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COMPARISON FILMS
Death of A Salesman (1986) (135 min):
Death of A Salesman has a few similar concepts
to Oliver Stone’s Wall Street. There are, however, distinct
differences between the two films. In both films we see the deterioration
of a man. In Wall Street the depiction of the main character
shows the crumbling of character and fall of pride. The movie Death
of A Salesman offers the viewer a different type of decay, the loss
of the mind. A central theme to both movies is the loss of respect
for someone each character looked up to along with the realization they
are not the infallible giants they seem to be. For Bud Fox in Wall
Street it was the knowledge that Gekko was going to break an agreed-upon
deal. In Death of A Salesman when Biff was a senior in high
school he surprised his father (Willy Loman) by coming to his hotel in
Boston. Biff saw that his father was having an affair. This
hurt Biff more than anything and left a lasting scar. The main difference
between these two films was that Bud Fox had a strong relationship with
his father, yet there really was not the concept of a family to rely on.
In Death of A Salesman the story focused around a family’s struggle
with inadequacy and reality.
Bud Fox and Biff portray similar characteristics
when Fox screams at Gekko at the end, telling him he is a fake and when
Biff screams at his father when he sees he is having an affair, calling
him a liar. Gekko and Willy show similar traits when Gekko gives
Fox the speech in the Athletic club about being a “player” and you always
have to be ready, and when Willy constantly gives Biff the speech about
being great.
Director: Volker Schelondorff
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Charles Durning, Kate Reid, Stephen Lang,
and John Malkovich
It’s A Wonderful Life (1947) (132 min.):
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It’s A Wonderful Life sends a reassuring message to the viewer about the overall good nature of society. This film highlights the life of George Bailey, a man who is contemplating suicide because he feels he has failed trying to help people. Through seeing how everyone would be so much worse off without him, George begins to appreciate his life and everyone who is part of it. At the end, the entire town comes together to give George the money he needs to keep his loan office open. This movie sends the message that each person makes a difference in the lives of others. Also, through the generosity of the entire town at the end, Frank Capra leaves his audience feeling that all people are good-natured and do care about others. Oliver Stone’s message in Wall Street is entirely different. Stone shows how everyone is out for himself, regardless of who gets hurt in the process. The identity of each stockbroker is not important; however, George Bailey’s identity is extremely important. |
Working Girl (1988)(115 min.):
Working Girl is about a Wall Street secretary
who climbs the ladder of success through hard work and determination.
Tess McGill pretends to be an associate partner of Petty Marsh, a mergers
and acquisition firm on Wall Street, after her boss has a skiing accident
and is stuck in a hospital outside of the country. Tess seizes this
window of opportunity and takes over an important deal that her boss is
trying to set up. This movie sends a message that if you want something,
you have to make it happen for yourself. Nichols, the director, shows
how everyone is out for himself or herself on Wall Street. Only those
who have a killer instinct and are willing to seize opportunities will
be successful. Working Girl leaves the audience with the impression
that if someone wants to be successful and works hard enough to obtain
this success, he or she will be successful in the end.
Working Girl shows Wall Street from a female’s
perspective. Several dialogues are very similar to the dialogues
in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street. Katherine Parker, Tess’s boss,
has the same attitude about success as Gordon Gekko. Katherine’s
discussions with Tess about being a player on Wall Street (15:00
and 24:00) are similar to Gekko’s talks with Bud Fox (30:14 and 33:17).
Tess has the same desire and determination to be successful as Bud Fox
has. Both will do whatever is necessary in order to move their way
to the top. Tess pushes the limits of fairness when she pretends
to be an associate partner in the firm (31:00) and when she crashes Trask’s
daughter’s wedding (1:10:00). Bud tails Wildman (37:49) and pretends
to be part of a cleaning service to copy confidential files (56:00) In
the end, Tess gets revenge on Katherine (1:41:00) just as Bud gets revenge
on Gekko (1:55:57). Both Working Girl and Wall Street
show how no one cares about anyone else on Wall Street. In order
to be successful, sometimes a person must bend, or even break, the rules.
Although the main characters, Tess and Bud, are moving in different directions
by the end, they both learn a similar lesson about the way Wall Street
works and how to be a successful player on it.
Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, and Alec
Baldwin
