One of Scorsese and DiCaprio's best collaborations makes its debut on 4k, with a stunning new transfer.
“Sex. Money. Power. Drugs. Brace yourself for one of the most outrageous stories ever directed by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese (GOODFELLAS). Leonardo DiCaprio delivers one of the best performances of his career as a young stockbroker hungry for a life of non-stop thrills in New York City, where corruption is king and more is never enough. Together, Scorsese and DiCaprio deliver a story of American excess that is “an absolute blast from start to finish.””
When Martin Scorsese collaborates with an actor, it spans decades, and yields some of the most creative work either have produced. First it was De Niro, with nine films so far between the two, with more on the way. Now, his go-to actor is Leonardo DiCaprio, and for good reason. The two of them have made some of the most entertaining films of their careers. It’s hard to believe that The Wolf of Wall Street, their most recent collaboration, was released eight years ago, but this re-release by Paramount on stunning 4k gives the film a well-deserved revisit, marking one of Scorsese and DiCaprio’s most shocking of all his films in terms of content.
The film follows the true story of Jordan Belfort, a stock-broker on Wall Street who quickly succumbed to the alure of the lavish lifestyle the profession could offer, especially if you cut a few corners. It chronicles his rise to fame and fortune in the investing world, his personal relationships, and severe drug addiction. To say that Jordan Belfort lived a volatile life is an understatement, and the film, which is also based on a book about his own life he wrote, portrays this self-destructive tail spin in some fascinating ways that only Scorsese could pull off. Some of the depravity present in Belfort’s life-story pushes the boundaries of even Scorsese, bordering on an adult film, but he presents it in a way that doesn’t necessarily glorify it, but hangs a feeling of dread throughout the story knowing that the other shoe could drop at any moment.
Films about Wall Street can sometimes be hard to translate because of the intricacies and pace of the stock market. Your average movie-goer doesn’t know the ins and outs of trading, especially when it comes to penny stocks and the ways Belfort schemed to get him and his friends filthy rich, and the ways he went about hiding that fact from the government. Many films about the subject that I’ve seen usually come with some kind of break in the fourth wall where a character explains what’s going on. The same happens in The Wolf of Wall Street, but it’s much more entertaining than other ways of dumbing down the material for the audiences that I’ve seen. Belfort narrates the majority of the film in a Scorsese-esque way, taking time out from the scene to talk directly to the camera. This often times makes light of a dark situation or one that is hard to follow. A lot of humor can come from this, especially during the scene where he drives home severely impaired.
Jordan Belfort’s journey in this film isn’t one that should be admired or celebrated. He did some despicable things in his life, and ruined the lives of a lot of other people in the process. The Wolf of Wall Street is comparable to seeing a car crash. It’s something you can’t look away from no matter how grisly the scene becomes. Watching this film can definitely turn your stomach at times, but it also serves as a cautionary tale in doing what it takes to get to the top. The story benefits largely thanks to such a great cast of characters, Leonardo DiCaprio especially, as well as Margot Robbie and Jonah Hill, who flourish under the direction of Scorsese.
Video
The Wolf of Wall Street is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High-Definition Widescreen 2.39:1 featuring HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Paramount’s re-release of this title for UHD features an exceptionally pleasing 4k transfer, with the Dolby Vision particularly offering a crisp and clear image with fine detail. The dynamic metadata ensures perfect levels in each scene, providing very bright and vivid colors, one of the most noticeable differences between this and the Blu-ray release, as well as the deep darks in some of the darker sequences that demonstrate the best that HDR and Dolby Vision have to offer.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, with this release offering the same mix as the previous Blu-ray release. This track by no means sounds bad, and wasn’t really in dire need of any kind of upgrade to a more encompassing Atmos track. Levels are very robust, with a well-balanced mix between the surrounds and center channel, providing clear and concise dialogue. Surrounds are utilized quite well in some of the louder and more crazy drug-induced sequences, or with the score, which Scorsese is well known for picking great music for his films.
Special Features
This release contains the extra from the prior Blu-ray release, but also includes two new extras:
- The Wolf Pack
- Running Wild
- The Wolf of Wall Street Round Table
The Wolf of Wall Street is one of Scorsese and DiCaprio’s best collaborations. If somehow you don’t own this film already, it’s a great purchase on 4k. For those that do, the film looked incredible already on Blu-ray and the differences that you may see, like Jonah Hill’s suit a bit brighter, may be a negligible improvement to warrant an upgrade. Still, if you can find this at the right price, a Scorsese film on 4k can never be a bad thing, and for those SteelBook collectors out there, it’s also available in a great looking case.
