OVERLAY REPORT

In the 2013 film *The Wolf of Wall Street*, the main character is **Jordan Belfort**, portrayed by **Leonardo DiCaprio**. The film is based on the real-life memoir of the same name and follows Belfort’s meteoric rise as a wealthy stockbroker and his subsequent fall due to crime, corruption, and drug addiction. Belfort is characterized by his extreme charisma, ruthless ambition, and hedonistic lifestyle. His most memorable lines often occur during his high-energy speeches to his employees at his firm, **Stratton Oakmont**, or in "fourth-wall-breaking" narrations where he explains his schemes directly to the audience. ### Most Memorable Lines #### 1. "Sell me this pen." * **Context:** This is perhaps the most famous line from the film. Jordan first uses it early in the movie at a diner to test the sales ability of his ragtag group of friends. His friend Brad (Jon Bernthal) responds by asking Jordan to write his name down, to which Jordan replies he doesn't have a pen—effectively "creating a need." * **Significance:** The line returns in the final scene of the movie, where a post-prison Jordan is leading a sales seminar in New Zealand and asks the audience members the same question, illustrating the cyclic nature of his "straight-line" sales philosophy. #### 2. "I’m not leaving! I’m not leaving! I’m not f***ing leaving!" * **Context:** Jordan delivers this during what was supposed to be his "farewell speech" to his employees. He had initially agreed to a deal with the SEC to step down and avoid prison time. However, as he sees the emotional reaction of his staff, he has a change of heart mid-speech and decides to stay and fight the federal investigation. * **Significance:** This scene is the emotional peak of the film’s second act, showcasing Jordan’s ego and his toxic but powerful connection to his company. #### 3. "Let me tell you something. There is no nobility in poverty." * **Context:** During one of his morning rallies at the office, Jordan justifies his pursuit of extreme wealth to his employees. He says: *"I’ve been a rich man, and I’ve been a poor man. And I choose rich every f***ing time."* * **Significance:** This line encapsulates the film's core theme of unbridled greed and the justification of exploitation as a means to achieve the "American Dream." #### 4. "The real question is this: Was all this legal? Absolutely f***ing not." * **Context:** Jordan says this during a voiceover narration while explaining the complex financial maneuvers he used to inflate stock prices and defraud investors. * **Significance:** It serves as a blunt acknowledgment of his criminality, delivered with a smirk that suggests he feels his success justifies the illegality. #### 5. "The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bulls*** story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it." * **Context:** This line is part of Jordan's motivational rhetoric used to indoctrinate his employees into his high-pressure sales culture. * **Significance:** It highlights the "self-help" veneer Jordan used to mask the predatory nature of his business, making his employees feel like they were part of an elite, empowered class. ### Bonus Detail: The "Chest Thump" While not a spoken line, the **Chest Thump Chant** (humming while hitting the chest) is one of the most iconic parts of the film. It was originally an improvised ritual by **Matthew McConaughey** (who plays Jordan’s mentor, Mark Hanna). Jordan later adopts it as a rallying cry for his entire firm, symbolizing the primitive, adrenaline-fueled energy of the Stratton Oakmont office.