Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987) coming off the heels of Platoon (1986) was one of the defining films of the decade in the way it depicted the “me first” corporate greed of 1980s America. The iconic line, one of many from the film, “Greed is good” summed up the capitalism and materialism that WAS the 1980s.
The film was made as a labor of love for Stone’s father, Louis, who was an old school Wall Street broker. Although the film has been released in three separate versions (two Oliver Stone box sets and a single disc edition) this 20th Anniversary Edition DVD stands as the best of the four as it imports all the previous extras and adds a few new ones made this year.
On day 60, which just happens to be Gekko’s birthday, the kid shows up at Gekko’s office unannounced with a box of Cuban cigars he got through an airport contact and gets his meeting. Fox flatters him then goes into his sales pitch, which falls flat. Just when it seems all is lost, Gekko bluntly asks him “So what else do you have besides contacts at the airport?” Realizing this is the make or break moment of his career, Bud lets slip a crucial piece of inside information and in the process a part of his soul.
Fox lets the inside information slip and Gekko makes some money off the deal. Fox knows that he has broken the law but hopes to impress Gekko honorably with other stocks that he believes can work. Gekko casually dismisses them as “dogs with fleas.”
Fox relents and in essence lets his soul go out the window, telling him “You got me.” He spies on one of Gekko’s rival competitors Sir Larry Wildman (Terence Stamp) and deduces that he is going to buy up Anacott Steel.
Those perks include call girls and a gorgeous blonde interior designer Darien (Daryl Hannah) who decorates Bud’s new high-rise apartment, another perk, on the ritzy Upper East Side of New York. Things continue to move upwards for Bud, until he literally stares out of his balcony with a priceless view of the city and asks himself “Who am I?”
The workers of the airline that would lose their jobs don’t apply to Gekko. Gekko has everything he could possibly want. Fox then asks the most important question of the many that the film poses; how much money is enough?
Even though he is a ruthless bastard and a villain, Douglas infuses Gekko with a devilish charm that is impossible to resist. He channels some of his father, Kirk’s, legendary roles in Champion (1949) and Ace in the Hole (1951) where the elder Douglas played likeable bastards that wanted the American Dream no matter who had to suffer or die in the process.
His scenes with his real-life father Martin Sheen have a beautiful, heartfelt authenticity to them, which is probably why Stone cast both. Much like Platoon, Stone has Charlie Sheen torn between two father figures; his working class, left leaning father Carl and the ruthless, big business, free market Gordon Gekko.
She and Stone frequently butted heads, which probably accounts for her lack of footage in the final cut. However, Stone remarks how on the first day of shooting Young confronted Stone and said in front of Hannah that “I am Darien” and that Hannah should be let go.
Even Stone admits now that she was dead right and had he to do it over again, he would’ve swapped their roles. Young would’ve brought the necessary ruthlessness and aloofness that Hannah doesn’t posses. Luckily Hannah is the only real weak spot in the acting department.
Many of his lines might seem like didactic clichés that your grandfather would tell you but they are all true and aimed at Fox at various points in the film. When Fox is about to fall off his perch literally and figuratively at the end, it is Manheim who puts his arm around him and says, “Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.”
They craft a timeless morality tale that is just as important and prevalent now as it was 20 years ago especially in today’s climate of instant gratification. People want the dream more than ever now and feel entitled to it no matter the cost. Wall Street bluntly shows that there is a price to be paid for every dream.
Stewart Copeland’s score provides added adrenaline and melancholy as Fox begins his ascent to the top then falls back to earth. His haunting score during the film’s final scene lingers throughout the end credits.
Stone is never shy and frequently points out his own mistakes and things that he wishes he could’ve done differently. Rarely is a full- length commentary worth the time investment but when Stone is taking part, you will always get something out of it.
The new extras come in the form of a one-minute introduction by Stone, which should’ve been placed before the film on disc one, 26 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary by Stone and a new 56-minute retrospective documentary Greed is Good, which features new interviews with Stone, co-screenwriter Weiser, Douglas, Sheen, Holbrook and several real life brokers and traders.
They discuss the film’s lasting impact and how accurate it was for its time. Many of the brokers admit how the Gordon Gekko character inspired them to be brokers and how the film’s dialogue is quoted daily on stock floors.
It goes to show you how gifted actors like Pacino and Douglas along with a brilliant writer like Stone can make the vilest of human beings into charismatic cult heroes and even idols representative of how hard work can lead to the American Dream.
Surprisingly there is no trailer included. All that is left missing that could’ve possibly made this better would be the 160 minute original cut that included a subplot that had Bud Fox having an affair with Gekko’s wife as well as a back story involving Darien having been a hooker.
Maybe that’ll be for the 25th Anniversary Edition. Aside from that this is an excellent upgrade to one of the best cinematic morality tales ever put on screen from one of the great American directors. Wall Street is indicative of the American dream turned into a nightmare.
Wall Street (20th Anniversary Edition) is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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