Wall Street

This being my first time seeing Wall Street I was dubious as to how much I would like it, but was pleasantly surprised by it. I think the film is a very telling story of the modern "American Dream." Gekko in many circles would be viewed as a hero, a good American capitalist who has the guts to do what it takes to succeed. In many ways Gekko is the perfect conservative hero. He is staunchly individual forcing others to conform to him not the other way around and he like the heroes of beloved gangster movies gives us a rush a vicarious thrill.

I think the reading nailed it when talking about breaching one's ethics and testing one's moral flexibility when starting one's career. Bud must break into the business, Gekko sees his obsession and tests his limits with spy jobs  and information gathering along with social engineering. Gekko pulls the strings and Bud dances hoping to one day pull those strings himself as the reading offers up the idea of balancing early ethical breaches with responsible behavior later. Another thing that interested me was how the film showed you why Gekko can do what does. In many shots you see stock tickers flying by and the zoo at the exchange, and it makes you realize how detached the normal person is from their economy. The world of Wall Street is filled with it's own jargon and it comes off as gibberish and Gekko knows that. He can exploit the knowledge gap between workers and management and his world to his benefit.

This detachment from the economic process really points out Gekko's 1 percent speech and makes his brilliant outmaneuvering of the Teldar management all them ore impressive. He can speak in Wall Street terms and move crowds with fiery rhetoric. He is great satire on the chasers of the "Dream" and the image purported by our society on what it takes to make it. Gekko carries all the trademarks of the devil and it's impossible to not wonder what he'll do next.

Our discussion in class about how Gekko creates and sells nothing also ties into this detachment from the economic process. Gekko is an information broker hiding behind jargon and double talk. Like the law the Wall Street economy is nebulous and inaccessible to most people allowing as history has shown for an elite few to blindside the national and global economy  and crash it.