Customer Reviews

Wall Street

5 star:		(138)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

When Oliver Stone made Wall Street, he was riding high from the commercial and critical success of Platoon (Special Edition). His father, Lou Stone, had been a stockbroker on Wall Street in New York City and this film was a son's way of paying tribute to his father. Almost twenty years later, it has become one of the quintessential snapshots of the financial scene in the United States and epitomizes the essence of capitalism, greed and materialism that was so prevalent in the 1980s.

Michael Douglas owns the role of Gekko and by extension dominates the movie with his larger than life character. He gets most of the film's best dialogue and delivers it with such conviction. There is a scene between Bud and Gekko in a limousine where he tells the younger man how the financial world works, how it operates and lays it all out, pushing Bud hard to go into business with him. It is one of the strongest scenes in the movie because you really believe what Gekko is saying and how Bud could be seduced by his words.

The culmination of Douglas' performance is his much lauded, often quoted, "Greed is good" speech that his character gives to a shareholders' meeting of Teldar Paper, a company he is planning to take over. He concludes by saying, "Greed is right; greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words -- will save not only Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A." This is one of the best delivered monologues ever put to film as Douglas goes from charming to downright threatening and back again, succinctly summing up the essence of '80 capitalism and greed.

The original DVD did not have many extras but the quality of what was included was excellent. They have all been carried over to this new release (minus the trailers) but do the new extras really merit a double dip?

There is an audio commentary by co-writer and director Oliver Stone. Stone talks about Michael Douglas' early struggles with the huge amount of dialogue he had to deliver and how he dealt with it. The filmmaker is candid with his shortcomings and those of others (i.e. Daryl Hannah, Charlie Sheen, etc.). As always, Stone delivers the goods, offering all kinds of fascinating insights into the making of the film.

The second disc features a new introduction by Oliver Stone that is brief and really should have been put on the first disc.

Another new extra is "Greed is Good," an hour-long retrospective documentary with Hal Hoolbrook, John C. McGinley, Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas amongst others returning to offer their impressions of the financial world depicted in the movie. This substantial doc examines the appeal of Gekko and why he inspired people in the business world.

Also new to this edition is over 20 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary by Stone. There is a nice little scene with Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller as one of Bud's clients. Also included is an earlier scene where Bud and Darian (Hannah) meet in a bar but Stone cut it because the Hamptons scene at Gekko's house was stronger. The filmmaker puts all of these scenes into context and why there were cut.

Finally, carried over from the original edition is "Money Never Sleeps: The Making of Wall Street," a top-notch, 47-minute making of documentary. There is very little overlap with the "Greed is Good" documentary.

If you're a fan of this film and already own the previous edition, the new extras definitely warrant a double dip. They are quite substantial in nature and shed more light on this excellent film.

To watch this movie in Moscow in 1988 as a student was a liberating and exhilarating experience. Here is the capitalism close-up, warts and all. And we loved it. In three more years the Soviet communism will be dismantled, free market hurriedly introduced, and some of my friends and fellow students will proceed to become very rich people themselves. I did not know then, that Gordon Gekko, a villain who incidentally was much admired by me, was a thinly veiled portrait of Ivan Boesky. Boesky, who incidentally was a son of Russian immigrants, became a center of the biggest insider trading scandal and government investigation in the 1980s, which let to the collapse of junk bond powerhouse firm Drexel Burnham. However, I knew that Gekko must be much more than a villain, otherwise how this ugly character could be so attractive? Of course, a huge part of it was a superb acting by Michael Douglas. But watching this film now, 17 years later, gave me an opportunity to ponder more on the subject from a different perspective. I think now that Gekko's character is archetypal and has the same qualities as Bulgakov's Woland from `Master and Margarita'. He is the Wall Street Mephistopheles, the Grand seducer, not just some greedy upstart and `faux bonhomme'. But one of the qualities of Lucifer is that he `brings out the light', he helps to illuminate things, partly because of his own darkness. Untimely, in the movie it was his turbulent encounter with Gekko, which helped Bud Fox to find his character and, in a way, redeem himself. So in some strange way, the movie is a Wall-Street-version of age-old story of Faust.

While the subject of the stock market and trading on Wall Street doesn't interest me in the least, I loved how Oliver Stone made it interesting is "Wall Street". It stands as one of his most intellegent and accomplished films, with a smart (if overly-technical) script and superb acting.

Charlie Sheen, the quintessential 80's heartthrob, takes on a new role as Bud Fox, an ambitious young stock trader. He works his days selling stocks, all the while hoping to be a player in the same league as the big guys. One such big guy is Gordon Gekko (Michaek Douglas, in a standout performance), a millionaire tycoon who makes his living buying out companies and liquidating them for profit. He takes Fox under his wing, gives him a taste of the wealth and power, and Fox becomes insatiable. So much that he makes some wrong decisions, not realizing that this new power and wealth comes at a higher cost, one that he cannot afford.

The 80's was characterized by hotshot young executives looking for the quick and easy buck, and Oliver Stones portrayed that very well here. Gordon Gekko is the benchmark corporate villian, someone who one see's the world only in shades of green. The acting in this movie is first rate, especially from Michael Douglas. The long lines of dialogue, the speeches, and the emotional undertones are a challenge for any actor, and all involved here did an excellent job. I often watch "Wall Street" just for the acting.

The DVD is not a full-blown Special Edition, but it's a quality release nonetheless. Oliver Stone's commentary is insightful and articulate, even though he rambles and speaks in an annoying deep voice. The "Making Of" documentary is a real treat. Simply titled "Money Never Sleeps", it is over 1 hour of new interviews with the cast and crew, discussing all major points of the movie and the stories behind the scenes. It is one of the better DVD-exclusive documentaries I have seen.

Whether or not you find the subject interesting, "Wall Street" is a great movie in almost every way. While the script wanders off into technical stock jargon, it is one of the best scripts I have ever seen put to film. The acting is top notch, and Oliver Stone directs with panache and style. A must have.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Wall Street" when it first came out 25-odd years ago.

I was looking forward to the BD version, thinking it would look spectacular compared to the DVD copy - was I wrong! The transfer to BD looks herendous - in fact, it looks like you are watching a DVD copy of the movie, not some digital remastering at 1080p.

Save your money - buy the DVD copy and enjoy.

"Wall Street" is a movie that seems to spark much debate. Basically, it is the working out of a moral struggle within young Wall Street trader Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) between the values with which he was raised of hard work and success through actual creation, versus those of his mentor Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) who succeeds through corporate raiding and "creative destruction". From Bud's viewpoint his dad's (Martin Sheen) roadmap for success and happiness seems old-fashioned to the point of being prehistoric compared to Gekko's, until Gekko sets his sights and his wrecking ball on his father's company, and Bud is forced to choose. Many people associate this with a liberal versus conservative viewpoint on business, a wild-west economy versus a planned economy and relegate this film to 1980's era nostalgia, like the now humorously giant cell phone Gekko is talking on as he walks along the beach. It is said that neither extreme works and that we've gradually settled towards something in the middle. However, the Gekkos of this world are smarter than that, and over the past 20 years have set up an economic system that serves them well. What we now have is a situation where the haves and have-mores have a planned - almost Soviet - system in which the rules stratify them at the top. I cite the changes in bankruptcy law as exhibit A. The labor force that serves them, however, are in the wild-west economy that was once advocated for everyone. Some will rise to the stratified top in this situation, but the vast majority will remain at the bottom shooting it out with each other - for scarce good jobs, good health care, education, etc. Thus, to me, Wall Street is just an opening chapter in the saga of how economic forces and attitudes toward them have changed, not the portrait of a 20 year-old fad that has come and gone. Currently the extra features are not shown in the product description, so I list them next:
Disc 1: Main Feature
Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
English DD4.0 and DD5.1 Surround
French and Spanish Mono
English and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Director Oliver Stone

Disc 2: Extra Features
Introduction by Oliver Stone
Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Director Oliver Stone
All New "Greed Is Good" Featurette
"Money Never Sleeps: The Making of Wall Street" Featurette

WALL STREET has always been one of my favourite Oliver Stone films. it crackles with the same intense, acerbic dialogue as SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. from his "Greed is good" speech to the way he handles day to day deals with ruthless efficiency, you can see how Michael Douglas nailed this role of the ultimate amoral insider and deservedly won the Oscar that year for Best Actor.

after watching this film on a crappy pan and scam VHS tape, it is so gratifying to finally see this film given a proper DVD treatment. the transfer is crisp and clear with good sound but the real selling points are the fascinating documentary -- which features Douglas and Charlie Sheen and their views and thoughts of the film after all this time -- and Stone's informative and candid audio commentary. for someone like myself who has seen this film a zillion times, listening to Stone's observations on his movie was a real treat. great stuff. along with GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, this is one of THE best films about money, greed and the people who ruthlessly pursue it.

Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) commands the attention and respect of not only the characters in the movie, but the audience as well. The viewer gets captivated into the seduction of a high rolling lifestyle and can understand Buddy's (Charlie Sheen) desire to become one of the sharks. A true tale of a hungry starter in the biggest business in the world becoming what he's always dreamed of becoming, although under false foundation. Buddy soon realizes that his foundation and backing does not equal that of Gecko's which lands him and his dreams alongside each other duing his quick downfall. A Power Broker's Pawn or the Hungry Young Broker not reassuring his meteroic rise? You decide! A MUST SEE for ANY business person!

"Wall Street" is iconic.

But let's step back a second: I'll beging with a little Wall Street habit called Full Disclosure: Oliver Stone's stunning, iconic "Wall Street" is an amazingly hard movie for me to review, in part because it was, for me, one of those rare watershed events that shaped my futue and changed---even charted---my career.

One of Oliver Stone's best movies, it was intended as a morality play in which Stone's mouthpiece, played by Martin Sheen as a stoic airline mechanic who has seen it all, condemned the helter-skelter rampant greed of the corporate raiders, Wall Street insider tycoons, and high-flying investment bankers of the 1980's, the much maligned "Decade of Greed".

But let's stop for moment, and consider: how many of you who've seen the film wanted to *be* Gordon Gecko, "Wall Street"'s cigar chomping, greenmailing uber-dealmaker, who ratcheted up Ivan Boesky's "Greed is OK" into what became the motto of deal-makers the world over: "Greed is Good. Greed Works."

I sure did. Born during the hippy Summer of Love and a proverbial child of the eighties, I saw "Wall Street" and knew, immediately, what I wanted to become. I sliced off my mohawk, grew my hair, and slicked it back, and dedicated my life to mastering high finance and the art of the deal.

And I wasn't the only one, to judge by fellow MBA alums and investment banking colleagues; even a sequence in "Boiler Room" shows a new generation of deal-seeking young Turks watching "Wall Street" on a plasma TV, regaling each other with their word-perfect recitation of Gecko's lines.

"Wall Street", then, should be served up piping hot to the innocent with a dollop of caution: as one reviewer noted, what Stone had intended as a bloody criticism of greed gone rampant quickly became a full-bodied recruiting video for the investment banking industry.

And what a recruiting video it is: Stone perfected his quick cuts and 'wall of information' with "Wall Street", proving his mastery of the new MTV-era of rich, lush, rapidly moving images and an editing style that wouldn't have been out of place in a music video.

Stone is like that. As a director, he has an uncanny ability to glamorize that which he most wants to criticize, just as he did with the alluringly violent Mickey and Mallory Knox in "Natural Born Killers."

And "Wall Street" is one of those rare reversals where life imitates art: throughout top-tier MBA programs and modern investment banks, the image of the stalking, cigar-smoking, summer-home in the Hamptons, limo-insulated, braces-sporting deal maker has become the ideal, sometimes getting the better of real Wall Street mavericks who let romance cloud their common sense and appeared on the covers of Fortune and Forbes---only to be shot down by their envious employers.

The plot is nothing new: a Horatio Alger story in which hungry young stockbroker (played perfectly by Charlie Sheen) Bud Fox tires of spending his days in a cheap Queens apartment chasing small retail investors, and sets his sights on the 'elephant': the maverick corporate raider Gordon Gecko (played by Michael Douglas in the role of his career).

Fox, for once, has an opening beyond Gecko's favorite box of cigars: he knows his father's airline, Blue Star, is worth more than the market thinks it is because of impending deregulation in the airlines; Gecko takes the bait, and brings Fox, quickly, into the high-octane world of deal-making and insider information---as Gecko's spy.

The acting is uniformly good: apart from Sheen and Douglas, you have the inimitable Sean Young as Gecko's social-climbing wife, Darryl Hannah puckish as fashion designer Darien, pre-"The Limey" Terence Stamp hard as nails as a British corporate raider and Gecko's nemesis, and a troop of veteran character actors: Hal Holbrook as Fox's brokerage house mentor, James Spader as a naive M&A attorney, and the immortal James Karen as Fox's fickle boss.

From the opening riffs of Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" to the closing image of a trading grid imposed over the lower Manhattan skyline, Stone's editing and direction is fast-paced, frenetic, and exotic: the viewer, like Fox, is pulled into the upper reaches of a world where anything is possible and money is the common denominator.

There are some subtle touches, like Gecko's beach house, festooned with atrocious artwork kept only as an investment---and as a barometer of the notoriously fickle and fast moving Market itself.

And for those "Wall Street"-heads who have seen the movie a thousand times (I must be getting close), there are some sweet glitches the editors never caught: when Gecko makes his pitch for a 'friendly' takeover of Blue Star, watch his feet carefully.

Often imitated, never surpassed, "Wall Street" is a stylish, intoxicating, stunning embodiment of an era when anybody could carve his way to the very top of American society by ruthless ambition and sheer determination; it was true when it was made, and it is possibly even more true today.

So strap on your braces, slick back your hair, light up an Esplendido and fire up the DVD player---money never sleeps, pal.

JSG

Few movies capture the mind and heart as this movie. It is basically about Bud Fox, a sales manager in Wall Street. He deals mostly low-key shares and he is aiming for the big time. He seeks the opportunity to work with Gordon Gecko, a multi-billionaire investor who is smart as he is ruthless. Meanwhile, Bud Fox is also facing his father's criticism about what he does for a living..."Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of other people's money", his father says. I admit, I am addicted to this movie. Every few months, I have to slot in the DVD and watch it. It is a delight to watch every single time. This movie deals with many important and all too real issues. Everybody wants to be rich, but how far would you go to achieve that goal? Is it worth betraying the people you love? Changing your morals and values in life? And when you do make it big, who can you trust? How sure are you? These are just some of the elements Oliver Stone delved into in this movie. Using Wall Street and the share market as his backdrop, he has created a masterpiece.

The first thing that immediately grabs you is the acting. Superb performances from some of the most talented but often misused actors in Hollywood. Michael Douglas has always been one of my favourite actors and in this movie, he IS Gordon Gecko. He is the epitome of corporate power. The way he speaks, and acts....classic stuff. One of my favourite scenes, is when he gives the speech during the shareholder meeting of Teldar Paper. Unbelievably good! He won a truly deserving Oscar for his portrayal of Gecko. Because of Douglas' fantastic acting, it tends to overshadow another actor who is as deserving of praise, Charlie Sheen. To be honest, I am not a fan of Charlie Sheen and found his acting mediocre in many movies, which was why I was pleasantly surprised with his acting here. He was really very good as Bud Fox, looking up to Gecko as his mentor, never overacting and having the coolness to pull off lines like "You get out that door, I'm changing the locks". He plays the part of a young man not knowing exactly what he wants in life once he achieved his idea of success perfectly. And the supporting cast, Martin Sheen (playing Bud Fox's dad with pure emotion, it seems like he's saying what he really means to his son) and Darryl Hannah (as Bud Fox's love interest) does not disappoint.

Kudos to Oliver Stone for writing such a powerful script. This is not the usual garbage Hollywood likes to dump us with...this is a brilliant screenplay with great dialogue. "Greed will not only save Teldar Papers, but that other malfunctioning corporation known as the United States", Gecko says. Heck, even at home, I felt like giving a standing ovation to that. And the camera angles were also something I found fascinating in this movie. For example, when we're first shown Gecko, we don't get to see him immediately. Oliver Stone teases us with a Fortune magazine cover, and then by a shot of his office, when someone enters his office, the door opens and closes just enough time so that we get a glimpse of Gecko and hear his voice but never really getting a good look of him, right until Bud Fox meets with him. And towards the end, when things go wrong, a dark shadow falls upon the office. Beautiful!

Honestly, everything about this movie seems to work perfectly, which is why the 5-star rating. This is one of my all-time favourites and I highly recommend this movie to anyone, whether you're involved in the share market or not, because the scope of this movie extends to so much more than that, that I'm sure different people would appreciate it on different levels. A definite must-see!

Michael Douglas delivers a dynamite performance here as the ultra-rich, heartless, stop-at-nothing stock broker Gordon Gekko. Perhaps at the time people thought the Gekko role wasn't suited for Douglas, but in retrospect, it seems like a role that couldn't be more up his alley, and he really goes to town with it.

Charlie Sheen does an excellent job as well playing the role of Bud Fox, a younger stock broker who finds himself drawn like a magnet to Gekko's world... ...at least for a while. Bud Fox's dad Carl is played by Charlie's real-life dad Martin Sheen, and the conflict of interests that occur between Gekko, his British rival Sir Larry Wildman (played by Terence Stamp), and the two Foxs, provide the movie with a healthy amount of edge-of-your-seat drama. Daryl Hannah's character is rather secondary, kind of like window dressing, but it works well in that respect and she does get the job done.

Interestingly, the ending of "Wall Street" has something of an "evil will prevail" vibe to it which is an unsettling, but chillingly effective way of wrapping up this supremely entertaining 1987 movie.