This is one of Oliver Stone’s earliest films. It portrays the 1980′s story of fictional Bud Fox, portaryed by Charlie Sheen, a young Wall Street stock broker seduced by the lure of fast, big money through insider trading. Michael Douglas portrays Gordon Gekko, an iconic inside trader, who was allegorical to a Wall Street inside trade Ivan Boesky.
At the beginning of the film, Gordon Gekko certainly appeared to be a role model for any aspiring stockbroker, but as the storyline progressed, we soon learned that Gekko’s policies were extremely corrupt, and in order to work with Gekko, one must corrupt their beliefs as well. When Gekko entangled Bud, a junior stock-broker in his devious plans, Bud felt attached to Gekko, and in order to stay with “the elephant,” as Gekko was commonly referred, Bud needed to act in any way Gekko told him to, whether the actions were legal or not. However, when Bud realized that his involvement with Gekko was counter-productive, Bud cut ties with Gekko, and left him out to dry. Gekko’s largest flaw was not his illegal activity, but rather that he entrusted his illegal activity in Bud, a young, enigmatic stock-broker, who had virtually no experience in high-end stock trading.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bud came to Gekko, desperate to land him as a client, Gekko was not crazy about Bud’s proposals. However, out of desperation, Bud brought up his father’s company, Bluestar Airlines. After some time, Gekko accepted Bud’s proposal of the airline and bought stock in it through Bud. Gekko researched the airline, and realized that the company’s union president was Bud’s father. Upon unearthing this new information, Gekko seemed to latch onto the idea that Bud could be the perfect person to engage in Gekko’s illegal activity, as Bud had already given Gekko illegal inside information on the Bluestar Airline stock. However, Gekko’s mistake was that he believed Bud wanted to get to the top through any means necessary. While that may be true, Bud’s real intention was simply landing Gekko as a client.
--Patrick Walsh
At the beginning of the film, Gordon Gekko certainly appeared to be a role model for any aspiring stockbroker, but as the storyline progressed, we soon learned that Gekko’s policies were extremely corrupt, and in order to work with Gekko, one must corrupt their beliefs as well. When Gekko entangled Bud, a junior stock-broker in his devious plans, Bud felt attached to Gekko, and in order to stay with “the elephant,” as Gekko was commonly referred, Bud needed to act in any way Gekko told him to, whether the actions were legal or not. However, when Bud realized that his involvement with Gekko was counter-productive, Bud cut ties with Gekko, and left him out to dry. Gekko’s largest flaw was not his illegal activity, but rather that he entrusted his illegal activity in Bud, a young, enigmatic stock-broker, who had virtually no experience in high-end stock trading.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bud came to Gekko, desperate to land him as a client, Gekko was not crazy about Bud’s proposals. However, out of desperation, Bud brought up his father’s company, Bluestar Airlines. After some time, Gekko accepted Bud’s proposal of the airline and bought stock in it through Bud. Gekko researched the airline, and realized that the company’s union president was Bud’s father. Upon unearthing this new information, Gekko seemed to latch onto the idea that Bud could be the perfect person to engage in Gekko’s illegal activity, as Bud had already given Gekko illegal inside information on the Bluestar Airline stock. However, Gekko’s mistake was that he believed Bud wanted to get to the top through any means necessary. While that may be true, Bud’s real intention was simply landing Gekko as a client.
The infamous Gordon Gekko, in our society today, has risen out from behind the television screen and into pop culture as the face of greed in corporate America. Gecko, a man out to earn as much money as he can, takes no issue liquidating an airline to profit seventy millions dollars from the stock. Slashing wages in half, bribing union heads, and utilizing inside information are simply a few means in which Gekko manipulates the stock market to his advantage. Gekko's ungenerous and selfish spirit seem to permeate through his money and infect the people enlisted as his employees, legal or otherwise. It is repulsive to imagine that people such as the Gekko are a reality on Wall Street and we are simply pawns in their grander schemes to amass their eight figure, monthly earnings.
ReplyDeleteViewers watching the movie no doubt become envious of Gekko's lifestyle and the ease by which he reels in his massive fortune. Gordon Gecko, undoubtably, is an extremely shrewd businessman, as well as a charismatic public speaker. One must also admire all of Gekko's connections in the business world, between his spies and insider informants, since without them Gekko could not possibly maintain his status as one of Wall Street’s chief corporate raiders. Even Gekko’s tactful ability to evade the Securities and Exchange Commission adds tribute to his greedy domineer. Gordon Gekko, ranked by Forbes as the fourth richest fictional character, is the image all young stockbrokers aspire to become as they await their chance to become a Wall Street tycoon.
Wall Street
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw Wall Street three years ago, I did not truly understand the tactics and economic strategies Douglas and Sheen were using, watching the movie more for entertainment than education. Watching it again with a better understanding of the economy and with an educational mindset, I recognized and understood the reality of what the stock exchange was like.
What really struck me more than anything about Wall Street was the ease and benefits of breaking the rules. The movie does a great job of demonstrating the temptations of insider trading and tactics of the like to make huge amounts of money at a time while the rest of the market is always a step behind. It shows the stock exchange and life on Wall Street as a high stakes game, with cheaters and rule breakers trying to gain an advantage. When Sheen first realizes the ease and benefits of insider trading, he transforms from a lowly, every day stock trader to one of the biggest faces in New York City, while his former co-workers struggle to keep a job doing things the right way.
In the end, Douglas and Sheen get punished for their actions and serve massive jail time. I think regulating tactics such as insider trading is completely necessary for the market so sustain itself in the long run. Insider trading benefits one person at the expensive of potentially thousands, and without rules preventing it, the market would surely fall apart with shady deals taking place. Strict penalties and strong enforcement ensure nothing like this will ever happen. Just like in any game, breaking the rules gets you thrown out.
In the movie Wall street, Gordon Gecko cheats Bud Fox to get what he wants. In his greatest act, Gecko deceives Bud into believing he would be doing the best he could for Blue star Airlines, the company that Bud’s father has repaired planes at for the last 29 years. Instead, Gecko was going to strip the company of all its value, taking all the money for himself and leaving everyone else stuck with unemployment. This of course without question would not qualify for business ethics 101.
ReplyDeleteIn order to prevent this from happening, Bud Fox acts to lower the stock value of Bluestar. By doing so, it forced Gecko to sell his stocks, shifting the majority stock holder from Gordon Gecko to Lawrence Wildman. From here the stocks will now slowly rise to their original value, the company will stay intact, the employees will keep their pension plan, and Gordon Gecko loses all his potential in the Bluestar Company. As a consequence to this, Bud Fox must go to jail for obvious insider trading, but he now has a clear conscience. This is one thing that must be thoroughly be understand around the business world. While making money is ones number 1 concern, that money should be made clean, never dirty.
Gordon Gekko is well know for his famous line, "Greed is good." In a sense, he is correct. Greed drives the economy and leads to new innovations and inventions, all precipitated from the desire for economic success. Although greed leads to these benefits, the profit must be taken from somewhere else, as wealth is not created but only redistributed. In Wall Street, Gekko plans to manipulate the worker's union of Blue Star Airlines, use insider information, and make millions off his shares in the company. As a result, the company will be broken up and hundreds of men and women will be put out of work. Bud Fox, a young, aspiring understudy of Gekko, hatches a plan to hinder Gekko's plan. This plan not only saves the airline, but also makes a lot of money for a lot of people. For this reason, I liked Bud's actions and the risk he took to save the airline. To rescue Blue Star Airlines from the greedy desires of Gordon Gekko, Bud Fox uses Gekko's medicine against him, employing insider information and illegal stockbroking to entice Gekko to sell all of his shares while the stock is plummeting, allowing Gekko's rival to buy the shares. In doing so, the airline stays intact as the new major shareholder and the worker's union both sacrificed a little to negotiate a new contract that was beneficial to both sides. Though Fox is arrested for his crime, the airline is saved, Gekko's crimes are unveiled, and a rival investor makes a lot of money. This movie demonstrates that responsible greed and mutual compromise will lead to extended and future economic success, as it builds a strong foundation for the economy. Personal greed, though it leads to temporary success, eventually crashes down, resulting in damages to the perpetrator and those around him. Greed has a place in economics and needs to stay there, however it must not blind our eyes from the need for mutual cooperation that will lead to long-time economic success
ReplyDeleteThe actions of Bud Fox in “Wall Street” are based upon Gordon Gekko’s idea that “greed is good.” Yet these actions only come after an evolution in his thinking, and after the thrill of winning becomes to intoxicating for him. Bud Fox is driven by a desire to prove himself as a top investment broker, a drive to achieve that many, including myself, would agree is laudable. He, however, quickly realizes that to be a “big player” he must break the law.
ReplyDeleteFox initially is driven by the American desire to better one’s place in the world. He tries to accomplish this by working hard and obeying SEC regulations, actions I agree with. Yet he finds this process to slow, and does not bare enough results for his ambitions. As such, he pursues one of the biggest names in investing as a client, Gordon Gekko. It is here that my support for Fox’s actions ends.
With reckless abandon he throws out any regard for insider trading laws, going as far as to impersonate a janitor to steal information. This does result in his amassing of wealth, however it comes at the cost of sacrificing his morals and friendships with those he was associated with before meeting Gekko.
Fox does manage to save his father’s company, an action which some would approve up. I would as well, were it not for the fact that he again used insider trading to achieve this. He may find that he does not have a problem with this as he has saved his family and gotten Gekko back. Yet he is not the only person whose life is affected by his manipulation of the market. There are countless others whose incomes may have been negatively affected by his, selfish actions.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps the sequel to the original film explores the life of Gordon Gecko after prison. It presents him as a changed man ready to make peace with his past and start over with a legal future. However the viewer quickly realizes this is not the case. Mr. Gecko steals 100 million dollars from his daughters trust fund to start a new company in London. When Jake Moore goes to retrieve his wife’s money he it told by Gecko that “It’s not about the money, it’s about the game.” Herein lies the problem, Mr. Gecko is driven by nothing more than greed. This is an extremely dangerous and damaging philosophy. People like him don't care about the consequences their actions have on real peoples lives. To be driven by a desire to make money for the sake of making money is detrimental to the economy as a whole. It’s because of people like this that government regulations are needed in the economy.
ReplyDeletestudent response: lthough Gordon Gekko Remains somewhat of a symbol in our society for greed on Wall St. there are other figures of the same magnitude in real life. Bernie Madoff made millions off innocent people using a Ponzi scheme, it may not be insider trading but it had been building for years and evaded the Security and Exchange Commission as well. In society today we have business acting with the same greed as Gekko displays, cutting costs to make extra money doesn’t bother business giants. The Free Market allows for people to make money without the interference of government, people are always going to exhibit greed on Gekko’s level. Hopefully we can use Gekko not as an aspiration but what to avoid to create a market without inside trading, bribery and various forms of excessive greed.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Student Responses:
ReplyDeleteWhile I have not seen the 1987 film Wall Street, I have seen its sequel (as counter-cultural as that might be), so I am at least partially familiar with the character of Gordon Gekko. As such, it’s rather interesting for me to read the student commentaries on the original film and change my view of Gekko from the tricky and cold businessman I knew him as in the sequel, to an absolutely ruthless businessman who is quite willing to sacrifice the livelihood of an entire airline just to pocket a cool $70 million. The concept of responsible greed, as brought up in the student commentaries, intrigues me, as the only “greed” I typically think of whenever that word appears is personal greed. Taking this more stable and profitable greed into account, I can see Gekko’s infamous line of “Greed is good” as at least partially validated.
Wall Street
ReplyDeleteInsider trading is illegal because it gives the trader inside information and hints as to whether a stock will drop or increase before it actually does. Bud Fox was a new stockbroker who looked up to Gordon Gekko as a mentor. Bud had a desire to get to the very top. Bud Fox and Gordon Gekko came to a compromise where Bud would gather information about a certain company and they would make decisions about what to do with their stock. Together, they made huge sums of money and become very wealthy. Bud Fox’s desire to get the top was becoming a reality with promotions, beautiful women, and corner offices. I disliked Bud’s desire because it caused him to break the law and unfairly get rich quick through his insider trading. However, Gordon Gekko was the real culprit because he was Bud’s mentor and taught him everything he knew. Gekko pushed Bud to perform illegal practices and of course Bud openly volunteered in hopes to appease his mentor. Therefore they were both completely at fault and deserved to be punished for their crimes.
Later in the movie when Bud realized that Gekko was going to eliminate his father’s airline business, Bud had a change in mindset. He realized what he had been doing was wrong and wanted to take Gekko down as well. Even though Bud did get arrested for insider trading he was able to not let Gekko get the majority of the shares and control of the Bluestar airline company. Later, Bud got proof of Gekko’s involvement in the insider trading scam and the both end up going to court. I applaud Bud for his discernment to decide what is right and wrong and his perseverance to be able to punish and expose one of his hero’s for the unlawful man he was.
Student Response
ReplyDeleteWall Street: From what I have read, I can tell that the major issue in Wall Street is the infamous Gordon Gekko, and his ability to manipulate his employees into spying on other buisness' inner workings, and then use that information to provide insider trading, which is highly illegal. Very similar to the other films, it seems that the driving factor for Gordon Gekko is extreme greed, his need and want to have anything and everything.
Gordon Gecko was a successful, ruthless, and powerful broker in the movie Wall Street. Gecko was motivated by many things but the thing that influenced him the most was greed. Greed or the desire to have money and power and this desire fueled him to make the decisions that he made to make himself known. Gecko was involved for the most part in illegal deals so he had a guaranteed quick and easy profit. Gecko was the best at what he did, he made sure that there was always a way out and that his sources were failproof. I personally was a fan of Gecko, even though all he did was illegal he took care of all the people that worked for him, whether it be with money or women or any other thing that someone needed he would give to them. For his business practices I could not say the same. Gecko was also willing to cut any loose ends that could in the long run cost him his life or his money. For example when Bud was trying to get him to turn around Blue Star Airlines, Gecko pretended to listen to Bud but actually did what he wanted to do, so that in the long run he could gain the most money whether it be legal or not. Gecko was also as competitive as anyone else was and when it came time to out buy or out compete. One last thing that was the deciding factor to the demise of Gordon Gecko was his confidence. In the beginning he wanted nothing to do with Bud Fox because Bud Fox was a nobody, he was of no value to him so he treated him poorly. Although with Bud his confidence sky rocketed even more to the point that he thought he was unstoppable and that’s when he found out that Bud was no longer on his “side”. Then when he was talking to Bud about his whole plan and that Bud lost, his confidence did him in because Bud was wearing a wire.
ReplyDeleteWall Street is a movie about the conflicts between hardwork and fast money. Bud Fox is a aspiring stock broker who wants to break it big and become a player on Wall Street. To do this he seeks the guidance of the morally dubious Gordon Gekko. At first Fox gives Gekko information gained from honest research but the deals made from these do not pan out. Gekko then shares his secret with Fox, espionage and insider trading. Fox is initially taken aback by Gekko's strategy but plays along tempted by the size of potential gains. With little morals, Fox climbs to the top buys a lavish apartment, expensive art and a gorgeous girlfriend. Things begin to crack when Fox pitches Blue Star Airlines, the struggling company where his father works, to Gekko. At first Gekko promises to restructure BSA and turn it around, which pleases Fox. Fox's father, however, distrusts Gekko and is disappointed at his son who he sees as a dishonest man because he works fro Gekko. Gekko decides to liquidate the company, which infuriates Fox, who then sees the error of his ways and turns on Gekko, devising and executing a plan to bring him down. In the end Fox's father is proud of his son for realizing the error of his ways and Gekko is going to prison.
ReplyDeleteThat's the plot, but what is the real story? The real story is about Gekko and his obsession with money and power. Gekko says that Greed is Good, this statement is the core principle that drives Gekko. I admire him even though he lacks morals. I admire his ability to just ignore everything and just focus on the trade, he says to never get attracted to a stock. Everytime he liquidates a company, in the case of BSA, he doesn't even consider what will happen to the employees at the company. If you were to apply Nietzsche to this, then Gekko would be an ubermensch and Fox, last man.
Wall Street
ReplyDeleteThe movie, Wall Street, idolizes the lives of the rich, and their importance to the business world, but it also illuminates the need for integrity, and honesty in a market that is often run by the most ruthless men, and those who are able to sell the most. Set against the looming icon of the twin towers, the ultimate manifestation of Wall Street wealth and power, it would appear that character of Gordon Gecko will be free to dominate the businesses and lives of those he manipulates in the story for his personal gain. However, the dirty businesses that rig the stock market have to contend with the hero of the story, Carl Fox. Carl is a blue collar worker, and a caring father who says it like he sees it, (much to the discomfort of his son, who is busily attempting to negotiate the Wall Street corporate ladder). Bud Fox is the main protagonist of the story. Carl is integral to the story because he shows how one man of integrity can stand up to those with power by using collective bargaining, in this case in the form of his company’s union. The story is a David and Goliath retelling; the righteous win with the right tools and timing. Because of his honesty and integrity Carl is the only man left standing in the wake of illegal deals and cutthroat tactics which have been used to attempt to destroy the company and union for which he has worked his entire life. The union itself is another important aspect of the conflict. The union has its own power through bargaining, and eventually by establishing company ownership…and it is the sole representative of the living, breathing human beings whose lives could be destroyed in minutes by the very rich and powerful men who operate in buildings that touch the sky. Because of the just cause of the union, and the human beings who make it up and stand behind it, it is the union – or more importantly the people in the union, who are able, create a better deal for the members. This story shows that with the correct plan, timing, and heart, even small venues can win over those who would cheat.
"Greed is good, greed is right"
ReplyDeleteThis is the quote made by Gecko to the stockholders of a paper company persuading them to sell the majority of the stock to him. Gecko was trying to instill the thought process that he holds into the stockholders. Worry only about yourself. It doesn't matter if a few hundred people lose their jobs or if a few companies go out of business...all that matters is whether or not your get rich off of it. This theory is very similar to and probably originated from Adam Smith's invisible hand theory, stating that, "[If] he intends only his own gain..." then the market will grow and prosper. However, Gecko's analysis is scewed. Smith's theory is about self-interest, yes, but it is enlightened self-interest meaning a man makes his worth through perserverance and hard work. Gecko, instead, makes money off of other people. Two interesting archetypes were protrayed in this movie. One being the man who works hard and gets through the good and the bad, the booms and the busts, the dry and fertile periods, and second, the man who finds all the shortcuts he can to earn the quick buck. Charlie, who started out as the hard worker, quickely turned to shortcuts in order to attain riches. This corruption quickely spread, Charlie's lawyer friend from college who was completely legitimate until Charlie hung bait in front of him and he swallowed it whole without any questions. This movie was a prime example of how money can change people and usually not for the better.
Bud Fox a.k.a Charlie Sheen a.k.a. WINNNNNNING started off in this movie as a nobody who was just trying to work his way up the business totem pole. In the initial parts of the film Charlie Sheen or Bud rather is shown undergoing the hardships of working on wall street. He can't get a break and seems like everything he decides to invest in goes horribly array. But then Bud (Charlie Sheen) meets this strange man Gordon Gecko who seems to have all the answers and is making all of the money at the moment.
ReplyDeleteSoon Charlie Sheen (Bud) and Gordon seem to become good friends and Bud (Charlie Sheen) believes he has met someone who is going to look out for him etc. Later on in the movie though Charlie Seen (Bud) realizes that Gordon Gecko is not an honest, hardworking man at all, rather he is a mean, corrupt, and ruthless individual that only seems to care about himself and making money. This image of Gordon Gecko sticks out in my mind as most of the people that took part in the corruption explained in the "Inside Job".
Gordon Gecko did teach Bud (Charlie Sheen) and important lesson in wall street or so he thought at the time. Charlie Sheen (Bud) must cheat the system to be successful quickly and make his way to the top. So that is exactly what Bud (Charlie Sheen) did and it seemed to work out for him initially. But as time went on and Charlie Sheen's (Bud's) wealth and fortune increased due to his corruption, the inevitable happened and the police caught up to him. This just goes to show that corruption and greed do not always work out in the long run, and Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) ended up not WINNNNNNNING in the end.
Response to Others:
ReplyDeleteWall Street
I have seen Wall Street 2, but I am yet to see the original. I'd like to see how they compare, but based on the newer movie, I think it is safe to assume that Gordon Gekko makes himself money via insider trading. Insider trading is interesting because it often goes under the radar, but insider knowledge pays huge dividends. To know if a company is going to boom or bust before the fact is unfair to everybody, but to the select few that actually know, it can save or make lots of money. Gekko truly is a unique character and although he makes huge amounts of money, it may not all be legally.
The movie, Wall Street, depicts the life of ladder-climbing, run-of-the-mill, inexperienced trader, Bud Fox. His aspirations, however, quickly get the best of him and outshine his “naïve” morals. On interacting with one of the most important men on Wall Street, Gordon Gekko, Fox is left in a daze of low self-esteem and feeling greatly insulted. However, on closer inspection of Fox’s child-like enthusiasm and telemarketer worthy presentation, Gekko decides to contact Fox and pursue his suggestion to act on the airline stock.
ReplyDeleteUp to the point at which Gekko asks Fox to follow a rival investor to gain some insider information, I find his behavior favorable. Unfortunately, in caving on his family values and pursuing the life of glamour and big bucks, Fox also chooses to break the law. He repeatedly makes large trades and makes big moves in his career by gaining insider information and even persuades others to do so as well. Just as predicted, however, the luck doesn’t last forever, and he is rightfully investigated by the SEC, as was a friend he convinced to make similarly shady business decisions. While Fox was an earnest worker in the beginning and was hurt by the potential loss of his father’s livelihood, Blue Star airlines, it does not make up for the fact that he more than likely damaged a numerous amount of lives in illegally trading numerous companies, manipulating the market, and spreading self made rumors for his own benefit.
In the movie Wall Street Bud Fox obtains a job with Gordon Gekko, who Fox has admired for a long time. Throughout the film, Bud Fox makes some difficult decisions while he is working for Gekko, some of which I liked and some of which I disliked.
ReplyDeleteWhile Fox does make some positive decisions, he also makes many choices that I dislike. When Fox goes to see Gekko on Gekko’s birthday, he gives Gekko some stocks that he recommends, which Gekko is unimpressed by. To impress Gekko he then gives inside information about the airline company that his father works for, Blue Star. I dislike this because it is insider information, which has no place on Wall Street and is illegal. I also dislike that Fox, under Gekko’s orders, begins to spy on Sir Lawrence Wildman, as this is a dirty practice especially when compared against the Fox’s research on the stocks which he does at first.
Even though Bud Fox makes many decisions that I find objectionable, he makes some decisions that I like. I like that Bud Fox begins to look at ways to stop Gekko when he finds that Gekko is going to destroy the Blue Star employees’ retirement fund. While manipulating the stock price is illegal and Fox does get arrested for it, in this case I believe that the ends justify the means as Fox realizes what he did was wrong and wants to try and fix it. I also like that at the end in Central Park Fox records his conversation with Gekko, which the police will be able to use against Gekko. I also like that when Fox starts off working for Gekko, he trades stocks inside the rules without insider information. This illustrates that Fox has the right intentions, which is good.
Although Fox makes many terrible decisions that I dislike, he makes many positive decisions that I like to dig himself out of the hole that he dug himself into.
As we have seen Wall St. and the investment industry corrupted in our country today, we see how easy it was for this to happen through the movie Wall Street. Starting with the main culprit the infamous Gordon Gekko we see him begin to corrupt Bud Fox who then entangles multiple colleagues including a college friend in the mess. This chain reaction shows just how quick multiple people can become involved in immoral corrupt behavior with insider stock trading. As mentioned the main culprit throughout this film is Gordon Gekko with his main philosophy, "Greed is good", using this slogan to run his empire. He ran his company with sketchy deals which equaled big time dollar signs and big time corruption. Bud Fox, small broker at the beginning of the story becomes lured to the dollar signs that become attached with Gekko's name and Gekko turns him into his pawn. Gekko turns a genuine, persistant man looking for opportunity into a shady dealer looking for a shortcut to being a millionaire. Examples of Gekko's abuse of Fox can be seen in the Endicott Steel deal in which Fox drove up the market for this stock in order to create massive profit and perhaps the most blatant is Fox getting Blue Star airlines to make Gekko the majority owner. The part of this movie that I resented the most perhaps was watching the average worker/broker have to take wage cut, get laid off, or fired when they were doing it the right way. We saw this at Blue Star and at Fox's firm. These people are out of money and even work while top executives pulling off shady deals are still pulling in millions and illegal deals. This is comparable as many of the banks today are making significant cuts in employment while top executives are still pulling in above six figures. I disagree completely with the way Gekko does his business. He believes it is all about money and possessions lathering himself in fashionable, yet unnecessary rugs and paintings. However, towards the end although he is caught by the SEC for his shady deals with Gekko, Bud Fox realizes what he was doing and starts working to fix his blunders. I think Bud Fox found out a lot about himself between the beginning and end of this movie. At the beginning he was young with big aspirations especially about making a deal with big shot Gordon Gekko, by the end he resented the man he once aspired to become. He summed it up perfectly with this quote: "I think I realized I'm Bud Fox as much as I wanted to be Gordon Gekko, I'll always be Bud Fox." Therefore the two unique personalities of Gordon Gekko and Bud Fox crossed paths at points in the movie, however it is clear that they are two different people with two different sets of moral values.
ReplyDeleteDylan Newman,
ReplyDeleteI watched the second Wall Street this summer believing that it was the first and appreciate your thorough description of the first: the second makes more sense now. Focusing on my commentary, though, I find merit in the belief that one can bend the rules if it presents a positive outcome: good insight there. My question relates, however, to how he was able to manipulate the market. What actions did he make in order to do so?
“Wall Street”
ReplyDeleteThe business practice that I would like to explore which was overtly present throughout “Wall Street” was the transfer of illegal information between brokers, investors, and the media. In “Wall Street” Gordon Gekko makes millions of dollars by illegally acquiring information about potential investments, spreading this information, and promoting stock speculation. Gekko is not the only guilty character in the film, because Bud Fox, Larry Wildman, and many other brokers also illegally share information. What I found unbelievable was how easily these characters came about important secrets, and easily hid funds in off shore accounts. I cannot imagine how different trade practices are today because information travels even faster. It makes me wonder how much insider trading goes on today, and how many people are getting away with this illegal practice, escaping any consequences.
False stock speculation occurred twice in “Wall Street” when Gekko learned Wildman was buying out Teldar paper, and when Fox was taking revenge on Gekko. In both occasions Fox led the brokers in his firm to buy or sell the same stocks at the same time, which could not possibly be legal, and simply places a phone call to a newspaper which spreads the information to various sources. I still cannot believe how easily these characters broke rules and hid true motives.
Wall Street
ReplyDeleteThe film Wall Street is about Bud Fox, a young stockbroker who wants to make it big like stock giant Gordon Gekko. In trying to get a step up, Fox begins to illegally get information for Gekko. Gekko helps Fox and builds him high in the world with money in return. However, not all goes the way Fox foresees and he eventually finds himself betrayed by the man who raised him to the top.
Bud Fox’s greed is understandable and the audience can easily relate to his decisions to help Gekko for what he got in return. While his practices were illegal and looked down upon, he thought he was untouchable and was blinded by his gains, so while he cannot be necessarily be forgiven he can be understood. He, unlike Gekko, has a limit to what he will do to become wealthier. For Gekko, his greed is insurmountable and he will do anything to gain wealth. However, for Fox, he finds his limit when he discovers that Gekko is going to liquidate his father’s company for money. He plays Gekko, forcing him to sell for a loss.
With a view into the world of the stock exchange, Wall Street shows how a greedy few wealthy people can control the fates of the everyday hard working with less than no personal feelings in the matter. Gekko says, “greed is good”, yet he fails to see the possibility of human suffering through his greed.
I thought that Wall Street was an awesome movie. I really enjoyed it, and I thought that it did a really good job highlighting the danger of insider trading. I was boggled to see how easy it was for Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen to make large amounts of money in a very short time without getting caught at the beginning. On a side note, I can not even begin to imagine the amount of greed that a person would have to have to actually subject themselves to trading with inside information. To me, it seems that the person who is making the money in a situation like this is not only allowing himself to make money fast, but is also causing other investors, those who do not break the rules, to lose money. I think that this is just wrong, and I definitely think that the characters in the movie who traded with inside information deserved the sentences in prison that they were given.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I really liked about this movie was that it touched upon some o the other aspects of actual life on Wall Street that some of the other documentaries highlighted. Some good examples are the inclusion of financial workers’ drug use, as one of the other documentaries talks about how many Wall Street workers experiment with cocaine because it stimulates the same part of their brain that is stimulated when they make money. Another example is the films inclusion of how many financial workers receive huge bonuses for stellar performances with their jobs, like how Charlie Sheen is promoted once he has begun trading with inside information, and is moved from a small, cramped cubicle desk space to a spacious private office with a view of the entire workplace. Once he receives this promotion, he buys an expensive penthouse apartment to live in, in the heart of New York, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. I thought that this was kind of interesting because one of the documentaries talked about how several of the big investment banks and brokerages tend to give out huge salary bonuses to their employees who have been successful on the job. The same documentary also pointed out that many of these Wall Street workers tend to spend their money on elaborate homes, vehicles, and toys. Of course, it is up to these workers to do what they want with their money, but I just thought that the correspondence between this documentary and what happened in Wall Street the movie was rather interesting.
I also liked this movie a lot because it really showed the importance of economic regulation with the stock market, as the Fed was able to closely watch Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, and catch them for trading with inside information. I think that it is extremely important that we have the Fed to put a stop to insider trading, and I think that it is even more important that there are extremely harsh penalties against those who break the rules. I feel like if someone is caught trading with an unfair advantage, and is causing other investors to lose money, than he should be locked away in prison for a really long time, as the two characters in this movie were.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteThis is yet another insightful piece. Yes, greed is not good, competition, to a point, most certainly is. When a competitor puts himself or herself in a personal bubble where no one else matters and people are just stepping stones for him or her, and will stop at nowhere, breaking laws and taking unfair advantages, competition has exceeded to the level of immorality. While making it big is often commendable, you must look at the marginal cost you are weighing against the marginal benefit. Yes, you may be making millions and might be a prince on Wall Street, but what are you doing to those fellows over on Main Street? Gekko should have played nice, pulled a profit, and taken down no one in the process.
Gordon Gekko was the an aspiring stock broker. We want to be were he is at in the movie famous and rich. Now we all want to make it big in business but are we willing to get rid of everything we stand for money.Greed plays an important role in the movie wall street. Can we accept Gordon crude dealings? The movie shows that most people in today's private sectors are guided by money. We may not want to accept this but we are guided by money and the movie shows how corruption affects all people.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen this movie but judging from your summaries I take it that Fox has been peer pressured into conducting illegal activities in order to "suck up" to his boss. I personally believe that business ethics should be a priority in all working environments and that it is everyone's goal to achieve a successful and ethical business.
ReplyDeleteWall Street
ReplyDeleteThis movie portrays the struggles of a young man, Bud Fox, attempting to finagle his way into the world of high risk stock trading. Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen, represents the struggle of most of the men and women who come into the business world today. As he attempts to decide between his desire for success and his own morals, the movie shows, with no reservations, that more often than not, the lure of money trumps business ethics. Gordan Gekko, Fox's foil in the movie, on the other hand, demonstrates those entrenched in the world of business, suggesting that those who have lasted more often than not have participated in questionable practices.
The idea in this movie that is most prominent, as stated above, is the how money can affect a man. "Greed... is good" is possibly the most famous quote from this movie and demonstrates perfectly the danger of our free market system. Bud Fox is an ordinary man trying to make his way in life, but after his sale pitch for Bluestar before Mr. Gekko fails, his greed drives him to divulge inside company information obtained from his honest, hardworking father. The human instinct of survival also fuels the greed. Fox sensed that he was about to fail, and in order to survive, he did what he thought was necessary. This led to more and more breaches of his own personal ethics and federal regulations. This is not to say, however, that Fox should be condemned for his actions as, in the end, he did realize the error in his ways and work with the SEC to take down Gekko.
On the other hand, though, greed may actually be a good thing for it was not for the desire to make more money, then our economy would come to a standstill. It is no wonder they call investors sharks, for if they stop moving forward, they will certainly die.
The main character of the film Wall Street, Bud Fox, is a greedy and conniving, yet ironically honorable, individual. Fox, an employee at Jackson Steinem, teams up with a Wall Street superstar named Gordon Gekko in an attempt to achieve both riches and success in the stock market, and proves to be both manipulative and loyal.
ReplyDeleteBud Fox is informed by his father, who is a long-time employee at an airline called Bluestar, that the company is going to be investigated by a federal agency, making it susceptible to a financial takeover. In an attempt to persuade Gordon Gekko to buy stock, Fox illegally informs him of the confidential information involving Bluestar airlines. Personally, I feel as though Fox’s actions are both disgusting and underhanded, and I was truly shocked that Fox was so quick to break the law to possess riches. I also do not like the fact that Fox betrayed the trust of his father in an attempt to impress a money-hungry stockbroker, who only had intentions of using him. Ultimately, Fox encourages Gekko to buy Bluestar and maximize both of their profits, but he shortly realizes that Gekko plans to thrust the entire Bluestar workforce into unemployment. It is at this point that Fox shows his devotion to doing what is right.
In an attempt to save the job of his father, Carl, and also some close acquaintances of his in the company, Bud Fox foils Gordon Gekko’s master plan to overtake the Bluestar airlines. I find this decision very admirable because Bud Fox could have made huge profits off the deal but decided to do the ethical thing in response to Gekko’s cruel business tactics. In the end, Bud Fox proves to be a just man and forfeits the “fast life” to stand up for what is right.
In the movie Wall Street I liked Terrence Stamp’s role as Sir Lawrence Wilder. In the movie he plays the role a rich British man who is enemies with Gordon Gekko. His character seems to represent a man who has experience in the business field and has been through the dilemmas that Bud is faced with. When Gekko and Wilder get into an argument at Gekko’s house, Gekko reveals that in Wilder’s past he has cheated and laid off many workers. In the present time of the movie however, he is shown to be a changed man who wants to own a company and raise it honestly to succeed. Through all the chaos that Bud experiences Wilder seems to show a way to make money but also to be honest in doing so. The point of the movie is that you can’t take short cuts in life and especially not in the business field because you will wind up with the wrong people and doing the wrong things. The idea of owning the majority of a company and turning the company into a profitable business is what should be aspired for. Not flipping the company in order to gain a profit but to improve it for the best. Through the whole movie Bud aspired to be Gordon Gekko but the way Wilder presented himself and acted made Gekko appear to be nothing but a hustler and a cheater.
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ReplyDeleteResponse to Jake Ransford
ReplyDeleteI believe that Wilder is a good business owner because he is not motivated by greed. Instead he wants to make a profitable business that will not only make him money but that will also make his employees money and provide a honest service to the public. Wilder's business approach is the polar opposite to that of Jeffrey Skilling the former CEO of Enron. Skilling built Enron in an unhonest fashion through fraud and lies and Enron was not a profiting company. Also, he alone profited from Enron while all the stock holders and employees lost all that they had invested into Enron. I believe that if all business owners followed Wilder's business example the business world would be much more successful.
Wall Street is a movie about the cheaters. Bud Fox is working on Wall Street trying to make cash honestly, until he runs into Gordon Gekko. Gekko is a successful businessman, but his success is not well earned. Gekko uses any information he can to get the upper hand, as is the case when he finds out that Fox has ties through his father to an airline company. Fox hopes Gekko will acquire the company and expand it, but Gekko plans to sell off the assets and dissolve the company putting Fox’s father out of work. When Fox discovers Gekko’s plot he teams up with law enforcement and collects incriminating evidence from Gekko using a wire. Ultimately, Gekko is sent to prison and Bud Fox is exempted from his crimes for his assistance.
ReplyDeleteThe movie leaves the audience pointing the finger at Gekko. It seems that Gordon Gekko is the bad guy and that Bud Fox is the hero. I feel, however, that this is neither an accurate, nor a fair image of the situation as it truly stands.
It would seem that Bud Fox has decided to turn on Gekko out of the goodness in his heart and a change in the direction of his moral compass. I believe, however, that Bud Fox is as selfish and criminally responsible as Gordon Gekko. Fox committed crimes that were equally illegal to those of Gekko and only turned him in to save his father’s job. Fox’s act is, therefore, selfish in that he acted only to save his own. Bud Fox is no hero and should be in a cell alongside Gordon Gekko.
With three simple words, “Greed is good,” most Americans know the film that is being discussed: Wall Street. Despite the entertainment factor of this movie, there are many truths present that reveal the inherent competition in the financial world and the lengths to which people go to succeed and win. Gordon Gekko makes his statement on greed at a shareholders meeting when he attempts to take over a company. He believes that indeed greed is responsible for the further propagation and uplifting of the American society. Caught in Gekko’s web of deceit, is Bud Fox, a stock broker, who is trying to make it to the “big game.” Bud Fox is the man whose inner struggles lead him to both commit securities fraud with insider trading and, in a type of convalescence, cooperate and comply with the SEC to bring down Gordon Gekko. Bud Fox’s actions can both be noted as condemnable and commendable in this work.
ReplyDeleteGekko is regarded as the major conductor of high finance Wall Street operations and Fox wants to reach that same zenith. So, Fox gives Gekko insider information as to a favorable ruling in a court case for Bluestar Airlines. In doing this, Fox commits major breaches of code in SEC regulations along with violations to his own professional canon of conduct. The penalty for committing such fraud is a loss of license. Gekko, realizing what Fox is willing to do, employs Bud to gather the “most valuable commodity,” known as information, from other businessmen in the form of more insider trading. Herein lies the truth that a desperate man will go to any length to succeed and “make it.” However, Fox endears himself once he becomes aware of the error of his ways.
Bud Fox decides to cooperate with the Securities and Exchange Commission once he is found to have committed insider trading. In this he is commendable and he is able to devise a plan so that Gekko ultimately loses millions in stock and it can be extrapolated that he too must face SEC proceedings. So, yes, competition is good, but greed, maybe not.
Reply to Frankie Davis' post
ReplyDeleteThis theme of greed getting te best of people s one that is a constant in these films. This is the case in all of the films that I saw, including Boiler Room, which seemed to address this theme similarly. A young inexperienced business man being drawn into a business by promises of money. This is a terrible business practice. The businesses are using this promise of money in order to rope in naive young businessmen. Once they have the young businessmen, they encourage them to trade in all of their morals for promises of money. Being young and naive, most of them will. These business are using their power in order to brainwash these young businessmen.
Response to Wall Street (Zack Price)
ReplyDeleteI find myself in agreement with your conclusion that, within reason, greed is in fact good. While it may lead to some unfortunate consequences, such as the instance with Bluestar that you noted, it is the ultimate motivator. I would like to add, however, that greed unchecked causes much more harm than good. In an ideal economy, greed is negated simply by the greed of others. The economy today, on the other hand, is growing more and more top-heavy, as fewer and fewer institutions have begun to amass a much greater proportion of money, raising the question of whether our economy may have to tread water, so to speak, in order to stay afloat.