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Video Scene in Wall Street (d. Oliver Stone, 1987): Gordon Gekko delivers his Greed is Good speech to the stockholders of Teldar Paper. Very slow zoom shot on Gekkos face. Cutaway shot to Bud Fox (Gekkos apprentice) in the audience, who narrows his eyes, lifts his chin slightly, as if enlightened. Cuts back to Gekko slow zoom shot on his face continues, so that his face and sharp gaze gradually grow until they ll the frame the top of his head eventually exceeds the border of the frame, making him appear massive. Crowd erupts in applause and a standing ovation at the end of his speech. Fades into black background white, gothic style text appears, word-by-word: Greed is Good: Capitalist Ideology in Film Fades into shot from 3 Idiots (d. Rajkumar Hirani, 2009): Chatur shows photos indicating his wealth on his phone to the camera, chuckling. Text appears in lower third of the frame: 3 Idiots (d. Rajkumar Hirani, 2009) Shot of Chatur continues over Narrators speech. The audience can track the dialogue as there are subtitles (dialogue is in Hindi).

Audio Gekko: The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works...

Gekko:...Greed claries, cuts through and captures the essence...

Gekko: ...of evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.

Applause continues. Low, dissonant chords, played by strings. Chatur: Check out the mansion behind, idiots $3.5 million...swimming pool heated! Living room maple wood ooring...my new Lambhorghini 6496 cc very fast

Chaturs voice fades out continues quietly in the background. Narrators voice: Western capitalism and materialist pursuits have spread all over the world they are part of our dominant ideology, our way of life... Narrator:...Indeed, material wealth is our standard measuring stick of success. In rapidly growing economies, such as India, this creates an interesting contrast between those who embrace this culture...

When Narrator mentions success, Chaturs ashback seen he challenges Rancho to see whos more successful in ten years. The ashback is dark; as Chatur yells (almost snarls) his challenge, a ickering uorescent light illuminates his enraged face and teary, glaring eyes, though half of his visage remains in the darkness of night.

Video When Narrator says reject, Farhan throws a glass bottle at the ground it smashes at Chaturs feet. The contrast is evidenced by Chaturs expensive suit and Farhan and Rajus plain clothes (Raju is not even wearing pants). Fade to black. Against black background, white text appears: Directors Intention and Audience Reception Cut to Narrator standing outside of NY Stock Exchange on Wall Street. He speaks into the camera - direct mode of address. Cut to shot from Wall Street Gekkos ofce is introduced: as people enter his ofce, the camera follows behind them in a tracking shot, giving the audience a peek into the room. Gekko (inside the room) turns, showing his face for a brief moment before the door closes on the camera. Text in lower third: Wall Street (d. Oliver Stone, 1987) As Narrator mentions Gekko, cuts to shot of Gekko in his ofce rst meeting between him and Bud Fox. Gekko paces back and forth, yelling into the phone. Scene continues: Gekko continues talking into the phone, pacing. A very low-tilted shot is used, creating a sense of power. Gekko slams down phone. Cut to talking head shot of Prof. Satya J. Gabriel. Text in lower third: Prof. Satya J. Gabriel Writer, Economics in Popular Film At mention of the seedier side of nance capital, cuts to Ollie (Gekkos trader) making vulgar sexual movements as he seals his deal. He is the image of a stereotypical sleaze; massively overweight, with a loose tie and sweaty shirt. Gekko slaps him on the back, approvingly.

Audio Narrator: ...and those who reject it. This is an interesting point of focus for lmmakers, whose treatment of capitalist ideology has a signicant impact on audiences.

Silence.

Narrator: Perhaps the most critical portrayal of American corporate excess is Oliver Stones iconic Wall Street. Made and set in the 1980s era of Reagan-ist consumerism, Wall Street is essentially a commentary, an exposure of the immoral dealings that happen behind the closed doors of Wall Streets nancial institutions.

Narrator: The unscrupulous behaviour that Stone attempts to communicate is embodied in the character of Gordon Gekko, the antagonist of the lm. Audio from Wall Street fades in. Gekko: Okay, alright. Christmas is over, and business is business. You keep on buying dilute the son of a bitch! Ollie, I want every orice in his fucking body owing red! Satya J. Gabriel: We are supposed to see the seedier side of nance capital.

Ollie: Got close to a half a million shares in the bag! Gekko: Ha! The Terminator! Blow em away Ollie!

Video Wall Street scene continues over Prof. Gabriels commentary.

Audio Gabriel: Gordon Gekko, the Mephistopheles-like manipulator creates nothing but takes everything.

Gekko strolls around his ofce charismatically, slapping Ollie on Dialogue of Wall Street scene fades the back again. He grins as he in. Gekko [to Ollie, laughing]: Rip demonstrates the seedier side of their fucking throats out! Stuff em the world of Wall Street. in your garbage compacter! Cut to talking head shot of Jim Zarroli. Text in lower third: Jim Zarroli Journalist, Gordon Gekko, Preaching the Gospel of Greed Cut to restaurant scene in Wall Street: Gekko, standing, leans in to face Bud (who is seated) up close. He stares down at him with beady, almost threatening eyes. Reverse shot high-tilted angle looking down at Bud, who gazes up at Gekko in awe, a smile creeping across his face. Gekko leaves. Side prole shot of Bud, who throws his head back in exultation. Cut to talking head shot of Prof. Gabriel. Cut to shot from Wall Street: Bud leaning out from his balcony, gazing at the night skyline of Manhattan. Pans from a distanced over-the-shoulder shot, viewing what he sees, to a side prole shot of his face, wearing an unusually thoughtful expression. Bud turns, looks down, and shakes his head. Fade to black. Cut back to Narrator. Cut to text of the Fortune Magazine article Oliver Stone: Life after Wall Street by Telis Demos, 2007. Highlighted text: Wall Street has been required viewing for anyone working in nance and a standard way of viewing the go-go 80s Zarroli: Gekko is a slimy embodiment of all that was wrong with American capitalism. Gekko is also a majorleague crook who trades in insider information and manipulates markets. Gekko: I dont like losses, sport. Nothing ruins my day more than losses. Now, you do good...you get perks... Gekko: ...lots and lots of perks. Narrator: The beauty of this exchange is in the reverse shot; Gekko essentially threatens Bud, and yet Bud looks up at him in the shot just as he looks up to him as a role model, idolising Gekko as the God of Wall Street. Gabriel: Gekkos sidekick is Bud Fox, the naive but greedy young man, whose inner struggle becomes a focal point for the lm. Bud: Who am I? Narrator: The depth of eld in this shot isolates the character of Bud in the frame, accentuating the brief moment of uncertainty over his lifes direction that crosses his mind. It creates a sense of emptiness and longing, despite his new wealth. Narrator: Audiences (especially nonlmic ones) failed to receive Wall Street as a criticism, a warning about our modern values, instead viewing it as more of a rags-toriches narrative, more tting of the classic American Dream-esque quest for wealth...

Video Cut to scene in Rehguzar (d. Faruq Masudi, 2006): Rahul standing by the roadside with a fellow worker. Text in lower third: Rehguzar (d. Faruq Masudi, 2006) Rahul points to a billboard.

Audio Narrator: Interesting parallels with the 2006 Indian lm, Rehguzar, can be drawn. Rehguzar chronicles the journey of big-dreaming Rahul Khanna, whose humble beginnings drive his desire for fame and wealth. Audio from Rehguzar fades in Rahul: You see that? Do you see my face on it? Friend: No. Rahul: Never mind. I see it. The entire world will see it soon.

Rahul gazes at the billboard longingly. Cuts back to Narrator.

Narrator: Underpinning Faruq Masudis narrative is the dominant Cuts to scene in Rehguzar: Rahul ideology of consumerism, and the is rehearsing a speech to his assumption that Rahuls success is girlfriends father. He is wearing based entirely on his ability to make a sharp black suit with a tie. money and gain material wealth. There is little acknowledgement of an alternative source of happiness. Rahul: Sir, I have every thing that a person would look for in his sonin-law: money, fame, respect. Cuts back to Narrator. Narrator: Perhaps this attitude that the lm adopts is a product of its Cut to stock archive footage of cultural context, reecting the Indian labourers walking in mass ambitions of many hopefuls in modern to work in increasingly commercial India. In addition, corporatism in Calcutta. the Indian lm industry places as huge an emphasis on protability as institutional lmmaking in the US. Cuts to talking head shot of Onir (Indian lmmaker). Text in lower third: Onir Director, Writer, Producer Fade to black. One of the transition shots in Wall Street: shot from Brooklyn of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. Cut to brief talking head shot of Prof. Satya J Gabriel. Onir: Today, most big-budget lms are made by corporates who are more interested in the economics of moviemaking. They are not passionate about lm as an artistic medium. [Pause] Narrator: This might explain the gross misinterpretation of Wall Street - audience reception theory is a key factor to consider. Gabriel: Once a lm is created it becomes the malleable object of the culture into which it is thrust.

Cut to Wall Street: the Stock Stock Exchange opening bell Exchange opens for the rst time diagetic sound from the scene in the lm. Overhead crane shot shows the bustling interior of the New York Stock Exchange. Text shows the year of the setting: 1985

Video Cut to brokerage rm ofce. Trash and scrap paper seen strewn across the oor with disregard. Many characters seen yelling into phones and at each other.

Audio Narrator: In this scene, the use of handheld shots and constant camera movement around the ofce are suggestive of chaos and instability. Yet, in the fervor of ultracapitalism in the 1980s, the hectic portrayal of the nancial industry was interpreted as exciting and dynamic, the aggressive and brash nature of the broker characters, seemingly ignored. Audio from Wall Street scene fades in. Marv: What?! Oh, will you give me a break for Christs sake! How the hell was I supposed to know you were in surgery?! What am I, Marvin the mindreader?!

Marv, Buds friend, seen shouting into a phone side, high tilted shot of Marv crouching at his desk, propping himself with one arm. The hectic environment again communicated through the mise en scene crushed paper seen lying on the ground, with les and pizza boxes stacked haphazardly.

Cut to talking head shot of Oliver Stone: Its kind of ugly. Society is Stone. vulgar in many ways, and I think the lm reects some of those changes. Cut back to Narrator Cut to scene from Wall Street: Meeting between Bud and Gekko in restaurant. Shot-reverse-shot sequence used for the conversation, but when facing Bud, the camera is placed further from the subject, while shots of Gekko use a slow zoom, making his face ll the frame. Shot-reverse-shot is interrupted as the camera lingers on Gekkos face, zooming slowly as his grin fades. Close-up of Gekko handing Bud a cheque made out for one million dollars. Narrator: Consequently, the underlying moral issues behind neoliberal capitalist values became an important theme in the lm. Gekko: Teldars shooting up dyou buy any for yourself? I bet you were on the phone two minutes after you got outta my ofce, huh? Bud: No, sir, that wouldnt have been legal. Gekko: Sure...relax pal, no ones gonna blow the whistle on you... ...is that legal?

Cut to talking head shot of Oliver Stone: A new kind of trader, a new Stone. breed was coming in with Ronald Reagan and consumerism and big time Cut to changing room scene in Wall money and buying out companies and Street - conversation between trashing human lives. Gekko and Bud.

Video Scene continues: Gekko is standing, talking down to Bud (who is sitting). Shots of Gekko are low-tilted suggestive of power.

Audio Narrator: Stones message is communicated through the dialogue in the lm, with multiple references to war and violence.

Gekkos speech heard in the background. He ties his tie and combs his hair Gekko: Read Sun Tsu, The Art of War: with violent, jerking movements. every battle is won before its ever The exaggerated gold imagery; fought...theyre sheep, and sheep get cufinks, watch, bracelet, massive slaughtered...you win a few, you lose ring on pinky nger almost a few, but you keep on ghting...its suggestive of a maa godfather. trench warfare out there pal. Gekko starts to leave Bud, half- Gekko: You want another chance? dressed, pursues, pleading for a Bud: Fuckin A! second chance. Gekko: Then you stop sending me information, and start getting me At mention of information, some. lighting of the set drops to Thunder outside. almost chiaroscuro Gekkos face Narrator: In this shot, Stones half in darkness reective of combination of thunder and heavy the immorality and lawbreaking darkness is essentially the activities of Wall Street conventional portrayal of the players. The back of Buds head archetypal villain. Bud dissolves almost disappears, blending with into the blackness within the frame, the darkness. reecting the dark world of nance he is about to enter. Cut to Narrator. Narrator: In spite of Stones blatantly negative representation of capitalist greed, many people still perceived Gekko as a role model. Schiff: The idea that Gekko was this shiny, beautifully dressed, magnetic, charismatic superstar suited a lot of people in the business world very nicely.

Cut to talking head shot of Stephen Schiff. Text in lower third: Stephen Schiff Screenwriter, Wall Street Cut to talking head shot of Prof. Satya J. Gabriel.

Gabriel: Oliver Stone tried to imbue the lm with a sense of the negative consequences of the naked pursuit of Cut to shot of Bud being placed material wealth by nancial under arrest near the conclusion manipulation and related shenanigans of the lm. As Bud is led out of (with no regard for the real economy the ofce by the police ofcers, or the productive workers who power the camera tracks backwards. The that economy), the wanna-be-Gekkos audience thus cannot see what lies could only see in the lm a boiler ahead of him, only what he leaves plate for achieving their own vision behind, as he breaks into tears. of success... Cut briey back to Prof. Gabriel. Gabriel: ...Thus, Oliver Stone's depiction of the struggle between good and evil (both in the external Cut to scene in Wall Street - Carl world Gekko against Carl Fox, for (Buds father) crumples up Buds example... proposal for Gekko to take over Bluestar Airlines, Carls failing employer.

Video Carl is, if only from appearance, an archetypal working class honest man, a labour union representative. He is wearing a casual short sleeved shirt, in contrast with Gekkos striped shirt, suspenders and tie.

Audio Carl: I know what this guys all about greed. He dont give a damn about Bluestar or the unions. Hes in and out for the buck and he dont take prisoners.

Cut to contra-zoom shot of Bud, as Prof. Gabriel continues his earlier he leans against a tree he has point: ...and in the internal world just learned that Gekko has - within Bud Fox)... destroyed Bluestar. The expanding background bears down on him a parallel of the values he previously idolised, that he was so emotionally invested in, crashing down around his ears. Cut back to talking head shot of Prof. Gabriel. Gabriel: ...was turned into a parable of how to get rich the Gekko way while reducing the probability of getting caught. Lipper: The Gordon Gekko character is not a person who is satised by anything for very long. Theres no permanent accomplishment. Theres no peace until everyone else is a failure.

Cut to talking head shot of Ken Lipper. Text in lower third: Ken Lipper Wall Street Veteran, technical advisor on Wall Street

Cut back to Narrator.

Narrator: In Rajkumar Hiranis 3 Idiots, the contemporary capitalist Cut to scene from 3 Idiots: Viru attitude of competition is a key (College Director) giving a speech theme. In the context of college to the students near the end of hopefuls, the emphasis is placed on the nal year. The slow zoom-in on achieving top grades to compete for his face is typically used when jobs. attempting profundity, but his serious words are undermined by Viru: Who was the rst man on the his inane facial expressions, moon? gestures and exaggerated lisp. Audience: Neil Armstrong, sir. More ridicule and less commentary, Viru [emphatically]: Obviously, its it seems, is the tact of Hiranis Neil Armstrong, we all know it! Who comedy. was the second? Dont waste your time, its not important. Nobody remembers the man who ever came second! Cut to talking head shot of Rajkumar Hirani. Text appears in lower third: Rajkumar Hirani Director and Writer, 3 Idiots When Hirani mentions Boman, cuts to brief shot in 3 Idiots - Viru on his bicycle. When a fellow cycler approaches him, he speeds up, to stay ahead. Cut back to Hirani. Hirani: See, if you look at Bomans [actor who plays Viru] character, he has a very strong point of view hes constantly saying in the lm, in fact, in his rst introductory scene, he gets the cuckoo bird, and he says, this is what a cuckoo bird does: it lays its eggs in some other birds nest...

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Audio

Cut to Viru giving introductory Audio from 3 Idiots comes in, speech. He is holding a birds nest following on from what Hirani was and a model cuckoo bird. saying: Viru: And when they hatch, what does He drops an egg, breaking it on she do? She pushes the other eggs out the ground. His bad, curly, grey of the nest. Competition over! Their hair and mustache, and permanent life begins with murder. Thats frown perfectly match the prole nature. Compete...or die! of a comical antagonist. Narrator: In this scene, Viru is He shrugs. introduced with very morbid opera He is standing at the top of a music a foreboding musical motif ight of stairs, creating a visual that accompanies his character. The hierarchy. slight upward tilt of the camera portrays his power, which, as the antagonist of the lm, he is prone to abusing. Cut back briey to Hirani. Hirani: Viru makes a very strong point. If I dont have Rancho contradicting it, by itself its very believable! Youll say, yeah, in our daily lives we are competing with people. Life is a race, hes saying... Viru: Life is a race! If you dont run fast, youll get trampled. Narrator: So, the character of Rancho acts not only as the protagonist and hero of the lm, but as an ideological foil to the values of Viru, and perhaps, those of modern Indian society. Rancho: I dont blame you sir, I blame the system. Narrator: Rancho consistently questions the conventional wisdom of excellence through competition. Viru: We were ranked 28th. Now we are ranked rst! Rancho: Whats the point, sir? Here they dont discuss new ideas or inventions. They discuss grades, jobs, settling in the USA. Narrator: Ranchos character also contrasts strongly with the character of Chatur, who sees Rancho as his rival. The quintessential capitalist big-dreamer, Chatur strives to beat his fellow students, to fulll his vision of success to attain wealth far in excess of his peers. In this shot, Hiranis use of the single uorescent light ickering in the darkness emphasises Chaturs animal obsession with his vision of success, which has become inhuman aggression.

Cut back to Viru. Cut to brief shot of Narrator Cut to 3 A heated and Viru suicide, approach Idiots: In Virus ofce. argument between Rancho about a students recent and Indias competitive to education.

Shot-reverse-shot, complemented by gradual zooms on both of their faces intensies the conversation. Viru is framed against a background of a massive bookshelf, which lls the frame around him, reecting his academic, traditional background.

Cut back to Narrator Cut to shot of Chatur: he is standing on the roof of a university structure, facing Rancho and Farhan. While Rancho and Farhan are relaxed, sitting and drinking rum, Chatur is standing, confronting them. There is a single uorescent light in the background which ickers, throwing Chaturs face in alternating light and dark.

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Rancho gets up, pats Chatur on the Rancho: Understand and enjoy the shoulder. wonders of science! Chatur: Im not here to enjoy Chatur shoves his hand away. He is science! even more drunk than Rancho and Narrator: Chatur fails to understand Farhan, and his teetering lack of Ranchos attitude, and determines to balance reects the emotional prove himself superior. Similar to instability of someone whos Gordon Gekko or Bud Fox, Chaturs ideals are under threat. desire for wealth is portrayed as an aggressive, wild hunger. When he mentions success, he points to the heavens. His eyes are wide and teary, almost desperate. Flecks of spittle y out of his mouth as he yells. He almost resembles a rabid animal. Cut back to Narrator. Cut to Pias sisters wedding scene: Suhas (Pias ance) is berating Pia about her watch. Suhas is wearing an amboyant maroon suit, with a frilly tie. Chatur: Go ahead, laugh at my methods. But one day these methods will bring me success! That day Ill laugh and youll cry!

Narrator: In addition to Chatur, Hirani uses the character of Suhas to parody the pretentious materialism of the super-rich. Suhas: Pia, what the hell is this?! Why are you wearing this ancient watch? What will people say Suhas ance, a doctor in the making, wearing a cheap, 200 dollar watch! Please take it off. Thank you. Hirani: See, its probably all those things we want to say, weve kind of put it [in the lm]. We always have laughed at people who are very brandconscious and would, you know, be sure about oh, this is the way you have to dress up, so we made him a guy like that. So, all the aws in the system which weve seen, and which weve opposed, we tried to put it in.

Cut to talking head shot of Rajkumar Hirani. Cut to brief side prole shot of Suhas, wearing an ornate bath robe, trimming his nose hairs, singing along with an opera record. Cut back to Rajkumar Hirani. Cut back to Narrator.

Narrator: Hirani essentially speaks through Rancho, putting forward a Cut to scene from 3 Idiots: Rancho very negative view of the aspect of is criticising Virus approach to capitalism that places utmost education. He points at Suhas, priority on wealth and social calling him an ass. Cutaway shot status. to Suhas shows him with his hands on his hips, looking around with a buffoonish look on his face. Scene from 3 Idiots continues. Audio from 3 Idiots fades in. Rancho: First engineering, then an MBA, then he becomes a banker in the USA! Because it rakes in more money? Life for him is just a prot-loss statement. He sees prot in you, so hes with you. College Directors daughter, doctor in the making good for his image!

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Video Cut to brief shot of Narrator.

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Narrator: Oliver Stone also uses an outstanding character in Wall Street to reect his own views. As the antithesis to the ruthlessness of Cut to scene from Wall Street: the Gekko and the sycophantic behaviour same proposal scene from earlier of Bud Fox, Stone uses Buds father, Bud is suggesting that Gekko takes Carl Fox, a mechanic and union over Bluestar. Narration happens representative at Blue Star over the scene. Airlines. Carl is sitting on the couch. He takes off his thick reading glasses, bringing his full face into complete view. The contrast between the physical appearances of Martin Sheen (who plays Carl), Michael Douglas (who plays Gekko) and Charlie Sheen (who plays Bud) is stark. Martin Sheens skin seems darker and more rugged, lined with wrinkles. His hair is messy and greying at the sideburns, while the faces of Charlie Sheen and Douglas are younger, sharper. Cut briey back to Narrator. Carl: The rich been doing it to the poor since the beginning of time. The only difference between the Pyramids and the Empire State Building is the Egyptians didnt allow unions. Narrator: From a casting perspective, Martin Sheens aging face and greying hair exude an air of wisdom and honesty, while Charlie Sheens and Michael Douglas modern, rened look and slick-back hair suggest a slippery, underhanded quality.

Narrator: Carl is portrayed as an honest man who rejects the dominant ideology of the pursuit of wealth. Bud: What I see is a jealous old machinist who cant stand the fact that his sons become more successful than he has! Carl: What you see is a guy who never measured a mans success by the size of his wallet! Bud: Thats because you never had the guts to go out into the world and stake your own claim! [Very long silence] Carl: Boy, if thats the way you feel, I musta done a really lousy job as a father.

Cut to argument between Carl and Bud in an elevator. Rejecting the conventional two-shot or shotreverse-shot, Stone has used a single, uid, handheld shot. The camera pans back and forth between the two men, capturing their reactions and responses the camera movement creates a sense of immersion and verisimilitude for the audience, which feels like a third party in the lift, witnessing the exchange. This also accentuates the intensity when the camera lingers on Carl during his silence. Cut to talking head shot of Prof. Satya J. Gabriel

Gabriel: Bud Fox's father, Carl, the epitome of the hardworking labourer, who has toiled on Blue Star's planes for years, rising to be a leader in Cross-fade to archive photograph the Mechanics Union local, and Lou of Lou Stone with the young Oliver Mannheim, the honest broker, were Stone. admittedly drawn from Lou Stone, Oliver Stone's father

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Video Cut to two-shot of Lou and Bud in the ofce. Facing each other from either side of the frame, they are essentially binary opposites: Lou is an aged, honest broker who believes in hard work, while Bud is young and impatient, and looks for shortcuts to wealth. Lou walks out of the frame, leaving Bud with a pensive frown.

Audio Lou [to Bud]: I dont know where you get your information, son, but I dont like it. The main thing about money, Bud it makes you do things you dont want to do.

Cut to talking head shot of Oliver Stone: Really the main motivation Stone. was my father. When I was growing up, men didnt talk about how much money they made. I nd this personally Fade to black. tasteless and disgusting. Text appears against black background: Genre Cut to scene from Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (d. Oliver Stone, 2010): Gordon Gekko delivering his speech in the university hall. Text in lower third: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (d. Oliver Stone, 2010) Cut briey to Narrator. Cut to archive footage of the Lehman Brothers collapse. Silence. Gekko: Someone reminded me the other evening that I once said greed is good. Now it seems its legal! Narrator: Both Oliver Stones Wall Street, and its sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps are an interesting blend of family drama and social commentary. Narrator: Inspired by the 2008 nancial crisis, however, Stones sequel seems to deal more directly with the consequences of capitalism on a wider social scale. He has interestingly chosen Gordon Gekko to act as his mouthpiece in the sequel, turning his character into somewhat of an anti-hero. Gekko: Last year, ladies and gentlemen, forty percent of all American corporate prots came from nancial services. Not production, not anything remotely to do with the needs of the American public. The truth is were all part of it now. Banks, consumers were moving money around in circles.

Cut back to scene of Gekko delivering his lecture. Throughout his speech, Stone makes frequent use of cross-fades to reaction shots of the audience, who respond to Gekkos (or Stones) unconventional message with thoughtful expressions perhaps reective of the reaction that Stone himself hopes to provoke with Gekkos lines. Cut to Narrator.

Narrator: Beyond its family drama aspects, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is in some ways a Cut to shot from Wall Street: dramatisation of the 2008 nancial Money Never Sleeps - Jacob walking crisis. The meltdown is foreshadowed with Lou Zabel (Jacobs boss and by the fall of a ctitious nancial mentor) in Central Park on the day institution, Keller-Zabel, the Keller-Zabel crashes. employer of Jacob Moore, the protagonist of the lm.

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Video Lou is informally dressed in a coat and sweater. He is walking a small runt dog, refusing to pay attention to the crisis happening in his rm, appearing to be on the verge of a mental breakdown. The use of natural lighting emphasises the wrinkled, haggard face of Lou. Jacob stops Lou, turning to face him. Lou shakes his head, and walks out of the frame, leaving Jacob stunned. Cuts to children playing with bubbles in the park. The camera focuses on a singular bubble, following its oating with an upward pan. Cut to Narrator.

Audio Audio from the scene fades up. Jacob: Are we going under? Lou: Yknow I never liked this damn dog - Jacob [interrupting]: Louis, are we going under? Lou: Youre asking the wrong question, Jacob. Jacob: Whats the right question? Lou: Who isnt? Narrator: Stones use of bubbles in the mise en scene is a clever allusion to the economic bubbles that ravaged the world in 2008. His contrast between destructive economic systems and harmless bubbles and children is cheekily ironic.

Narrator: In the spirit of Oliver Stones critical view of capitalism, Lou Zabel, the honest banker named Cut to scene in Wall Street: Money after Stones father and the rst Never Sleeps meeting between Wall Streets Lou Mannheim, is Lou, Bill Clarke (Treasury portrayed as the victim of the Secretary) and Bretton James. Lou selsh-minded bankers at the Federal is sitting on a couch some Reserve meeting, especially Bretton distance from the other men. James James, the antagonist of the lm. paces around the room, occasionally yelling and pointing Diagetic sound from the scene is accusingly at Lou. Shots of James heard quietly under Narrator: have a slight upward tilt, as James offers two dollars a share to evidence of his power, compared bail out Keller-Zabel. with a downward tilt on shots of Lou: Its a public execution!...Ill Lou, a sad, almost pathetic old take my chances in bankruptcy court man, who talks up at James. before I sell to that barracuda! Lou nods frantically, trying to Diagetic sound from the scene fades maintain his composure and what is in as Narrator stops talking: left of his dignity. Lou: Five. James: Three. James looks at Julie, his wizened Lou: Alright, well call it an even partner, who shrugs, seemingly in four, so we dont look so goddamn favour of Lous request. pathetic. James steps forward, buttoning his James: Three. And not a dime more. jacket. Slow zoom on Lous face, knotted in the frown of a man Narrator: Lou is consequently driven grappling with his lost respect. to suicide. Cut to talking head shot of Oliver Stone. Montage of visual shots from the lm that relate to Stones speech: Gekko standing outside of prison, just released. He is alone, and gazes around him longingly, as if looking for a family member. Stone: I think its a movie, ultimately, if you really look at it, its about greed versus love, You know. Gekko comes out of prison, and nobody loves him...

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Video Cross dissolve to Gekko dragging on a cigar, with a satised expression on his face. Cross dissolve to Federal Reserve meeting: heads of the big nancial institutions sitting around a long table. Cross dissolve to close up of paper written by Jacob, titled Bretton James, Churchill Schwartz and the Fall of American Capitalism. Fade to black. Cut to Narrator.

Audio Stone: ...I mean, whats he gonna do with his life, is he gonna make more money in his age... Stone: ...or is he gonna be loved? The same thing is true in a bigger way, because its a story about the banks and their crash, and its about whether the bankers are going to work for themselves and make prot for themselves, or are they going to care about society? Think about it as a dual parallel.

Narrator: In contrast to Stones lms that deal directly with selfinterested capitalist ideology, lms Cut to The Pursuit of Happyness such as Rehguzar, or The Pursuit of (d. Gabriele Muccino, 2006): Happyness tell a rags-to-riches tale, Outside the San Francisco Stock which has arguably become a genre of Exchange. As Chris Gardner lm unto itself perhaps of its (protagonist of the lm) walks on commercial value. It generally aims the street, a stock broker pulls to make the audience feel inspired up in a red sports car. after watching the lm, and as such, Text in lower third: The Pursuit capitalist ideology and consumerism of Happyness (d. Gabriele Muccino, are not explicit themes in the lms; 2006) rather, they articulate the ambitions of those who live according to these widely accepted principles. In other words... Chris stops walking, eyeing the car and its owner. Cut back to Narrator. Chris: Ooh! Man, I got two questions for you: what do you do, and how do you do it? Narrator: ...The American Dream. Fighting through hardships, and striving for happiness...

Fade to shot from The Pursuit of Happyness: Chris standing in a phone booth. It is raining, and his wife has just told him shes leaving him. He looks down at the few coins he has, with Thomas Jefferson imprinted on them. Close-up side prole of Chris face as he stands on the bus. It is unclear whether the water streaming down his face is rain or tears. Cross fade to the conclusion of the lm: Chris has just got the job as a stock broker. Teary-eyed, he hastily exits the ofce. He runs onto the street, overcome by his elation.

Chris [voice-over]: It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence, and the part about our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Narrator: ...until success eventually nds you. Chris: This part of my life, this little part, is called happiness. Narrator: The use of slow-motion in this shot emphasises Chris pure elation.

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Video Cut back to Narrator. Fade to shot from Rehguzar: Panning shot of Dubais skyline over Rahuls monologue.

Audio Narrator: Rehguzar essentially follows the same pattern in narrative structure. Rahul, an Indian immigrant in Dubai, is enticed by the potential riches offered by Dubais rapid growth. Rahul [voice-over]: Someday Rahul Group of Industries will have its ofces in every building in this skyline. My dream will certainly come true, very soon. Very soon. Narrator: The narrative of Rehguzar follows Freytags Pyramid in a general sense. Indeed, just like Chris Gardner, Rahul faces many challenges on his path to commercial success. Nevertheless, through his determination and hard work, he rapidly gains the wealth that he yearns for.

Cross fade to shot of Rahul standing in a hallway after a job interview which he presumably failed. His tie is loosened, and he punches and kicks the wall in frustration. Cross fade to shot of Rahul shaking his boss hand after being promoted. Cross fade to montage in the lm of Rahul driving a slew of luxury cars in quick succession. Cut back to Narrator.

Narrator: An important aspect to note about both The Pursuit of Cut to sideways tracking shot from Happyness and Rehguzar is the extreme The Pursuit of Happyness a competitiveness that is taken for gaggle of interns (including granted in the path to success. Chris), hastily following the Indeed, success according to Ofce Manager. They jostle for the capitalist ideals is consistently front of the crowd, straining to portrayed as attained at the expense listen to him. of that of someone else. Cut to scene in The Pursuit of Manager: Some of you guys are here Happyness: Ofce Manager lecturing because you know somebody. Some of the intern class. you guys are here because you think youre somebody. Theres one guy in here whos gonna be somebody. Cross fade to scene from Rehguzar: Rahul: Im in the fast track. If I Rahul talking to Neha. slow down a bit, someone might overtake me. And I wont let that happen. Cut back to Narrator. Narrator: Indeed, irrespective of the directors intention, or the Cut to shot of Bud dressed as a genre of the lm, intense and janitor scanning condential legal sometimes underhanded competition documents with a portable scanner. is a common theme in most lms that deal with capitalist ideology. Cut to Wall Street: conversation between Gekko and Bud. Gekko: Its not a question of enough, pal. Its a zero sum gain; somebody wins, somebody loses.

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Video Cross fade to 3 Idiots: Farhan, Raju and Chatur have just learned that Ranchos address is a school in Ladakh. Chatur makes the assumption that he is a school teacher. He points at himself arrogantly. Fade to black. Cut to Narrator.

Audio Chatur: Schoolteacher? [guffawing] Im Vice President of Rockledge Corporation, and he: A for Apple, B for Ball! Next week Im signing a multimillion dollar deal with Phunsukh Wangdu, and he: A for Apple, B for Ball!

Narrator: Capitalism is most likely here to stay as a cornerstone in the construct of our society, reected in the lms we make and watch. And yet, the power of lm helps us ponder Cut to shot from Wall Street: Carl alternative approaches to life; is lying on a hospital bed after alternative measures of happiness in having a heart attack. Bud leans the abstract terms of friendship, over and kisses Carl on the love, and the richness of human forehead. Cross fade to 3 Idiots: experience, where money, material Farhan and Raju driving through wealth, and coming out rst are of the beautiful Indian countryside, little consequence. evoking pathetic fallacy. Cut back to Narrator. Narrator: The lms we watch also have the capacity to criticise, to expose in a brutally honest fashion, the aws and ultimately destructive forces of the principles of capitalism and commercialism that govern our society. Gekko: The illusion has become real, and the more real it becomes, the more desperate they want it. Capitalism at its nest. James: We do not know where the bottom is.

Cut to Wall Street: Gekko and Bud in Gekkos ofce.

Cross dissolve to Federal Reserve meeting. Bretton James explaining the nancial situation. Taps his nger on the table to emphasise his points. Cross dissolve to later in the same scene Bill Clarke, Treasury Secretary, looks haggardly around the room.

Bill: Do you men realise what youve done here?

Cross dissolve same scene, long Lou: Youre all committing suicide. shot of the long table. Lou sweeps his arms across the room. Cross dissolve same scene, slow zoom on Julie, the wizened banker. Julie: [long pause] Its gonna be He leans forward, eyes gleaming. the end of the world! Fade to black. Fade into Wall Street: Bud and Gekko in Gekkos ofce. Gekko blows smoke in Buds face. Fade to black. Gekko [nonchalantly]: Its all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation.

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FILMOGRAPHY
Wall Street (d. Oliver Stone, 1987) Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (d. Oliver Stone, 2010) Rehguzar (d. Faruq Masudi, 2006) 3 Idiots (d. Rajkumar Hirani, 2009) The Pursuit of Happyness (d. Gabriele Muccino, 2006)

LIST OF SOURCES
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/sgabriel/lmcourse/oliver_stone.html Oliver Stone!s Wall Street and the Market for Corporate Control from series Economics in Popular Film by Professor Satya J. Gabriel, 2001 I used this resource frequently during the Independent Study process, and I have quoted Professor Gabriel many times in the work itself (this can be seen on pages 2-4, 6, 7 and 10). It was useful in providing insights in audience reception theory, in its discussion on how Wall Street was perceived by the popular audience within its socio-cultural context of 1980!s USA. It also deals with the director!s intention, pointing out Oliver Stone!s critical portrayal of capitalism through his use of character. In this area, Gabriel puts a ne point on the conicts and relationships that Stone uses in his script, identifying them as embodiments of a fundamental struggle between good and evil that is part of our economic and social constructs (this is seen on page 6). In addition, using talking head shots of Professor Gabriel allowed me to demonstrate my understanding of documentary conventions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ3Lif6p52I Interview with Oliver Stone by Jake Hamilton This interview was very useful in gaining insight into Oliver Stone!s intentions in his portrayal of capitalist greed and excess in Wall Street. In the interview, he provides his own view on the context surrounding the lm (this is seen on page 5), and coupled with extracts from the lm itself, this explains the cynicism that comes through in the lm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_l6qqg76XA Interview with Oliver Stone on VIP Access Though not particularly formal or academic, Stone talks about the thematic aspects in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in this interview. This was useful in demonstrating an interesting antithesis that Stone creates between capitalist greed, love and social responsibility, which he places in the context of the nancial crisis of 2008 (this is found on pages 12 and 13). As a lm that has a signicant social commentary aspect, this was key to the discussion on genre.

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http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/20/news/newsmakers/oliver_stone.fortune/index.htm Oliver Stone: Life after "Wall Street! article in Fortune Magazine by Telis Demos, 2007 I used this article twice in the Independent Study. Firstly, it was useful in illustrating a point about reception theory, in pointing out the general misinterpretation of Stone!s message in Wall Street. The use of the highlighted text that I used on page 3 of my Independent Study allowed me to demonstrate my knowledge of the conventions of the documentary genre, as this is an oft-used technique to communicate information. This resource was also useful because it provided quotes from Oliver Stone himself, talking about his father!s inuence on the lm, and his perceived contrast between the ideology of his father!s day and the ideology he presents in the lm (seen on page 11).

http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/20/news/newsmakers/oliver_stone.fortune/index.htm Gordon Gekko, Preaching the Gospel of Greed article on the National Public Radio website by Jim Zarroli, 2008 This article also articulates a point I was trying to drive home in the Independent Study about audience reception theory; that in its socio-cultural context, Oliver Stone!s message in Wall Street did not strike the intended chord with audiences. Zarroli quotes Stephen Schiff, the screenwriter of Wall Street, talking about this, which I used on page 6. I also quote Zarroli himself describing Gekko!s character on page 3, simply because he uses extreme language that is - to an extent - qualied by the fact that he is a third party, as I could not have my narrator using the same tone of voice without losing academic credibility. This is also an important documentary convention. I used a quote of Ken Lipper, a Wall Street veteran and technical advisor for the lm, describing Gekko!s character on page 7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Zo26iaRvU Interview with Rajkumar Hirani on Beautiful People, an art and culture programme on CNBC This interview was useful because Rajkumar Hirani describes the purpose of his antagonist characters (mainly Viru) in illustrating key aspects of capitalist and commercialist ideology, namely competition and materialism. He also points out how he uses the protagonist character of Rancho as a character foil to contradict the values of the antagonists. He also alludes to the genre of comedy, and how he used this to parody aspects of the dominant ideology that he disagreed with. I quoted Hirani in talking head shots on pages 7-9.

http://articles.timesondia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-17/pune/28554540_1_onir-lm-critic-television-institute Consumerism in lms impacting the youth, says Onir article from The Times of India I used this resource on page 4 because it provides direct quotes from Onir, an Indian lmmaker. Onir gives insight on institutional lmmaking in Indian cinema. I was able to use this to evidence my point about the similarities in lm institutions in India and Hollywood, and how the ideologies of the studios can affect the directions and messages of lms. I did this specically in reference to Rehguzar, as a possible explanation for the very capitalist messages at play within the lm.