WALL STREET
US, 1987, 125 minutes, Colour.
Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Terence Stamp, Daryl Hanna, Sean Young, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, John C.McGinley, Richard Dysart.
Directed by Oliver Stone.
Wall Street is about American big business. It was co-written and directed by Oliver Stone (writer of Midnight Express, Year of the Dragon and director of Platoon, Salvador). His father was a stockbroker. Investigating the behaviour of the brokers and the corporate raiders in the mid-'80s, he wrote and filmed this story prior to the crash of 1987.
Michael Douglas is excellent as corporate raider Gordon Gecko. Charlie Sheen is the ambitious young man without strong moral perspective who becomes embroiled in Gecko's plans. Martin Sheen portrays Charlie Sheen's father, a union man with an air firm. There is a strong supporting a cast including Hal Holbrook, Terence Stamp. Daryl Hannah and Sean Young have rather negligible feminine roles.
The film is witty, fascinating audiences with its portrait of Gecko and his unscrupulous exploitation of the market. However, all is seen through the eyes of Bud Fox (Sheen) and his eventual disillusion. The ending is somewhat flat after what has gone before - but is the moralising, optimistic Frank Capra vein.
Interesting and entertaining as well as an awful look at the moral stances and behaviour of American capitalism during the Reagan years.
1. The film's acclaim? Moral stance? Comment on American behaviour? The work of Oliver Stone, his experience? The moralising perspective?
2. The visual impact of New York, Wall Street, the Stock Exchange, the world of affluence, Gecko's world, the changing world of Bud Fox, restaurants, beaches? The comparison with Bud's father's world? musical score.
3. The '80s, the Reagan era, money and profit, greed? Corporate raiders? Ethical questions? Weak moral perspective? Stock exchange, pace, changing of money and capital? Insider information and trading? Stock Exchange investigations? The prelude to the crash of '87? A topical film of the '80s?
4. Wall Street and its ethos, facts? The background of capitalism and its ethos? Money, shares, tracing, brokers and their assistance, deals and phone calls, the frenzy of the Exchange floor? Ambitions? The background of Lou and his decent approach to his work? The young up and-coming brokers and their huge salaries, lifestyle? International markets? The supervising standards of the Exchange?
5. The film was Bud Fox's story: Charlie Sheen's presence and style? Age, ambitions, weak moral sense, home background, the world of New York, his style - relationships, apartment, computer at home, at work? His associates? The phone calls and the pressure for clients? The old man and the example - and eventually sacked? The Superior and his fluctuating opinions about Bud? Lou as the upright father figure? Integrity and questions? Going to see his father, drinking with his friends, plane talk? His hopes for contact with Gecko? Ringing his office;' The tip from his father about the airline? The birthday, the buying of the gift, the visit, using his visit well? The meal and his being served and the promise of a more affluent life? The car-ride and Gecko persuading him to espionage? His decision in taking the job? Following Sir Larry, the techniques of trailing him, the lift, the restaurant, the airport? His visit to Gecko's home, meeting his wife, the guests? The confrontation with Sir Larry and seeing the result of the espionage? His school friend and drawing him into the conspiracy? Making money, borrowing it from his father and paying him back? Meeting Derien at the party, flirting, self-confidence? His lack of knowledge of art and appreciation? The meal with Derien, moving to a new apartment, her decorating it? Further jobs, funds, the follow-through? Ups and downs, success and failure? The plan about the airline, Gecko's meeting with the unions and his father? The pushing of the market? Playing the game? His father and his disagreement, the clash, his resentment against him? His being set up? The phone calls from Gecko? The truth? His father's heart attack and the hospital visit? Reconciliation? The counter-plan, the union members, Sir Larry? Setting up the market again? His winning over Gecko? The suddenness of his arrest and his weeping? His taping Gecko and the clash in the park? The final going to the court? Integrity, a young man gaining moral sense? Future?
6. Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko: his name, seeing the corporate raider at work the skill of his staff, shrewdness, his one-liners? His birthday and his present? Sounding out Bud? The tip about the Persuading airline? Taking him to a meal - lunches for wimps? him to spy on Sir Larry? His satisfaction, the confrontation with Larry at the party, the deal about the shares? The motivation of the corporate raider, the power, the game, the money? The party, his wife, his child? His skill in buying artwork and its value? Explaining the value of art and his prices and buildings to Bud? The playing with the market and heating it up? The airline and the takeover? The meetings? His going to the meeting and addressing the shareholders, his persuasive speech about greed? The phone call from the beach ~ and the irony of his love of nature, and his doing deals? The relationship with Derien and his giving her to Bud? (The sending of the call-girl to Bud?) The unions, his ruthlessness? His being defeated on the airline? His reaction? The meeting with Bud in the park and the irony of his being taped? The basis of Gecko's character on corporate raiders in the U.S. of the '80s?
7. Derien and the party, her relationship with Gecko, with Bud, artwork and her career, spending his money, decorating Bud's apartment, the sexual liaison, the break and the clash? A poorly-written woman's role? Wall Street as a man's film? The use of Derien in brief sequences as Gecko's wife?
8. Bud's father and his background, working for the firm, drinking with his mates, the work, Bud borrowing money and then repaying it, discussions and the giving of inside information? Loyalty of the unions? His attendance at the meeting, his seeing through Gecko, clash with Bud? The heart attack, hospital, reconciliation? The glimpse of Bud's mother? Their supporting him at the end?
9. Lou and his wisdom? Continued advice? The Superior on the floor and his giving Bud the office, Bud going up in the world, his secretary? Turning on him when arrested? The old man trapped in the work and being sacked? His young partner and their banter on the floor, clashes and reconciliation? Using of people for heating the market? His school friend and drawing him into the conspiracy? The investigation? Gecko's staff?
10. Minor characters - people at the party, Sir Larry's entourage and advisers, Gecko's staff and advisers, Sylvia Miles as the apartment agent?
11. A film glimpsing America in the '80s? Moral stances? Admiration for and critique of Wall Street?
