Money: A walk down Wall Street

It’s only natural that people still make films about Wall Street. After all, we’re stuck in a huge economic crisis that us mortals don’t know much about, but still feel the chills down our spines when experts pronounce the word: CRISIS. So then, right now money is the right subject for everything, especially for Hollywood. Powerful men in suits, tough dialogues and evil geniuses, limos, pretty girls, luxurious houses, caviar and yes, champagne. We know all about it and absolutely can’t help getting to know some more. Boring business talks we don’t quite understand and oversized egos that increase tensions make us part of the power game between those who rule the world.

And when we say “rule the world”, we often think of the United States of America, with Wall Street as its headquarters. It feels like money was invented on that street, through some weird and inaccessible chemical formula. So this is all a regular non-American and non-money maker understands about Wall Street.

But, then, that’s what we have Oliver Stone for. His glamorous approach to the “Money Area” back in ’87 stirred a worldwide interest for the art of making money. A young, blonde Michael Douglas with his perfect smile, perfect suits and perfect retorts twisted and turned an even younger and rather naïve Charlie Sheen. He made the world go round, and wrong. Back then, the I-know-it-all lectures and invincible orders he gave built up the charisma of the entire film.

The 80s were an era of crazy, breathless development. Those were the days of excess and Stone succeeds in sketching the basics: a young broker hoping for a better life makes all the possible mistakes along the way on his greedy journey towards fame and money. How could he not, when all he sees seems to be an unreachable paradise. When you’re a small fish and want to be the biggest, you can be tempted to skip some steps by cheating. Otherwise you’ll end up just another nobody. Of course, just like in Hollywood, the little man realizes he went too far but it’s too late and he gets locked up. But money never sleeps! And the world won’t change so easily. In 2009, brokers, banks and working men witnessed an economic breakdown. One needs genius and power to get on top of a universal crisis. Or…money. It usually solves everything. So Stone’s 2010 sequel goes even more Hollywood and tells a story of love and betrayal that has a happy ending, just to wrap it all up in an optimistic tone. However, in this world, Stone himself taught us there’s neither mercy nor principles, so how could the immoral, fearless Gordon Geko become all mushy and turn into a good angel? Stone is kind and takes care of his depressed spectators. The last thing we would need is for cinema to show us that there’s really no way out and money is still what makes the world go round.

’Cleveland vs Wall Street’, copyright Les Films Pelléas

Then again, that’s why we’ve got Cleveland vs. Wall Street in the Directors’ Fortnight. The film stages a trial that should have taken place: the poor people of Cleveland, who got kicked out of their homes, sue the rich banks on Wall Street for their inhumane behaviour. Oh, poor people of Cleveland! If we were to sum up your story in a couple of words, Wall Street wouldn’t be the devil. Money ruling over people would be. For once people run out of money, they take impressive yet risky offers from the banks. They eventually run out of funds again, and out of houses since they can’t pay the mortgage. It’s the rule of the game and they know it from the very beginning. Wall Street bankers are only instruments of the devil, but are they guilty for desperate humans being tempted? It’s a David versus Goliath fight. There’s no good or bad. There’s only weak or strong. And since everybody wants to be on the right side of the Wall, cinema knows how to makes good use of this weakness and wrap it up nicely.

By Miruna Vasilescu