Wall Street

Saw Wall Street, another film about high finance daring-do.  It's very similar to Wolf of Wall Street, however this one sides more a little more clearly with the good guys, despite the bad guy being rich, powerful, and kind of the main character.  The plot is this: a neophyte stock broker is trying to break into the Big Leagues.  He impresses a Big League-er named Gordon Gekko by passing him some inside information.  Impressed with his willingness to bend the rules in the name of making money, Gordon takes this stock-lad under his wing.  Things go well for a while, but then they do not go well.

Finance films seem to follow the same beats as drug films: the beginning is innocent dabbling, followed by induction into the bigger/harder stuff, followed by the bad times as the money runs out, and then the denouement which usually involves prison.  I guess they're supposed to be cautionary tales, warning us not to let addictive substances such as money and power cost us our souls and autonomy.

I think this film's main motive is to agitate.  Gordon Gekko has a lot of pithy one liners that express an extreme self-serving attitude.  Greed is good.  Money is not created, just moved around.  Finance is a zero-sum game.  He's the self-righteous avatar of lawless finances.  We are supposed to despise him and want him to no longer be capable of existing.  Several times he's shot from waist level, towering over the Manhattan skyline.  The implication is that he is crooked, yes, but he runs this town.  What are you going to do?

The film's ending (not to get too spoiler-y) feels a little unearned.  The slide into increasing corruption and increasing success is fun in a wicked way.  The denouement feels disappointing in comparison - a removal of rascally fun and return to moralizing normality.  This kind of undercuts any agitation the film might hope to inspire.  The film is good and enjoyable to watch, but it flirts a lot with the evil it portrays.  An interesting film.