Faith Review of Film
Newton Cowan
Film Title:
Wall Street
Year:
December of 1987
Director (s):
Oliver Stone: Known for creating controversial films such as Salvador and
Platoon, as well as the conspiracy theories in the film on the assignation of John
F. Kennedy. Stone tends to steer towards films that depict events in history and
push the envelope
Original release form/venue:
Originally released in the theater in December of 1987. In 1989 released to VHS
and then eventually transferred to DVD. Also reformatted and shown on TV
Current Availability and formats:
DVD, Blue Ray
Genre:
Drama fiction
Story Elements:
There are two important areas for story elements. First the Characters: The main
characters of Bud Fox played by Charlie Sheen and Gordon Gekko played by
Michael Douglas. Although they play the major roles it is the sideline characters
that should get the credit. Martin Sheen who plays Bud’s Dad, Carl Fox, in the
film along with Hal Holbrook who plays Lou Mannheim are seen as the “old”
guys but their wisdom wins out in the end. Both tell Bud there is no easy road,
but hard work pays off. The juxtaposition of the old guy and the young guy who
thinks he knows it all.
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Secondly the plot is a major story element. Bud Fox the young stock trader who
comes from very humble roots who wants to make it big. Gordon Gekko is his
idol. Even from the opening when Bud walks into his office and the receptionist
says to Bud, “how are you?” and Bud responds, “if I were any better it would be a
sin.” Bud beings with hard work and gets what he thinks he wants, power,
money, a girl and what he thinks will be a bright future. The turn comes when
Gekko gives him 5 minutes and tells Bud tell me something I don’t know. For
Bud and Gekko it is all about the secrets of the business. Gekko says to Bud are
you on the inside or the outside? At this point Bud has made his deal with the
devil and signed his life way. But later on when Bud trys to convince his father to
agree to let Blue Star be sold his father makes a fool of him in front of Gekko. At
this point Bud has to decide Gekko or his father. The final turning point is near
the end after Bud’s dad has a heart attack and Bud tells his father to trust him and
his dad say’s I am proud of you at this point Bud turns back to the good side but it
is too late to save him from the penalty he will pay with the law.
Film Language elements:
The most significant Film Language Element is the setting. New York the capital
of the American Dream. The place where money is made and lives are
transformed. The shots of the tall buildings and the fancy offices. The title of the
film says it all Wall Street. Everyone wants to be on Wall Street
Audience/Cultural Context elements:
The intended audience were all those people who dreamed of making it big Oliver
Stone was sending a message about the ups and downs of the fast paced take no
prisoners mentality of New York especially during the 1980’s. The GI generation
was of the mind set of hard work and so the older characters of Carl and Lou
would have appealed to them. And yet the younger generation the young Baby
Boomers were on a road to make money.
The social and economic contexts in the film are important. This is a film about
those who work hard and have a modest lifestyle, but understand the basics of
family set against those whose life work is about money and power first. The
underlying sense of hard work still wins the day and makes the film appealing to
those with the modest lifestyle. So even with success on Wall Street of the film
there is success on Main Street.
Theology is found:
Theology is not directly portrayed but subtly throughout. In the beginning when
Bud says if I were any better it would be a sin. Although the Theology is not
explicit it is intentional. As one of the writers and the director Oliver Stone sets a
context that may seem like fantasy land to someone living in the mid west, but the
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reality of what was and is going on, on Wall Street. This portrayal allows us to
find our selves some where in this film in a way that we can talk about our values
and our priorities.
Theological themes for conversation:
Is the desire to have things in life a sin? At what price would you sell yourself to
get what you want? What is the tipping point between ethics and morals and sin?
How do we recognize evil in the world? Where is God on Wall Street?
Suggested type of conversation:
As with The Lives of Others and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Wall
Street can be uses as a series on Christian Ethics in Film and life. Although the
film can stand alone for an ethical discussion.
Not recommended for youth. Could be used with college age, but defiantly adults
Recommended ways to view and engage the film:
Specific scenes can be used in relationship to a study without having to have the
group watch the whole film. For example when Gekko says are you in or are you
out? Or show the scene in Bud’s apartment when his father Carl wants nothing to
do with selling Blue Star airline and embarrasses Bud in front of Gekko. But then
in the Hospital after Carl has a heart attack he backs his son to make the right
choices and says he is proud of him. Could be used with the prodigal son parable
and for discussion with fathers and sons.
The brief but insightful relationship between Bud and Lou can be shown as
segments (all the segments of Bud and Lou only about 2 minutes total) to talk
about God’s relationship with us. Where Lou says there are no short cuts, that
hard work pays off in the long run.
In light of current economic conditions a group could watch the whole film and
draw some conclusions to what is happening on Wall Street and Main Street
today.
Concluding or summary remarks:
An New Wall Street movie is in the making. As most of us living on Main Street
and not Wall Street are asking what did happen, and what is going wrong. But we cannot
only assume this lack of morals and values is found on Wall Street. How do we talk
about what is happening in our back yards?
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