Wall Street Film 1987

About Wall Street Film 1987

The 1987 film Wall Street, directed by Oliver Stone, defined the image of 1980s finance. Michael Douglas won an Oscar as Gordon Gekko, whose greed is good speech captured the ethos of the era. The character was inspired by corporate raiders Carl Icahn, Asher Edelman, and Ivan Boesky. Charlie Sheen played a young broker seduced by wealth. The film introduced terms like insider trading and greenmail to the public. Gekkos blue shirts and suspenders became a fashion trend among real Wall Street workers. Stone intended the film as a critique of corporate greed, but many viewers found Gekko inspiring. The films famous line: The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.