The Film Wall Street - Movie Review Example

Essay on Wall Street 1987 Introduction Imagery is among the most conspicuous literary techniques in the film Wall Street produced by Oliver Stone in 1987. The film begins with Bud Fox working at Jackson Steinem & Co. as a junior stockbroker. Both the position and the company are strategic inclusions in the film since they set stage for the conflicts to follow. Every feature of the initial scenes and parts of the plot in the film are effective imageries. The lowly position presents the numerous challenges that employees face in their desire to rise and become wealthy. The industry is lucrative with Wall Street appearing as the most lucrative street in New York, one that continues to churn out millionaires in the city. Every senior stockbroker in the country works in Wall Street and therefore owes their wealth to their engagements and contacts at Wall Street. The lowly position that Bud Fox plays at the company initiates an intrapersonal conflict within himself. He desires wealth and often ruminates how best and fast he can become a wealthy business mogul at Wall Street. The initial imagery in the film provides a perfect contrast in the life of lowly employees in the stock brokerage industry to the flamboyant life of their wealthy counterparts in higher positions in the same company. The images help develop the initial personality of Bud Fox. He lives a lowly life working as a junior stockbroker at an equally small company. However, the fact that he interacts with other senior stockbrokers with the initial scenes flashing the features of the high society where the likes of Gordon Gekko stay ignites his desire for success. The imagery and the artistic portrayal of the major themes in the film ignite aggression in the main character, Bud Fox. Bud is an aggressive character who seeks the finer things in life. As such, the personality informs most of his actions as he sets out in the film to achieve all the things he desires. The shot-by-shot portrayal of Bud portrays an individual in transition. His dissatisfaction with his lowly position are among the factors that sustains his aggression and desire to meet his Gordon Gekko his idol whom he believes will help him achieve his goals in life. Bud knows what to do and how to do it at every stage. He therefore approaches Gekko at his private birthday party and offers him an appropriate gift. Such were his strategies that prove vital in securing him an interview with the celebrated senior stockbroker. The main theme in the film is greed. The stockbrokers in Wall Street use every business technique possible to maximize their profitability. The progression of imagery as the film opens helps enhance the theme in the film as it presents the disparity in the distribution of wealth in New York. The wealthy stockbroker’s possess all the finer things life can offer. They live in lash neighborhoods. The initial scenes in the film helps portray the difference among the people of New York thus creating a perfect setting for the investigation of the source of the wealth since some of the people are extremely wealthy. Greed drives the wealth of such people as Gordon Gekko. Bud on the other hand typifies the transition from poverty to wealth as he utilizes most of the unscrupulous techniques his predecessors and mentors such as Gordon Grekko used to acquire their wealth. Bud therefore plays a significant role in the film as he provides the audience with a shot for shot analysis of the employment of the various techniques used by the wealthy people in the industry to amass their wealth within the shortest time. As explained earlier, Bud experiences a progressive growth in the film. His desire to become wealthy coupled with his aggressive personality ensures that he becomes wealthy. However, he met various mentors who taught him different skills and virtues of the business. Key among the mentors was Gordon Grekko who taught him the intricate features of the industry. Gokko provides Bud with the practical necessary for success in the stock breakage industry. He provided Bud with both the technical knowhow and the capital necessary to venture into the industry. Additionally, he equipped the naïve Bud at the beginning of the film with the perfect personality to help flourish his aggressive personality. Bud systematically becomes unscrupulous since he emulates the ways of Gekko. Other mentors that Bud meets in his quest for wealth include his parents. His father Carl loves him as a father would love a son. He is therefore among the truth tellers that Bud has in the film. Bud uses Carl to rise in the industry. Bud feigns closeness to his father just to obtain insider information about Bluestar Airline. Carl is the leader of the airline’s union and therefore privy to insider information. Bud on the other hand leaks such information to Gekko and they use the information to manipulate the stock market thus make massive wealth. Despite such betrayal, which fortunately Carl does not know, Carl loves his son and together with his wife, they encourage Bud to do the right thing always. Towards the end of the film, the parents drive Bud to the court where he is about to answer specific economic crime charges. The parents encourage their son and thank him for doing right. As the film ends, Bud feels relieved since he has a clean conscience especially after he saved the airline. He does not feel any remorse for fixing his friend and mentor Gekko. Sir Larry Wildman is yet another truth teller in the film who encourages Bud to do right despite the mounting pressure. Bud’s interactions with Larry Wildman among other employees of the Bluestar airline are essential in the growth of Bud both a character in the film and as an individual. Bud Fox was growing fast owing to his close relations with Gordon Gekko. They plotted schemes that profited them at the expense of many other people. They for example used the airline to amass wealth. However, through Larry Wildman Bud remained conscious of their actions. He pitied Wildman among other employees of the airline who were about to lose their job owing to the aggressive nature of Gekko. Bud therefore collaborates with Wildman and manages to purchase the company’s stock thus saving both the airline and its employees. Such is a vita feature in the plot of the film since it portrays Bud’s growth. Even though he became an aggressive stockbroker who often used unscrupulous strategies, unlike Gekko Bud had some basic business ethics and morality. He considered the interests of others thus making decisions that benefited others in the society. Just as is the case in any plot, Wall Street has effective conflicts to sustain the story to completion. Bud faces numerous internal and external conflicts. The conflicts progress as Bud grows. The progression of the conflicts sustains the film to completion. Among the basic internal conflicts is Bud’s desire to become a wealthy stockbroker in New York. The state of affairs at the beginning presented a challenge for him to realize his goals. He worked as junior stockbroker in a small firm. As such, he faces the basic conflicts that numerous other junior employees face in various industries. He desires to grow but has not opportunity for growth. In order to resolve the conflict, he creates an opportunity for himself as he organizes a meeting with Gordon Gekko whom he believes would make him wealthy. An external conflict becomes evident when Bud decides to oppose Gekko in his quest to sell the stocks of Bluestar airlines a move that would render numerous people jobless. Both the internal and external conflicts in the film grow progressively to enhance the plot. After developing a relationship with Gekko, Bud strives to impress the equally aggressive stockbroker. His attempts to sell stock do not pay off immediately a feature that threatens their relationship. In order to impress Gekko, Bud decides to pry on his father who is a union leader at Bluestar airlines. The decision to do this was a manifestation of internal conflicts in the main character. His love for money outweighs his love and loyalty to his father. He therefore betrays his father by acting as an informer to the unscrupulous stockbroker who readily plots a plan to make a lot of money by selling the company thus causing massive job losses for the numerous employees at the company. Bud achieves his desires. He becomes a wealthy stockbroker but such an achievement does not satisfy him. He comes to his realization when Gekko attempts to sell the airline, a company Carl had worked hard to build. The fact that Bud comes to the realization is a portrayal of his innate good. Despite his aggressive personality especially in business, Bud remains a conscious individual who loves the society. He feels pity for the numerous families who are likely to lose their jobs if Gekko’s plan succeeded. The realization serves as a resolution of the numerous conflicts in the film. Bud decides to do right and therefore collaborates with other presidents in the company such as Larry Wildman. Additionally, he cooperates with the law enforcement agencies and therefore confesses his crime. He implicates his partner in crime and is therefore ready to face trial for all the crimes he committed as a stockbroker. The film shows Bud’s growth and end. The film ends with Bud entering a courtroom an action that marked the end of his glorious career and lavish lifestyle. The film has numerous set ups and pay offs. The main characters are schemers and therefore strive to capitalize on the weaknesses of others. As such, they create effective setups most of which pay off. Among the preliminary set-ups in the film is when Bud attends Gekko’s birthday party. Bud had tried reaching Gekko in the past but could not. During the birthday party, Bud strategically presents Gekko with a box of his favorite cigars, the set up pays off when the move impresses Gekko who then sets up an interview with Bud thereby offering him a chance to develop his career. Another set-up that pays off occurs when Bud sells pertinent information about the airline to Gekko. Apparently, all Bud’s attempt in the industry was failing and Gekko was becoming impatient with him. However, when he provides Gekko with the vital information about the airline, he proves useful once more thus initiating a career growth with Gekko. Gekko made immense amount of wealth owing to Bud’s ideas all of which became successful. Dealing on the stocks of Bluestar was key among the dealings that promised both parties even more wealth. Gekko therefore plotted to sell the company thus make more money from the sale. Bud would benefit too. However, the idea of selling the company offends Bud who therefore strategies yet another setup that later pays off to his advantage. He colludes with Larry Wildman among other presidents of the company and purchases more shares from Gekko. He convinces Gekko to sell his shares thus lose interest in the company. Such was an effective strategy that pays off thereby enhancing Bud’s satisfaction since he saves his father’s company therefore goes to the courtroom with a clear conscience. The film ends with yet another major set up which Bud hopes pays off. His dealings with Gekko had attracted the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The commission begins to investigate Bud. At the advice of his father, Bud decides to cooperate with the investigators who promise him a lighter charge if he helps them comprehend Gekko. Bud therefore wears a wire and records his final conversation with Gekko. This provides the investigators with immense evidence to use in arresting and apprehending Gekko. However, the film ends with Bud entering the courtroom. Such is a suspense that leaves the audience wondering on the outcome of the court case. The satisfaction and confidence with which Bud enters the courtroom is adequate in proving the pay off. Oliver Stone portrays his film development genius in the film. The success of the film portrayed his success. However, he introduced numerous new characters even past the mid-point. Characters enhance the conflicts in a film. As such, a director must always devise appropriate ways of introducing characters in the film. Early introduction of characters in a film enhances the comprehension of the plot and its inherent conflicts. Despite such an archaic structure, the style of introducing characters even past the mod point works effectively. The structure of the film permits the introduction of new characters. The film has a central conflict that grows with the introduction of new characters. Bud, Gekko and Carl are among the few characters presented at the beginning of the film. The director introduces new characters mid-way owing to their significance in either enhancing or sustaining the conflict in the film. Oliver Stone can strive to introduce his characters in time by initiating numerous conflict in a single plot. Such characters as Larry Wildman are vital in the film, introducing them early in tie would enhance their role in the plot thus making them more conspicuous. Reading the thoughts of a character in a film gives the plot a superficial view to the conflicts. The film strives to develop a realistic conflict, one that portrays the thoughts of people and their feelings without necessarily reading their minds. Omitting the scene that looked both clever and funny is strategic in enhancing the success of the plot. The plot appears realistic and action packed. An audience has to guess the actions of the characters without looking into their thoughts. This builds and sustains the suspense in the film. Suspense is essential in enhancing the success of a film among other literary works. The greed is good speech The speech is as controversial as it is factual. Gekko presents his aggressive approach to business as greed. His greed for money drives his business acumen. I agree with various features of the speech including the central message. Gekko is indeed greedy. He therefore works hard selling stock thus earning his merger commission. Through his acts of aggression, he sells milions of stocks for millions of other stockholders who could not otherwise sell their stock. His greed benefits numerous other people given the nature of the chain of command and flow of money in the industry. Gekko has access to both the stockholders and the market. His aggressive personality provides a reliable bridge for his numerous characters. He rightly explains that Teldar paper is collapsing because of the complex management structure of the company. Greed of an individual at the company would result in radical changes at the company thus creating a lean management, one that functions efficiently while reducing the cost of doing business thus increasing the company’s profits. Among the features of both his speech and actions that I do not agree with is the fact that he is often willing to cause others pain and loss in order to achieve his desire. Greed is a vice, one that eliminates basic social values as greedy people will always protect their own interests even at the expense of others in the society. When he gives the example of Teldar Paper, he refers to the bloated management. He forgets that the company is complex and therefore requires an equally complex system of management. Managing a corporate is not like selling stock. Such companies require various managers and heads of departments. His arguments shows his disregard to other people since he is willing to supplant the numerous managers in order to institute an individual who will earn millions of dollars while making all the decisions in the company. Additionally, he is willing to sell Bluestar airlines in order to enhance his wealth at the expense of the numerous employees of the company. Such acts of aggression and portrayal of greed is harmful. The main theme in the film is greed. Gekko is the main character whose greed initiates and enhances all the conflicts in the film. Greed is a vice, which as the plot in the film portrays turns toxic thereby ruining relationships. Bud enjoyed a cordial and profitable relationship with Gekko. Bud had affection for Gekko who was his role mode and mentor in the industry. His admiration and love for Gekko was therefore genuine. Gekko on the other hand was a schemer whose greed overrode the friendship and relationship he shared with others. he therefore schemes to sell a company that he meant much for Carl, his best friend’s father. Reference Stone, O. (1987). Wall Street (film). New York: American Entertainment Partners. Read More