When legendary films get remade or have a sequel created, the release is often awaited with a sense of dread and anticipation. The buzz concerning the 2nd “Wall Street” film has just such that air. It has been a big topic for months. Enthusiasts of the first have been waiting in the wings for “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”. The original movie was released not long after the stock market crash within the 1980s. The real estate crash of 2008 is the inspiration for the new movie, as Douglas returns to his Oscar winning role as Gekko. The problems and perils of unchecked avarice are the common threads of both movies.
The comeback of ‘Wall Street’
The sequel to the original film takes place within the immediate wake of the housing crash of 2008. The presumption is that Gordon Gekko, the role Michael Douglas plays, went to jail following the first film ended, as the second film opens with his release from prison. Gordon Gekko is an iconic character, as it garnered generations of supporters and an Oscar for Michael Douglas. Gekko starts giving lectures to students, and then decides to help his daughter’s fiancé, played by Shia LeBeouf, to bring down a corrupt hedge fund manager. The movie, often wrongly called “Wall Street 2″ is mostly about redemption.
The real Wall Street
Real individuals on Wall Street know it is only fiction. A recent op-ed within the Wall Street Journal by Martin Fridson states the film is good for conveying the outrage, the real causes of the crash are more complex. An anonymous corporate attorney, according to ABC, said the movie is fine as entertainment, however can’t be taken seriously as a critique of actual events. Dramatic portrayals of historic events often leave out crucial information, for the sake of sensation. Stone is no stranger to this kind of criticism, and Wall Street heavyweights which were technical advisors lamented his liberal use of license over portraying the complexities of actual life.
Fine individuals of Wall Street do not get seen
There is some truth in the cliché that a bad apple ruins a group. It is kind of a shame. Numerous on Wall Street work incredibly ethically and unbelievably hard. However, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” is not about them.
Discover more information on this subject
ABC News
abcnews.go.com/Business/films-taking-wall-street/story?id=11712654 and page=3
Wall Street Journal
blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2010/09/24/a-wall-street-veteran-on-wall-street-2/
