Wall Street by Oliver Stone - Essay Example

Wall Street Financial market abuses by Wall Street Over the years, financial market abuses have been depicted in many films. In the film Wall Street by Oliver Stone, the same greed and power hungry theme is depicted. The characters end up portraying what really happens in the business district that is believed to govern the entire American corporation. There are guidelines and principles that govern the code of conduct in any organization, and Wall Street is no exception. The financial activities carried out need to have particular guidelines in order to protect shareholders from any fraudulent and unethical activities. However, the theme of the film brings out some of the goings-on in the lives of everyday stockbrokers, and how they take advantage of unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). The desire to be driven by greed often leads one into doing bad things in order to make it in Wall Street. One thing that happens that might violate the code of ethics is insider trading. Although it may not be considered illegal, there are instances where insider trading may be considered as criminal. This is when personal knowledge is used to disclose information about company shares, and the information is not yet public. This is illegal and is also unethical. The manipulation of stock values also goes against a financial institution’s code of conduct. It is wrong, and, in fact, criminal, to manipulate stock values to make shareholders buy or sell more in a bid to make a profit. This is what the main characters depict, and they go on to show how they benefit from unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). 1. Favorite quote from the movie My favorite quote from the film can be considered the most famous in the film. Gordon Gekko, the main character in the film, is heard as saying that greed is good and that greed marks the essence of the evolutionary spirit. It is also through Gordon Gekko that the audience learns of the innovative and wealth creative ways that are brought on by greed in this quote. Greed, as depicted by the film, drives most of the characters to lie, cheat, and even steal in order to make a name for themselves in the financial corporation and money making machine that is Wall Street (Wall Street 1). I chose this quote as it directly changes the manner in which most people will view greed and its impact on their lives. The most essential question to ask is whether it is actually right to lose one’s sanity and morality in a bid to attain riches and wealth. The context in which this quote was used in the film was to showcase the depth people are disposed to take in order to get wealthy. It is an individual’s decision whether the wealth that comes from such deceit and decadence actually outweighs the bad and harm that it causes around them. It is through this context that the audience is introduced into a world ruled by a handful of men that are driven and managed by greed, and lose all their principles and morality just to get wealth. 1. Modern example of greed as depicted by Gordon Gekko In the past, there has been a notable upsurge in use of the slogan used by Gordon Gekko that extols greed as a motivational tool (Wall Street 1). There are events that have taken place in the world, especially in the United States that have left the state of their economy in peril. However, as the world struggles to recover from the 2008-2009 economic crises, there are individuals who are still keen on making profits despite the shortage. John Varley, Barclays CEO, said that making profit was not satanic and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with making money at the expense of the state’s economy. This was at a church in London where he decided to defend highly paid CEOs due to their high performance. These two scenarios lead to the conclusion that people are only motivated to look out for themselves, regardless of what the situation may be like. Gordon Gekko and John Varley are individuals motivated by greed and the aspiration to have more than they require or deserve. Their complete disregard for the people they hurt is a notable mention on how greed causes more harm than good. This is especially in a society that is filled with people who work hard to cater to their basic needs and enjoy some form of quality life, which they are being denied as a result of greed (Wall Street 1). 2. Factors that made Bud Fox do what he did to Gordon Gekko The audience, in the movie, is introduced to Bud Fox, an up and coming stockbroker trying to make it in Wall Street. He encounters numerous bottlenecks when struggling to make ends meet through honest and hard work as compared to the easy fast-tracked life of making easy money. The elegant and enticing mannerisms of Gordon Gekko capture the young stockbroker’s heart. Gekko was planning to buy and sell the company in which Fox’s father had worked for over three decades. He was now faced with a family and professional commitment quandary (Wall Street 1). It is my belief that the main reason why Fox did what he did to Gekko was because he realized that no amount of money would be enough to clear his conscience after what they would do to the airline company. His family allegiance and the fact that he knew he was doing something wrong made him manipulate stock values to prevent Gekko from buying the airline, then selling it off to make a profit. Moreover, before Fox joined Wall Street, he was a law abiding citizen and only resorted to the charms of the fast lane after meeting Gekko. He, however, learnt that money has led people into doing all the wrong things, and this formed the basis of his motivation to act right. He decided to force the airline company away from Gordon Gekko’s hands. By pushing it into another rich man’s hands, Fox made it impossible for Gekko to turn BlueStar into another of his cash cows, but paid the ultimate price by going to jail for securities fraud and insider trading (Wall Street 1). 3. Artist’s depiction of evil as fascinating and not wrong Oliver Stone, just as countless other artists in the film industry, has a task and duty to the public. The main responsibility they have to the public is to make the public knowledgeable on what goes on in the world in a way that is exciting and educative. However, the approach taken where films produced glorify evil sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. Even though Oliver Stone’s intention about the film Wall Street may have been misunderstood, it is fair to say that the film may have pushed for some of the tendencies and characteristics witnessed on Wall Street today. Young people, who watched the film in 1987, say that it is what encouraged them to pursue work in the financial institutions and try to be like Gordon Gekko. His love for doing the wrong thing pushed countless people into trying to live life in the fast lane as he did (Wall Street 1). This then works toward encouraging greed and the mantra of living life without the fear of reprisal. Perhaps the most popular quote from the film is what was used in even most business schools where the belief that greed was good encouraged individuals to attain their desires, regardless of who gets hurt. Work Cited Wall Street. Dir. Oliver Stone. Perf. Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Tamara Tunie, and Martin Sheen. Twentieth Century Fox, 1987. Film. Read More