Business Ethics And The Financial Marketplace

Wall Street (1987) – The movie is about a young stock broker named Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) who dreams of making it big on Wall Street. He bags his first mega-client, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), who is a famous corporate raider and financier. Gekko recognizes Fox’s persistence and work ethic and decides to take him on as his protege. Fox witnesses the ruthlessness and greed that Gekko employs in his success, who is completely unapologetic about it. Fox aids Gekko on attaining inside information, of which we find the procurement of becomes a big part of Gekko’s success, in his sleuthing about a rival’s proposed purchase of a Pennsylvanian steel mill. Fox continues looking the other way in his zeal not only to impress Gekko but attain success and wealth on his own as he begins knowingly breaking the law and bringing another friend into it, risking his career as a lawyer as well (James Spader). It isn’t until a deal he brought to Gekko, trading on inside information he gleans from his union leader father Carl (Martin Sheen) about an airline he works at, that Fox betrays Gekko when he learns that his promised role as president of it won’t materialize as Gekkos is planning on liquidating the company. Fox then engineers a market manipulation to force Gekko out of the deal and reward Gekko’s earlier rival from the Pennsylvania steel mill who promises to run the company fairly. Fox ends the movie on what is his presumable next destination – federal prison.

The opening scenes show 80’s New York, juxtaposing the lives of the wealthy versus the lives of the homeless in a not so covert way of moralization by director Oliver Stone. Stone’s finger wagging is seen pretty much throughout as the story follows Bud Fox’s corruption and ultimate pivot turning towards “doing the right thing”. Gordon Gekko is kind of painted as a bad guy but you ultimately see him as morally ambiguoyus as he’s just a “buyer and seller” as opposed to a “creator”, however, Gekko is clearly enriching other stockholders as well.

Scenes of people crushing onto elevators and through subways to get to work really struck me. It’s hard to imagine post-COVID an office so packed with people that you’re almost on top of each other, cramming into elevators, bumping into coworkers as you make your way to your seat. I especially liked the scene where Fox and his girlfriend Darien (Daryl Hannah) are enjoying their kitchen gadgets including a sushi maker, microwave, and toaster oven. The acting is pretty good too. Michael Douglas kills it as Gordon Gekko and I definitely have a better appreciation for his acting after watching that performance. Martin Sheen also gives a memorable performance also as him and Charlie Sheen try to work together in their scenes. There’s even a gratuitous sex scene that screams 80’s film making. Finally, a great soundtrack featuring David Byrne and Bryan Eno.