Psychological meaning of sex in The Wolf of Wall Street
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Psychological Meaning of Sex in The Wolf of Wall Street
Content Warning: This article analyzes explicit sexual behavior and themes of sexual abuse in The Wolf of Wall Street, focusing on their narrative and psychological significance.
In Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), sexual behavior is a pivotal narrative mechanism to depict the psychological and moral deterioration of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), particularly in his relationship with Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie). Available in a theatrical cut (180 minutes) and an extended cut (209 minutes), the film opens with a sexual encounter between Jordan and Naomi that mirrors normative romantic interactions, characterized by mutual attraction.
Subsequent scenes escalate in perversity, reflecting Jordan’s descent into narcissism, addiction, and dehumanization. This chronological progression of increasingly deviant sexual behavior, detailed below, underscores the film’s critique of Wall Street’s commodification culture and Jordan’s erosion of ethical boundaries. Each scene elucidates his psychological state, relational dynamics, and the broader thematic decay.
Chronological Progression of Sexual Scenes and Their Psychological Significance
The following lists all explicit sexual scenes or implied sexual acts involving Jordan Belfort in both the theatrical and extended cuts, ordered chronologically. Each scene illustrates the transition from normative romantic behavior to perverse, dehumanizing acts, highlighting Jordan’s moral and psychological decline. Differences between cuts are noted where applicable.
Initial Coitus with Naomi – Apartment Scene (Approx. 0:50–0:55, Theatrical; Slightly Extended)
Description: At a Hamptons party, Jordan meets Naomi and engages in coitus at her apartment, narrated as the onset of his fixation. This extramarital act appears as a passionate, consensual interaction. The extended cut includes additional dialogue and foreplay, maintaining a romantic tone.
Narrative Purpose: Establishes Naomi as a symbol of Jordan’s aspirational status, precipitating his first marriage’s dissolution.
Psychological Significance: This scene depicts sexual behavior as a normative romantic expression, albeit driven by Jordan’s narcissistic desire for a “trophy” to validate his wealth. The mutual consent and passion resemble typical romantic encounters, but his objectification of Naomi’s physicality foreshadows decadence. Psychologically, it reveals his impulsivity and entitlement, prioritizing ego over fidelity, initiating the path to moral decline.
Fellatio in the Car (Approx. 0:02–0:03, Theatrical; Unchanged in Extended)
Description: Presented as the film’s opening (though later in their relationship), Naomi performs fellatio on Jordan in a Ferrari, intercut with scenes of drug use and workplace excess. The extended cut retains this scene without modifications.
Narrative Purpose: Introduces Jordan’s hedonistic lifestyle, framing sexual behavior as a performative emblem of wealth and power.
Psychological Significance: The shift to public, reckless sexual behavior marks an initial escalation in perversity. Jordan’s sociopathic disregard for societal norms (engaging in fellatio while driving) reflects a narcissistic need for dominance, with Naomi reduced to a status symbol. The performative nature signals decadence, as intimacy erodes into spectacle, diverging from the normative connection of their first encounter.
Transactional Coitus with Sex Workers (Approx. 0:15–0:20, Theatrical; Expanded in Extended)
Description: Jordan’s early Wall Street immersion includes a montage of visits to strip clubs and coitus with sex workers, narrated as part of brokerage culture. The extended cut adds explicit visuals, emphasizing frequency.
Narrative Purpose: Illustrates Jordan’s adoption of a transactional ethos, linking sexual behavior to financial success.
Psychological Significance: This scene deepens perversity, as sexual behavior becomes coldly transactional, devoid of emotional connection. Jordan’s reliance on sex workers to manage stress reflects an addictive, dehumanizing mindset, viewing women as commodities. The extended cut’s added detail underscores his psychological dependence, amplifying the decadent commodification of intimacy.
Group Sexual Activity at Pool Party (Extended Cut Only, Approx. 1:05–1:06)
Description: The extended cut features a drug-fueled group sexual encounter at a pool party, involving Jordan, his brokers, and multiple women, absent from the theatrical cut.
Narrative Purpose: Highlights the pervasive debauchery of Stratton Oakmont, with Jordan normalizing collective excess.
Psychological Significance: The group encounter escalates perversity, with sexual behavior as a ritual devoid of individuality. Jordan’s orchestration reflects his submersion in groupthink, erasing moral boundaries. Psychologically, it reveals his addiction to power and sensory overload, with participants as interchangeable objects, marking a further descent into decadent dehumanization.
Group Sexual Activity on Private Jet (Approx. 1:07–1:08, Theatrical; Expanded in Extended)
Description: En route to his bachelor party, Jordan and his entourage engage in group sexual activity with sex workers on a private jet. The extended cut includes additional explicit footage, emphasizing Jordan’s involvement.
Narrative Purpose: Depicts the zenith of Jordan’s excess, normalizing collective debauchery within his firm.
Psychological Significance: This scene intensifies perversity, with sexual behavior as a chaotic, drug-fueled spectacle. Jordan’s psychological dependence on extreme stimuli obliterates individuality, reducing women to props in a power display. The extended cut’s added chaos highlights his surrender to decadence, where ethical and personal boundaries dissolve entirely.
Voyeuristic Coitus in Nursery (Approx. 1:30–1:32, Theatrical; Unchanged in Extended)
Description: Naomi initiates coitus with Jordan in their daughter’s nursery, unaware he’s allowing security guards to observe via a hidden camera, transforming intimacy into voyeurism.
Narrative Purpose: Reveals the toxic power dynamics in their marriage and Jordan’s escalating moral corruption.
Psychological Significance: The perversity deepens as Jordan’s voyeurism reflects a sadistic need to control and humiliate Naomi. The nursery setting symbolizes corrupted innocence, mirroring his ethical decay. Naomi’s initiation of coitus, leveraging her sexuality, indicates her entrapment in a dehumanizing dynamic. Psychologically, this marks a shift to manipulative, perverse power struggles, showcasing advanced decadence.
Transactional Coitus in Bathroom (Approx. 1:40–1:41, Theatrical; Slightly Extended)
Description: Amid marital discord, Jordan engages in brief, impersonal coitus with a sex worker in a bathroom. The extended cut includes additional context of his intoxicated state.
Narrative Purpose: Illustrates Jordan’s regression to transactional sexual behavior as his personal life deteriorates.
Psychological Significance: The perversity lies in the act’s cold, utilitarian nature, reflecting Jordan’s emotional detachment. The bathroom’s stark setting underscores the emptiness of his escapism. The extended cut’s added intoxication context highlights his psychological regression to addictive patterns, a perverse retreat from relational intimacy.
Sexual Harassment on Flight (Approx. 1:45–1:46, Theatrical; Expanded in Extended)
Description: On a flight to Geneva, an intoxicated Jordan sexually harasses flight attendants, implying attempted sexual contact before restraint. The extended cut adds dialogue and physicality, clarifying his aggression.
Narrative Purpose: Demonstrates Jordan’s loss of impulse control under legal scrutiny, revealing predatory behavior.
Psychological Significance: This perverse behavior reflects Jordan’s entitlement and eroded shame, treating women as objects of desire. The public aggression, amplified in the extended cut, underscores his psychological unraveling, with perversion manifesting as predatory dominance. It marks a significant escalation in decadent, unethical conduct.
Sexual Abuse in Bedroom (Approx. 2:15–2:17, Theatrical; Unchanged in Extended)
Description: During a confrontation, Jordan perpetrates sexual abuse on Naomi, disregarding her non-consent. She acquiesces to end the encounter, visibly distressed. The extended cut retains this scene unchanged.
Narrative Purpose: Represents Jordan’s moral and psychological nadir, with sexual violence as the ultimate expression of control.
Psychological Significance: The ultimate perversity, this abuse reveals Jordan’s sociopathic entitlement, using violence to dominate Naomi amid his powerlessness. It exposes a decadent core where rage and dehumanization prevail, stripping away his charisma. Naomi’s distress highlights her entrapment, marking the peak of their relationship’s perverse deterioration.
Trajectory of Decadence
The sexual behavior traces a clear arc from normative to perverse, mirroring Jordan’s psychological and moral decline:
Normative Beginnings: The initial coitus with Naomi resembles a consensual, passionate romance, though tainted by narcissistic motives.
Escalating Perversity: Public acts (fellatio in car, group encounters), voyeurism (nursery), and transactional coitus (sex workers) transform sexual behavior into a tool for power, spectacle, and escapism, eroding intimacy.
Dehumanizing Nadir: Harassment and sexual abuse mark the peak of perversity, with Jordan’s entitlement turning predatory, reflecting complete moral decay.
This progression critiques Wall Street’s commodification, where wealth corrupts relationships into transactions or power struggles. Jordan’s narcissism, addiction, and objectification drive the escalating decadence, with Naomi’s role shifting from desired partner to victim.
Differences Between Cuts
Theatrical Cut: Includes core scenes (1–3, 5–9), with concise depictions for runtime and censorship. The decadence arc is evident but restrained.
Extended Cut: Adds group sexual activity at the pool party (4) and extends scenes (transactional coitus, initial coitus, jet encounter, harassment), increasing explicitness. This intensifies the portrayal of decadence, making Jordan’s psychological decline more visceral without altering the narrative arc.
Impact: The extended cut enhances the analysis by emphasizing the frequency and intensity of perverse behavior, aligning with the article’s focus.
Conclusion
The sexual behavior in The Wolf of Wall Street charts Jordan Belfort’s descent from normative romantic engagement to perverse, dehumanizing acts. Beginning with a passionate encounter, each scene grows more deviant, reflecting his narcissism, addiction, and moral decay. This arc, consistent across both cuts, indicts a culture equating wealth with dominance, forcing viewers to confront the consequences of unchecked excess. Scorsese’s satirical lens, as noted by scholars, underscores the film’s role as a provocative study of decadence.
