Wall Street by Oliver Stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wall Street by Oliver Stone - Essay Example However, the theme of the film brings out some of the goings-on in the lives of everyday stockbrokers, and how they take advantage of unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). The desire to be driven by greed often leads one into doing bad things in order to make it in Wall Street. One thing that happens that might violate the code of ethics is insider trading. Although it may not be considered illegal, there are instances where insider trading may be considered as criminal. This is when personal knowledge is used to disclose information about company shares, and the information is not yet public. This is illegal and is also unethical. The manipulation of stock values also goes against a financial institution’s code of conduct. It is wrong, and, in fact, criminal, to manipulate stock values to make shareholders buy or sell more in a bid to make a profit. This is what the main characters depict, and they go on to show how they benefit from unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). My favorite quote from the film can be considered the most famous in the film. Gordon Gekko, the main character in the film, is heard as saying that greed is good and that greed marks the essence of the evolutionary spirit. It is also through Gordon Gekko that the audience learns of the innovative and wealth creative ways that are brought on by greed in this quote. Greed, as depicted by the film, drives most of the characters to lie, cheat, and even steal in order to make a name for themselves in the financial corporation and money making machine that is Wall Street (Wall Street 1). I chose this quote as it directly changes the manner in which most people will view greed and its impact on their lives. The most essential question to ask is whether it is actually right to lose one’s sanity and morality in a bid to attain riches and wealth. The context in which this quote was used in the film was to showcase the depth people are disposed to take in order to get