Leo’s vices

Corina Karr, Reporter|January 30, 2023

Courtesy of Cosmopolitan

90’s heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio has won 101 awards for his emotive acting and production, and the foundation for his intensive acting comes from the unique roles the actor plays. From a teenage heroin addict in The Basketball Diaries to a third-class boy entangled with a first-class girl in Titanic, Leo covers all of the capital vices. Here are four of his best.

Lust: Titanic

The “ship of dreams” quickly turns into the ship of lust in Titanic (1997). When first-class beauty Rose Bukater (Kate Winslet) tries to jump overboard into the Atlantic, wandering artist Jack Dawson , played by Leo, grabs onto her. A forbidden romance immediately sparks, but ends just as quickly when the Titanic meets its infamous fate. Did they really fall in love in 48 hours, or did Rose’s stressful engagement to an abusive man inspire lustful feelings toward young and rebellious Jack? Despite the irrationality of certain characters, the film’s glamorous 1911-era ship set and fast burn romance earn Titanic five out of five feathers.

Gluttony: The Basketball Diaries

The Basketball Diaries (1995) follows Leo as Jim Carroll and his friend group of high school basketball stars as they explore New York City’s finest. The gang’s Saturday night partying quickly spirals to popping pills before basketball games and crippling heroin addictions. Turning to vagrancy, Jim prostitutes himself for cash and betrays everyone close to him; the film follows his unglamorized calamity of drug addiction. Leo’s impactful, convincing performance melded with on-site, gritty New York City filming pushed the movie to five out of five feathers.

Greed: The Wolf of Wall Street

Anything for the gold; this ideology embodies Jordan Belfort (Leo) in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). Jordan and his partners turn a profit by buying shares of penny stocks, artificially inflating their prices, and then dumping those stocks. When his newfound wealth gets to his head, Jordan cheats on his wife with prostitutes, constantly indulges in drugs, and buys lavish items. Behind a guilty conscience, jealousy of the fast paced and opulent lifestyle pulls viewers in. Despite its captivating qualities, The Wolf of Wall Street is hardly as touching as DiCaprio’s other films, winning four out of five feathers.

Wrath: Django Unchained

Django Unchained (2012) follows Django (Jamie Foxx), an enslaved man who crosses paths with bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), whom he assists on a mission. Django’s quest to find his wife lands them at Missippi’s fourth largest plantation, Candyland, owned by Calvin Candie (Leo). At Candyland, slaves are treated with barbarous wrath from Candie, overseers, and fellow slaves. Director Quentin Tarantino wanted the gunshots to be as gory as possible, so he hid blood bags full of textured materials in the actors’ outfits. The two hour and 45 minute run time immerses viewers into Django’s layered journey, earning the film four out of five feathers.