Let's get this straight. Ronald Reagan is a bitch and I hate unchecked capitalism. I think its pure evil, its everything that creates unease and difficulty in this world. Responsible for so much pain; yet why is it so loved and adored by American politicians and the American public? Stone helps answer that question in some sense.
Stone delves deep into the mindset of a greedy, amoral stockbroker who feeds on success, on making money. Yet money is just a means to an end; he is just a predator, using his morphed ideals of economic Darwinism to justify his actions. He acts without morality, because in one line of the film Douglas declares 'love is for the weak'. What Stone does so well though is not just depict an aggressive cut-throat capitalist, he shows the background they arise from. He shows how they become powerful because the system nurtures it, encourages such behaviour; in simple terms that 'greed is good'.
Stone portrays his subject matter in a realistic and seemingly objective manner. He portrays the pure superficiality of the world that economists and monetarians live in. There are many great scenes with Douglas often going at length to profess his nihilism, his abject disdain for principles. The script is very good, though full of technical terms it never becomes too complex for the viewer to ever become alienated. The cast is strong and Douglas delivers a knockout blow as the main antagonist.
Capitalism is undoubtedly the world leading economic system now. It is unrealistic to claim that there is a viable alternative ; we cannot though, let such unethical practises prevail when we let capitalism go unfettered. Without letting this commentary devolve into a political statement it must be simply stated that what Stone conveys with great power is that life is more than just money, why should we sacrifice our humanity for wealth? How much is enough? How many people do we lay off and leave homeless and without healthcare before we realise that people, not materials are what matter? Watch this film and realise what I mean.
Stone delves deep into the mindset of a greedy, amoral stockbroker who feeds on success, on making money. Yet money is just a means to an end; he is just a predator, using his morphed ideals of economic Darwinism to justify his actions. He acts without morality, because in one line of the film Douglas declares 'love is for the weak'. What Stone does so well though is not just depict an aggressive cut-throat capitalist, he shows the background they arise from. He shows how they become powerful because the system nurtures it, encourages such behaviour; in simple terms that 'greed is good'.
Stone portrays his subject matter in a realistic and seemingly objective manner. He portrays the pure superficiality of the world that economists and monetarians live in. There are many great scenes with Douglas often going at length to profess his nihilism, his abject disdain for principles. The script is very good, though full of technical terms it never becomes too complex for the viewer to ever become alienated. The cast is strong and Douglas delivers a knockout blow as the main antagonist.
Capitalism is undoubtedly the world leading economic system now. It is unrealistic to claim that there is a viable alternative ; we cannot though, let such unethical practises prevail when we let capitalism go unfettered. Without letting this commentary devolve into a political statement it must be simply stated that what Stone conveys with great power is that life is more than just money, why should we sacrifice our humanity for wealth? How much is enough? How many people do we lay off and leave homeless and without healthcare before we realise that people, not materials are what matter? Watch this film and realise what I mean.