Wall Street

Wall Street; drama, USA, 1987; D: Oliver Stone, S: Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Daryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, Hal Halbrook, Terence Stamp, James Spader

Stockbroker Bud Fox always wanted to taste success in his job, among others because he is ashamed that he lives in New York on the expense of his father Carl who has troubles managing the airline company "Bluestar". When Bud comes in touch with corporate tycoon Gordon Gekko on his birthday and gives him some inside information about "Bluestar", Bud manages his breakthrough: he will anaylze the stock market while Gekko will buy cheap stocks whose value will rise. Bud becomes rich and starts a relationship with Darien. All is well up until the point when Gekko buys "Bluestar" stocks and, as the new owner, fires all the staff and sells the assets for a quick profit, breaking his promise that he will expand the company. Bud's conscience shows up and tricks Gekko on the court by collecting incriminating information against him.

Winner of a Golden Globe and an Oscar for best actor Michael Douglas as the corporate villain Gordon Gekko, "Wall Street" is a highly charged and praised meditation on capitalism, selfishness and ethics that gives such a thorough view into its subject that one can earn a diploma about the stock market just by watching it. Its dialogues are, namely, very abstract and speak only the language of the stock market, and thus therein lies also its biggest flaw, because a few lesser informed viewers might find it incomprehensible. Yet even though the story is too long, if one can observe it as a dark commentary on the unlimited corporate powers, where the well being of society isn't important, just a quick profit, it becomes very intriguing after a while: its world of politics and trade is juicy and shocking at the same time, since it shows how some people can just buy and decide about the faith of companies and its thousands of employees just like that, almost as if it's a game, and since it all comes from the perspective of the young and idealistic stockbroker it's even more trenchant, but certainly Michael Douglas is even better in his "dignified" performance full of cynical philosophical viewpoints about the real world, which contain some of the finest quotes ever put on film ("If you want a friend, buy a dog!"; "Greed captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit!"; "You and I are the same, Darien. We are smart enough not to buy in to the oldest myth running; love. Diction created by people to keep them from jumping out of windows"). Still, just like many of Stone's films, it is more of a social issue message than a true film.

Grade:++