Wall Street

Mit dem Börsengeschehen, dem Aktienhandel und dem Aktienkurs kenne ich mich ungefähr wie eine Gämse mit dem Steuern einer Dampflok aus. Deshalb habe ich wahrscheinlich Wall Street nicht richtig genießen können. Bei vielen Szenen hatte ich nämlich überhaupt keine Ahnung, worum es geht. Zum Glück war die Grundgeschichte verständlich. Die Schauspieler*innen waren perfekt und Oliver Stone ist es gelungen, eine ganze Reihe von unvergesslichen Szenen zu schaffen (mir persönlich hat am besten die Verhaftung gefallen). Wall Street gehört nicht zu seinen besten Filmen, er ist aber auf jeden Fall sehr gut. (03.02.2014)

I can't help but feel that Stone's functioning morality had a much greater impact at the time of its creation and that it has aged too much over the past twenty years. However, its atmosphere cannot be denied, as the director actively draws the viewer into the sweaty and nervous world of brokers, even though he doesn't bother explaining or even hinting at its rules. The main weakness is the script, which even a slightly attentive viewer can easily see through from the beginning, and the development of characters and plot doesn't require much effort. On the other hand, the main acting duo is a strong point. It's not surprising that Douglas delivers an Oscar-worthy performance, but Charlie Sheen's determined character, setting a devilish pace, is truly breathtaking. You can find life truths in this film, but it's up to each viewer to judge whether they want them served so clearly. (28.01.2007)

Michael Douglas. He makes this special. Otherwise it’s just a classic story about how the apprentice made it to the top and challenges his master to a duel. But this time the setting is speculation on the stock market. Charlie Sheen is also great here. "Greed ... has marked the upward surge of mankind…" (29.01.2010)

A film that defines Oliver Stone’s filmmaking as such. After all, what else invites a more poignant critique of the capitalist system than Wall Street itself? The simple tale of an insignificant bloke in a crowded office who gets money, and then a personal epiphany, serves as a springboard for Stone to the greater goal of Gordon Gekko. A demon that symbolizes the perversity of the world's financial system and all that inherently goes with it. The arrogance and recklessness materialized in Michael Douglas in such a way that it's no wonder he took home the most valuable acting award for the role. One could argue for hours over how tendentious this film is, but it will forever remain without debate that it is one of Stone’s best films. 4 ½. PS: Daryl Hannah looks like a barely made-up transvestite from the line of S.J. Parker, etc. (02.04.2010)

I returned to one of Stone's famous titles, Wall Street, a decade later, and I must say that, unlike many works of that time, this film has not aged. It is still a very solid view of the functioning of the harsh world of business and the era of consumer gluttony of the 80s, which gave birth to the yuppie generation. The performances are convincing, although I must admit that Michael Douglas steals the show, while Charlie Sheen has, in my opinion, only one crucial role to his credit, that being the main role in Platoon. Oliver Stone embodied his lifelong leftist conviction in the film, so especially in the second half, several dialogues slip into a political proclamation in terms of accusing capitalism, but that is just a minor flaw in an otherwise well-directed and well-written film. Unlike Michael Moore, Stone does not slide into any cheap propaganda, and everything he narrates has an absolutely realistic image in real economic and political scandals, which are ultimately described in a series of other films. By coincidence, a few years ago, the FBI focused on leading stock market players, and wiretapping respected investors and businessmen revealed exactly the same practices that Stone accurately described decades ago, such as the abuse of exclusive information, pension fund looting due to hostile takeovers, etc. Overall impression: 80%. (06.10.2011)