Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street features many creative shots, but one that may have passed viewers by is a shot of a “fasten seatbelt” sign in the airplane scene, which was filmed using just an iPhone. Among the most memorable shots was the movie’s opener, where we see the famous “Wall St.” sign with an American flag faded in the background, but even this great shot isn’t as unique as an iPhone clip that made it into the final cut of a Scorsese blockbuster.
The Wolf of Wall Street was released in 2013 and starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill, Jon Bernthal, Matthew McConaughey and more. It was a massive critical and commercial success, filled with dark comedy and over-the-top debauchery, and also featuring one of the most famous debuts in recent Hollywood history by Margot Robbie. The film was based on the real-life exploits of former Wall Street mogul and later convicted criminal Jordan Belfort, who founded the fraudulent company Stratton Oakmont. The film has remained relevant in popular culture due to how wonderfully inappropriate it is, and for its many memorable quotes.
During a panel at ICM Theater after the movie came out, Scorsese explains how the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign was shot. Effects supervisor Robert Legato originally captured the clip on his iPhone during a commercial flight. When he showed the director the clip as an example, Scorcese was satisfied and said, “Great. Let’s just use that.” While filmmakers have been testing the limits of iPhones in recent years, it’s still remarkable that a casual iPhone clip made it into a film with a budget over $100 million.
The Wolf of Wall Street is based on Belfort’s memoir of the same name that he released after his two-year prison stint. Belfort was initially happy to be involved in the project and have his story told, but after the film’s release he filed to sue the film’s producers for $300 million for fraud. He made this decision following the news that Red Granite Pictures, a large financial contributor to the film, was facing charges for embezzling $248 million from a Malaysian government fund. Belfort’s experience in fraud led him to believe they were guilty, and he called the company and its CEO “criminals.”
The iPhone airplane shot is an interesting piece of trivia in a film surrounded by controversy for both its crude subject matter and the possibly fraudulent company that helped fund it. Nonetheless, the film is one of the more culturally significant movies released in the last decade and was ultimately nominated for five academy awards. Despite winning none, The Wolf of Wall Street’s notoriety and acclaim will make it a popular re-watch for years to come.
More: 10 Movies To Watch On Netflix If You Loved The Wolf Of Wall Street
Source: Reddit
