A film about Jordan Belfort's rise and fall.

Rating: 8/10 (30 September 2014)

How can a movie that involves heavy drug use, intense use of explicit language, and full-frontal nudity be rated R by the MPAA? The first scene of The Wolf of Wall Street shows Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) snorting cocaine out of a hookers butt, receiving fellatio from his wife in his Ferrari, and naming a fistful of drugs that could "sedate Manhattan, Long Island, and Queens for a month" (The Wolf of Wall Street). This depiction of how to live is inaccurate and vulgar. Treating women as objects for sale, along with treating drugs as an accepted part of everyday life is wrong on so many levels. The Wolf of Wall Street should be rated NC-17 instead of R because of its obscene themes and graphic scenes.
The MPAA (Motion Pictures Association of America) defines an R-rated film as one that "contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them" (mpaa.org). What is the definition of the word 'some'? Every scene either involves drugs, hookers, or swearing of some form. These are all themes that are not suitable for those who are not mature; this is a film only suited for adults. One reoccurring theme is the rampant use of explicit language. The word "fuck" was used a whopping 569 times, or just over three times a minute. This means that on average the f-bomb is being dropped every 20 seconds. This is an absurd amount of times to use a word that is frowned upon by society. In addition to this, the amount of prostitutes that are referenced in this movie is ludicrous. From the opening scene through the vast majority of the movie, these women are depicted as part of a normal routine. Belfort even comments on the fact that he "fucks hookers five to six times a week" (The Wolf of Wall Street). This idea that prostitution is something that can be done on an everyday basis, better yet even at all, is obscene on its own. One final theme that is revealed throughout the entire film is the amount of drug usage. According to Rodrigo Perez, "the characters hoover up mountains and mountains of cocaine" (Review: Martin Scorsese's Outrageous 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' Pushes The Boundaries Of R-Rated Depravity). Cocaine, Crack, and Quaaludes are the most common—all of which are now illegal, yet Belfort and Azoff (Jonah Hill) use them like they are harmless. Through all of these themes—swearing, hookers, and drugs—less mature audiences may believe that it is perfectly fine to engage in these actions because they saw it in a movie. Older audiences for the most part will be able to reason through what they see on the screen and know that it is morally wrong.
Another reason why The Wolf of Wall Street should be rated NC-17 is because of the graphic content in the film. One scene that is probably one of the most disturbing scenes of the movie is when Belfort is about to have sex with yet another hooker. The prostitute idea of getting intimate is pulling a lit candle out of Belfort's butt and letting the hot wax drip onto his back while he is screaming his safe word for her to stop. Those under the age of 18 may not be able to comprehend this scene. Another example of the graphic content of the film is when Belfort is explaining the three types of hookers. On the last type, or the penny stock type, shows one of the brokers having sex with one of the low level hookers while the other traders watch. This is borderline pornography, and not meant at all for people under the age of 18. The public sex does not end here either. There is another scene where the woman referred to as the "office slut" (The Wolf of Wall Street) is having sex with Azoff while giving Belfort fellatio. This scene is yet another example that some are too young to understand, reinforcing the fact that this film should be rated NC-17.
Therefore, how can a film with such obscene themes such as drugs, explicit language, and prostitutes, along with graphic scenes of employees having sex with cheap hookers and two executives humiliating the "office slut" be considered an R rated movie? This seems more along the lines of a NC-17 movie to say the least. People under the age of 18 may not be able to comprehend these mature themes that are expressed throughout the entire film. They may believe that because the characters in the movie were able to perform these actions without consequences that they can do the same, while that is not true. Because of the mature and adult aimed themes of The Wolf of Wall Street, the film should have a MPAA rating of NC-17 instead of R.