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hey guys so this is the launch of the
first wisecrack pilot for 2018 we've got
a couple of them in the works we've been
working really hard on them but most
importantly we want to know what you
guys think so let us know what you think
in the comments and enjoy the show
sometimes it's the details of a film
that matter most like a single shot
a needle drop
i see a little silhouette a line of
dialogue is looking at you kid a sudden
cut
what seem like insignificant choices
often say more in under 20 seconds than
other films say in two hours in this new
format we'll be studying these seemingly
trivial pieces revealing how even the
smallest elements can bring layers of
meaning to a piece of art
welcome to wisecracks the film tourist
the wolf of wall street
sell me
this pen
the closing shot of the wolf of wall
street this pin works
just a simple push in and crane up
well what if i told you this shot
changes the meaning of the entire film
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this pin works and i personally
as a client describes the pen his voice
drowns out and solemn music kicks in
up to this point the film has utilized
poppy upbeat hits to underscore the
debauchery
the amnesia phase
so why the sudden shift to something
more serious and meditative
for most of its three-hour run time the
wolf of wall street revels in jordan
belford's excess his yacht his women his
drugs his parties the lifestyle paid for
by defrauding investors that is until
the fbi circles in seizing belford's
cash and sending him away to prison for
four years but unlike similar films
where the corrupt wall street broker
gets locked up and justice is served the
wolf of wall street is absent any overt
moralizing belford's prison time is a
cakewalk and he doesn't even serve his
full sentence in the end nothing has
changed belfort is still selling and the
people well they're still buying
but this is just the tip of the iceberg
the final shot can be interpreted in a
number of ways but here are our three
favorites
one the final shot holds up a mirror to
us the moviegoers viewing the film
notice there's a backlight behind the
seminar that evokes a projector shining
on the back of an audience
so what does this mean
well it may be easy to lay the blame
solely on jordan for all the moral
depravity in the wolf of wall street
but perhaps the final shot lays the
blame not only on belfort but on us and
the culture that allows and encourages
his behavior they divorce me but yeah
let's do it early on belford says every
person you're on the phone with they
want to get rich and they want to get
rich quickly they all want something for
nothing
we may feel dignified because we're not
crawling on the ground [ __ ] up on
quaaludes but truth is jordan's scam
wouldn't work if we didn't share his
dream of getting rich quickly wanting
something or nothing we all want to be
just like him scorsese is essentially
calling us out we've just spent three
hours partying with jordan laughing and
reveling in his exploits
it's no wonder jordan doesn't suffer any
punishment in the end because
after all we revel in everything he does
living vicariously through him wishing
that we could live his life
two to all these people staring intently
at one person hanging on his every word
remind you of something
yeah we're gonna go there scorsese a
devout catholic has spent much of his
career exploring faith in his films
yet in the wolf of wall street
characters worship at the altar of
something else
money
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the camera holds on these people each
one in focus so he can see their
painfully average faces
desperate plain looking people looking
for meaning desiring that which can
elevate them above their mundane
existence
is scorsese cynically likening the
transformative power of faith to the
transformative power of money except the
almighty never promised a million bucks
in eight easy steps three what if by
solemnly portraying a crowd that
worships jordan despite his detestable
actions scorsese suggests something
really sinister that we actually like
being taken advantage of
french philosopher jean-francois leotard
famously said as much the english
unemployed did not become workers to
survive they enjoyed the hysterical
masochistic whatever exhaustion it was
hanging on in the mines in the foundries
in the factories in hell they enjoyed it
ah jesus christ enjoyed the mad
destruction of their organic bodies
decomposition of their personal identity
you are lower than ponscom enjoyed the
dissolution of their families and
villages and enjoyed the new monstrous
anonymity of the suburbs and the pubs in
the morning and evening so could this
closing image indicate the voluntary
submission of the masses who not only
don't mind white-collar criminals
stealing their money but find a perverse
enjoyment in their banal existence under
the heel of the jordan belfords of the
world this one single shot is emblematic
of just how complex the wolf of wall
street is as a true totem of our culture
of excess the film defies easy answers
this format is a bit of a test for us so
let us know what you think in the
comments and as always guys thanks for
watching peace
so there it is hope you guys enjoyed
that we've got a whole bunch of pilots
on the slate this year this is just one
of them we've got another one coming out
about a month also next month we're
doing the next in this series which is
on the shining so be sure to be on the
lookout for that this one was really
special to us as you know from watching
our channel we love movies this was an
opportunity for us to take our love for
movies to the next step so we wanted to
leave you guys a little behind the
scenes on how it was that we put this
thing together and the big crew that it
took to make this thing possible so
enjoy the behind the scenes and we'll
see you at the next one in about a month
thanks guys hey what's up guys we're on
the set of a new project i'm wearing
something i would never wear but it's
for the shoot this is behind the scenes
so hope you guys enjoy
we're doing this very interesting thing
about putting jerry into the movies
today we're working on the shining and
the wolf of wall street
jared and i were brainstorming on how we
can come up with something that had a
little more production value right so
take the idea of a video essay where
we're talking about uh theme typically
or philosophy in movies and now instead
it's like how can we talk more about
technique and style and do it in a way
that's different from most other video
essays you find on the internet
thanks a lot to rode microphones and
digital spotlight for supporting us
your donation and your help and your
support uh means everything to us
without you guys it wouldn't be possible
for us to try and continue to
develop wisecrack to uh continue to
stretch the brand and try and make it
into something more and more special and
for all of you that support us on this
journey to try to make it the best it
can be thank you so much and hopefully
you guys enjoy our new efforts