Wall Street

How far will you go to be palmy? How far will you go to win? Nothing can illustrate the lengths that a person is willing to take just to profit than in the cutthroat domain of a function of stocks. And no place in the world is more than ruthless than fence track. fence in Street (Stone, 1987) takes its viewers to a behind-the-scenes look at this place in the world where mint live and feed on stocks. The integrality of the film tackles a lot of moral conflicts that argon involved in the business dealings done within the movie.This is Oliver Stones criticism of the witticism of the people who utilized irregular means just to procure the biggest profit in the quickest time. Stone criticism non only targeted the corporate raiders whose practices were being exposed in the insider trading scandal in the 1980s, but it was a critique on the quick-buck culture that was prevalent then and even at this time.THE plotThe plot is traditional and formulaic. A young hotshot, wanting to be successful, gets the opportunity when his persistence pays off as he is hired by a renowned veteran. The rookie takes on the job albeit the discovery of the illegalities of the methods. He gets the perks and the movie shows its audience the grandiose rewards he gets. When a conflict of interest arises, he goes a hitst the veteran. He loses everything thus far he gets his payback. This has been a formula for a number of movies, and Wall Street is no exception.The young, idealistic hotshot here is develop mix up, played by Charlie Sheen. He is a stockbroker for a lesser-known Wall Street firm. The hotshot is a dreamer. In one scene in the movie where he just lost a lot of money because of a client, he utters that he dreams of being on the new(prenominal) side of the call somewhattimes. In subsequent scenes too, it can be sight that Bud does non dream of being a stockbroker forever. To achieve that dream, he constantly calls the office of his hero for a chance of getting a n audience and finally, strickleing him to accomplish employment under his heros wing.The veteran, excessively rich and wealthy, and the movie protagonists hero is Gordon Gekko. This role led Michael Douglas to garnering an Academy Award of accept Performance by an Actor. He is indeed truly worthy of the award as he portrayed the cold and vicious yet in some way appealing Gekko to the hilt. Gekko represents the ultimate corporate raider, the Wall Street shark who buys and closes down companies under their noses for his profit. Yet his methods, though disagreeable, are effective and masterfully reassert as evidenced by his avarice is good speech in the movie (to be discussed later).On Gekkos birthday, Bud shows up in Gekkos office with a box of Davidoff cigars as a present and a bribe to finally get the opportunity he has been waiting for. Desperate to impress Gekko, Bud blurts out insider information that his father Carl (played by Martin Sheen, Charlies real- support father) revealed to him about BlueStar airlines. Carl works for BlueStar and also serves as a union leader in that location. When Gekko profits out of Buds tip, he saw something in the kid that he cared.He saw the killer instinct, the will and determination to do whatever it takes to succeed. He saw a bit of himself in Bud, as he revealed later on in the movie. He then employs Bud to work for him but non as an ordinary broker. He asks Bud to spy on his competition and other illegal acts. At first, Bud hesitates but he eventually agrees. He is rewarded with his works, and not without extravagance. Bud enjoys the luxurious life that his work with Gekko provided for him.The main conflict of the film arises when Bud decides to make BlueStar competitive. Bud enthusiastically pushes forward his proposals to Gekko. Gekko, on the other hand, agrees with the proposals armed with contrasting intentions compared to that of Buds. When Gekko and Bud present their plan to BlueStar representatives, in cluding Carl, Carl voices out his opposition as he sees behind the guise that Gekko puts on. Yet, Bud remains to be sold by Gekkos deception.It did not take a lot time before Bud realizes what Gekkos plan really is. When Bud learns that Gekko plans to sell the hangars and planes, he confronts Gekko. When asked wherefore he was wrecking BlueStar, Gekko answers, Because its wreckable. From at that place, Bud jells off a plan to save BlueStar. Eventually they do but not without consequences. Bud is arrested for illegal insider trading by the SEC. Still, he manages to get payback as he lures Gekko into a trap and thus managing to record Gekkos confession of guilt on tape. The film ends with Bud walking on the steps of a courthouse on his way to his sentencing.ISSUES The Quick-Buck mentality vs. Hard Work and Fair Play Wall Street can be likened to a battle of two fathers over the moral consciousness of a son. This is not the only movie where Stone used this concept. His Vietnam warf are movie Platoon also shares this conflict (where Charlie Sheen also portrays the role of the son torn between two fathers, one good and another evil). In Wall Street, Carl Fox and Gordon Gekko represent the two opposing sides in the contest over the moral beliefs of Bud Fox, the son.Gekko represents the cutthroat businessman who resorts to all means to gain the biggest profit in the easiest way. He does so through illegal means but not without justification. The list of his reasons is not uncommon and yet is still popularly used even up to these times to justify wrongdoings. These include excuses like Everybody does it, Theres something in this for everybody, Nobody gets hurt, As long as we dont get caught, etc. This promotes dishonesty in business dealings.But as shown by Gekko, it is this type of people who get to be on top of the hill. The ruthless, the cunning, or the relentless are the ones who succeed and eat up those who strive to compete in the merciless world of business. The implication of the justifications Gekko provides for his actions can be summed up in the common adage, saying that if you cant beat them, join them. Surely, there are other people in the real world that are similar in nature to Gekko, people who become extremely successful using unethical methods. Competing with these people is one Herculean task to surmount.Thus, there are those who give up on competing with such sharks on ethical grounds and are consequently influenced to follow their lead. In todays world, it is not surprising to find people like Gekko and the quick-buck mentality that they adhere to, where they prioritize profit over anything else including morals and services to their clients.On the other hand, Carl Fox represents the people who advocate hard work and honesty in business dealings. Carl Fox is not the only character in the film that adheres to such philosophy. One super of Bud in the Wall Street firm stated, in one of the earlier scenes, that good things s ometimes take time. He cites IBM and Hilton as examples.This is a compute contrast to Gekkos impatient and short-term approach towards business. Success, via the ethical way, takes time. But eventually it will come to those who work hard and remain ethical in their ways. This smorgasbord of thinking seems to be overshadowed by the prevalent success of the Gekko-like businessmen. Despite that, there are those who remain stern to keeping their methods unstained by illegalities.They advocate that hard work will reap its benefits but it takes time. Gekko scoffs at this conception citing his father as an example of a hardworking man who worked all his life and died of mediocrity. In the present day, there are those who steadfastly hold on to this principle despite all the satirical points made against their cause.Bud Fox in the movie represents the son torn between two fathers, namely Gekko and Carl. He is the student confused on which school of thought to pursue, the quick-buck or fa ir play. This is truly a mirror of todays world. Stone intended this movie to reflect the rugged financial wheeling and dealing that is actually happening, especially at the time when the movie was made. The playing field is so dominated by players who countenance regard profit, wealth and winning above any other consideration.What Bud Fox represents is the individual player who is given a choice on which side to choose, the cunning majority or the blue-collar minority. Stones core is a dark warning for those who follow Gekkos way. As one of Buds bosses says it, Enjoy it while it lasts, because it never does. The film ends with both Fox and Gekko getting prosecuted. They may enjoy the riches brought about by their illegal actions but time will come when their misdoings will collect their due. Meanwhile, those who do not heed the call of the easy money are bound to have no worries of retribution.Greed is good? The highlight of the film, what significantly won Michael Douglas his O scar for Acting, is the scene where he delivers the Greed is Good speech. Such conception was the popular mindset (and alibi) for the profit-obsessed culture in the 1980s market that Stone was criticizing. By this scene, Stone shows his viewers the kind of eloquence and guts that people like Gekko have in defending the actions they do.This scene masterfully and powerfully provides that illustration. Gekkos claims, amazingly delivered by Douglas, provide a chill to the spine of viewers as it shows just how ruthless and yet appealingly logical Gekko is. He delivers the speech with such composure and bravado that merits cheers and festivity among his audience and silences his detractors despite the obvious disreputability of his catchphrase.The setting here is that Gekko is trying to take over a troupe, Teldar Paper. In a shareholders meeting of such company, company management oppose such planned take over by Gekko mainly because of Gekkos reputation as a company raider. Gekko, on th e other hand, rebuffs this voiced out opposition with this grand speech, provided here in fractureThe point is, ladies and gentlemen Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words will save not only Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.At first look, he may have a point. As evidenced by the acceptance of his audience, it seems as though Gekko has indeed made a very convincing pedagogy. All development can be traced to mans unsatiable hunger for life, money, love, knowledge, etc. as noted by Gekko. It is seemingly logical to think that greed is the driving force behind every single successful venture of man.If that is so, then it is just right to teach people to be greedy. Right? If this was the case , then the movie should have ended with a decisive statement that Gekko never gets caught. But Stone had a different view. Stone included this speech in the movie to showcase up to what absurd lengths people like Gekko go to in order to twist the facts and values long-cherished by society just to justify their cause and actions.Greed is wanting in excess of something that is never meant to be ones own. It is an excessive desire to possess more than one needs or deserves. Anything in excess is wrong and can never be good, as declared in Nicomachean ethics. This just proves how twisted Gekko and his kind are. They turn something innately bad to something good just to satisfy their inner selves that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing.They are blinded by their greed on what is truly wrong and write. Greed overcomes them. The desire for winning the deal is more dominant than observing ethics. Even the rewards of money and luxurious living are never enough if one is overrun b y greed. In the movie, Gekko and Bud are enjoying the luxurious life yet the audience never gets to examine the splendor of their riches as these are only shown in passing. Such is the life utilise to greed. It doesnt give room to gloat in the rewards because it constantly seeks more. The concept of enough eludes them. When Bud confronts Gekko of how much is enough, Gekko struggles to answer. Greed does that to a person.Greed corrupts. Too much of anything corrupts to a point where the boundaries between right and wrong are breached just to temporarily satisfy and insatiable appetite for winning the deal. Greed twists the morality of a person. It changes the priorities of a person involved, in a deal greed is self-serving instead of serving what the deal embodies, which is the people that will benefit from it. It is this moral putrefaction that Stone exposes through this movie, the moral corruption brought about by wealth and greed. The legal corruption is only set as a backdrop a midst the crisis in morality that the protagonist of the film is going through.CONCLUSION Oliver Stones main message in this film is that the ways of the wicked will ultimately fail. He concludes the movie by Gekko getting caught on tape with a confession of his illegal acts after he falls for a trap set by Bud and the SEC. Bud is also indicted for the things he did while employed by Gekko. The last scene shows him walking towards his sentencing.This ending can be classified advertisement as a traditional one. It gives the viewers the old impression that good ultimately triumphs over evil. If the movie happened in reality though, there would have been a very different ending. There is one observable major flaw in the movie. One can only speculate on the reasons why such flaw can be bypassed by Stone (either corporate pressure to leave a good ending or its a pun to the romanticism of movies).If Gekko is such a cold, calculating and cunning man, it is highly doubtful whether he would let himself be trapped by such methods. It is more doubtful if he would allow himself to be seen with Bud after Bud was unceremoniously arrested. It is also unlikely that Gekko would not anticipate a wire on Bud when they met near the end of the movie. In summation, the ending is highly doubtful.The relevance of such obvious flaw is that it leaves its viewers (at least, those who recognized such flaw) with no trust of romanticist ideals that such a conflict can be resolved easily. In todays world, there are a number of Gekkos around. The flaw of the movie makes viewers realize that a number of Gekkos out there do exist and are left unscathed and undetected (maybe even untouchable). It is then left to the viewer what to do with such fact of life. Surrounded by sharks and unethical financial players, the present financial manager is face up with a choice, the Gekko-way or the hard way.The movie ends with an easy resolution promoting an ideal situation where the bad guys fail. In th e real world, that may not always be the case. It is up to the person whether to abide by ethics and laws in financial dealings or bend such laws and ethical rules because there are those who get away with it and they are the ones on top. The movie provides two ways towards success, the hard and long way or the easy way where rules are only part of the show.Reference1. Stone, O. (1987). Wall Street. California 20th Century Fox.