Wallstreet, movie
"Greed is good. Greed is right. Greed works." If any three simple sentences could sum up the 80s, those are probably the ones. The 1980s were an age of illusions, one that was hedonistic in nature and self-loathing in practice. As Haynes Johnson recalls, it was "a society favored with material riches beyond measure and a political system whose freedoms made it the envy of every nation on earth." Released in 1987, Oliver Stone's Wall Street was made in the height of 80s greed and materialism. The film revolves around the actions of two main characters, Bud Fox and Gordon Gekko. Bud is a young stockbroker who comes from a working-class family and Gekko is a millionaire whom Bud admires and longs to be associated with. The film is successful at pointing out how tragic it is to trade in morality for money. The character of Gordon Gekko personifies this message, and yet receives a standing ovation at a stockholders meeting after delivering a "greed is good" speech. The underlying theme of the movie, however, is that greed is bad. Economist George Gilder would say that individuals like Gekko who pursue only their self-interests are led, "as by an invisible hand," toward a greater welfare state. He says that people pursuing self
At the start of Wall Street, Bud Fox is young and very naive about the business world. He is a typical broker seeking new clients and offering second-hand advice regarding the buying and selling of stock. "Just once I'd like to be on that side," he says, dreaming of the day when he will be a corporate big shot controlling the flow of millions of dollars, like his hero, Gordon Gekko. In pursuit of his dream, Bud makes a visit to Gekko's office with a box of Havana cigars on his birthday in hopes of winning him over as a client. He wants to sell him stocks, and hopefully one day be like he is. Bud is desperate to do business with Gekko and he passes on some inside information about the airline company that his father works for. Gekko makes some money on the deal and opens an account with Bud. As the relationship between the two develops, we see a drastic change in Bud's character, as he becomes aware of the corruptness and ruthlessness of the industry in which he works. A charge that even defenders of capitalism make is that "capitalism is morally vacant." In response to this, Gilder says that "capitalist freedom undermines capitalism both because freedom defines no moral basis for its results, and because its successes are really dependent not on liberty but on bourgeois disciplines and restraints-diligence, integrity, and rationality." Basically, Gilder believes that there are "moral capitalists" and that the freedom at the heart of capitalism is what gives those people choice in what they do. Many might believe that Gordon Gekko in Wall Street is a "moral capitalist," but he does not do things out of the creativity or genuineness of capitalism. His actions are characterized by predetermined objectives of self-indulging himself with other people's money. The only pure act of "moral capitalism" in the film seems to be when Bud borrows a sum of money from his father and then returns it to him later in the movie. "Moral capitalism" can be traced back to early civilizations where gift giving constituted an act of investment or trade. When one gave a gift or presented a feast to others, he was almost making an investment without any predetermined thought on how his favor should be returned to him. "Capitalist production entails trust-in one's neighbors, in one's society, and in the compensatory logic of the cosmos. Search and you shall find: give and you will be given unto; supply creates its own demand." Gordon "Greed" Gekko is a money hungry, lizard-like (hence, the name "Gekko") corporate millionaire. He is the embodiment of the popular idea of "something for nothing." Throughout the movie, he says such things as "if something's worth doing it's worth doing for money" and "greed captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit." He has everything he could possible want--wife
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1898
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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