps, during World War. On the other hand, Mein Kampf, a theatrical adaptation of Hitler's autobiography, propagates his religious intolerance and inhumane ideologies. Moreover the message conveyed by mainstream media may also lead to misinterpretation by the masses. The movie V for Vendetta is accredited for inciting vigilantism in the form of hacker activist - "Anonymous", who took the entire world by storm.
There are countless more instances of immoral behaviour being encouraged by popular culture. Even today, popular artists including Kanye West and Lil Wayne carelessly use offensive racial slurs in their songs. Profanity has become almost inseparable from American pop and rap genre. Electronic games such as GTA Vice City further encourage violence, chaos and breaking the order of the society.
Patronizing evils such as violence, profanity, drug abuse, and sex addiction has a catastrophic effect on the society. Research has shown people, especially youngsters tend to mimic the behaviour they often see and observe. If such vices are encouraged by our artists, the increase in crime rate would be drastic and ultimately we as members of the community would have to suffer. Therefore if we want the youth of our country to become responsible citizens of tomorrow, the culture of glorification must be rooted out.
Although popular culture may have earned a bad reputation for its vices, we should not forget that it operates on such a wide spectrum, that it is duty bound to encompass the sentiments and emotions of all sections of the society while offering equal representation to everyone.
Depiction does not mean Endorsement.
Great works of art engage with the human condition with honesty and seriousness. This sometimes means taking an unflinching look at the darkest, ugliest part of our existence. The fact that a work of art is about immorality does not make it an instance of immorality. By portraying vices to be precisely as enticing, as fun, and, finally, as absurd as they really are, artists are actually doing justice to the reality of human depravity.
It is a common conception of the people that films which depict drug abuse, sex, profanity and violence are a bad influence on the society. What we fail to understand is that the core intention must not be to glorify these vices, but rather to portray them in such a comprehensive manner, that people are made aware of the catastrophic effect they can have on one's life.
In conclusion I just want to say that no work of popular culture should ever seek to romanticise evils that plague our community. Ensuring this would certainly bring us one step closer to a utopian society.
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