There’s also a seething anger beneath the movie’s conclusion. We see it on the face of Kyle Chandler’s FBI agent as he rides home on the subway, living the ordinary life that Belfort mocked earlier on his yacht.

“That was a pivotal scene for us. Marty didn’t want to bring Kyle in with a traditional cat- and- mouse game. That’s not the focus. So when I tell him on the yacht, “I’m going to have Heidi lick caviar off [ me] — enjoy the subway ride home to your miserable life,” we see later, after all this effort, what happens? He’s still on the subway and Jordan goes to a country club prison, gets out and the hustle continues.”

The hustle continues. And in the last shot, Scorsese turns the camera on Belfort’s audience, , who sit listening, transfixed, transfi their desire for easy money — no matter the cost — plain as day.

“Mmmhmm. As Marty keeps k talking about, it’s about the con man, the confidence fi man, and an what that person pe e does to us and how elements el of this character c h are within w us all in this weird way. That’s T why the movie is so polarising. And that’s why, since Aviator, this is the one movie I wanted more than anything to put up on screen. scre Because after 2008 it was like, ‘ What is going on? How can so many people be robbing us blind and how can they not only get away with it, but how do they get bonuses afterward?’ Rather than doing a traditional type of movie with a closing statement, let’s analyse this and see the fascination with it.”

And maybe ponder why nothing has changed in the wake of it.

“Right. The mind- set is right back there again. The stock market is up, housing prices are through the roof and there are more billionaires now than ever.

“The truth is, we almost made this movie earlier, but I think Marty sensed certain limitations. And on this go, we really got to push the envelope. And if people like it or not, it’s his director’s cut. It’s exactly the way Marty wanted it done. I can’t say enough how proud I am that I got to do this movie.” — Los Angeles Times

DiCaprio in and Jonah Hill

of Wall Street. The Wolf