Wall Street: The Rise & Fall of Bud Fox - Essay Sample

Introduction

Wall Street is a name meaning a lizard that feeds on insects and shed its tail when trapped. In 1987, a movie was made about it directed by Olive Stone. The film narrates a story involving a young and ambitious stockbroker by the name Bud Fox, who is greedy and would do anything to get to the top. Bud Fox's desire to reach the top is triggered by a ruthless and greedy corporate raider called Gordon Gekko, who manipulates the market using inside information to take advantage of other stockbrokers. Before Fox encountering Gordon, he works as a broker for second-tier Wall Street firm dealing with phones, soliciting new clients, giving second-hand information, buying and selling. Gekko is a prominent person in the business who doesn't give up on working more, no matter his riches, so that he can earn extra cash.

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Bud Fox passes inside information that he gets from his father, where in return, Gekko makes a deal and opens an account for him. The duty of Fox will be to obtain inside information and spy on the competitor, which is an illegal deal, but since he is so hungry to do anything, he just agrees. Through Bud Fox's spying behavior, Gekko makes a lot of money, and Bud is rewarded by being promoted in the business. Several of Bud’s trades also attract the attention of security and exchange commission with him being unaware. The continued greedy desire of Gekko makes him sell the company's Bluestar’s assets in order to have cash through the company's pension plan. Through this action, many staff is left unemployed, including Bud Fox.

The Person Who Is the Hero of the Movie

A person's capability to do an extraordinary thing that is believed by other people to be impossible is what earns him/her the title of becoming a hero. The heroism in that person should be something that other people desire to have. The film Wall Street had various heroes who display bravery in many circumstances, but the most heroic person in the movie is Gordon Gekko. Gekko's character in the film does not only depict memorable villains, but he is an iconic person whom many people, such as Bud Fox, want to enumerate. Gordon's success in the business has made him be mythologized and elevated from the characteristic of being a villain to that of being a hero. Many people were inspired through him to make an investment in bankers and stock brokerage, and this is a clear indication that he wasn't only an example of an unethical person but a role model to follow.

How the Film Address Capitalism

The film forces you to truly think about capitalism, and I believe the message about capitalism the film is depicting is the one urging people to stop and embrace communism, especially when the financial community is vulnerable. The film argues that most small investors cannot succeed since the big markets are only for big men, such as Gekko, who have the capability and funds to manipulate it. The behavior of Gekko shows capitalism and is immoral and illegal, yet he uses a little petition to make an excuse, such as nobody is being hurt by their action, and also everyone is practicing it. However, there are some good people in the movies, such as Carl, who represent the working class in the film who do not use illegal means to succeed in their business.

Bud is a complicated person; it is my opinion that he just sorry for his action due to the reason that he got caught. The film has illustrated how Bud could do anything to get into the big leagues even if he uses illegal means. The greedy desire of Bud can be seen when he helps Gekko to target Blue Star Airline Company, knowing well is where his father has been working for over 24 years. The action, in return, makes the company corrupt, which resulted in employees losing their job.

Conclusion

Finally, this film's overall message is to urge people to engage in legitimate business without necessarily using unethical and illegal means to get at the top. The film also is used to criticize capitalism in society, where it encourages people to embrace communism. The film is used as a mirror in our community of how people can become greedy ready to use any means even the unethical ones to become a success.