It’s interesting how much we can find out about the world’s history through movies and mainly its economic side thanks to Wall Street, which has inspired the film industry since 1929 (yes!). It will continue to do so as we see significant technology changes, especially after the recession and rise of cryptos. But, let’s see who are the greatest antagonists in the movies we know and ones that should be on our movie list. Some are rather unexpected although they are playing forex traders, since the accent is on the other side of the personality, but is it that disconnected from their job? Is it a consequence of capitalism? Let’s see some top antagonists, who people either love or hate in the movies.
The Wolf of Wall Street (1929) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Believe it or not, even though DiCaprio pushed for this film to be made and was impressed by Jordan Belfort’s story, there was another Wolf of the Wall Street called Jim Bradford, a world-class stock manipulator. The Academy Award-nominated George Bancroft played him. Imagine playing such an exciting role where, months before the market crash when the Great Depression started, portrayed the world of obscenity, madness, and manipulation to gain more and more. It’s important to mention the film had sound since it was still a new thing to have talking movies.
Compared to Dicaprio’s role, there is not much difference if you tell apart different periods. The drive is the same – get more, earn more, be more recognizable and ultimately feel the consequences of this way of life. While Bradford is a real antagonist, Belfort doesn’t seem like that at first. Mostly since he redeemed himself in real life by still working, staying away from suspicious activities – it looks like he learned his lesson after losing almost everything he cherished. Even though we don’t look at Dicaprio’s role as antagonistic, we are witnessing someone with a simple drive leading a better life to become the antagonist in the end, even though he didn’t have bad intentions in the beginning. Is it what Wall Street can bring you if you get money too fast, and don’t process it? And how do you process becoming rich in such a short time?
2. Wall Street (1987)
Don’t worry, not every movie about the stock market has “Wall Street” in the title. This movie is essential antagonist-wise because it depicts the 80s excess where Gordon Gekko is the main antagonist ruthlessly running the corporate market. Charlie Sheen took on Gekko’s protegee Bud Fox’s role, and famous Michale Douglass plays Gekko. You can hate the character of Gekko since many real-life traders inspire him, but in the end, the industry is portrayed with a sentence that follows that kind of life, when Gekko says “If you want a friend, get a dog”. Nobody is your friend if you are working with money.
3. Boiler Room (2000)
Boiler Room is a must – watch a movie for every broker who’s just starting. The main character, Seth Davis, You will not come across a broker who hasn’t seen it or at least heard of it. The antagonist in the movie is the whole brokerage company that Giovanni Ribisi joins, after being busted for running an unlicensed casino. Even though his first job was quite sketchy, he quickly realized what he got into was far more sinister and robbed clients. This movie is based on real experiences. Since writer and director, Ben Younger interviewed many brokers to write the best screenplay he wanted. By the end of the movie, the question is, how far people are willing to go to secure their finances and what becomes too much?
4. American Psycho (2000)
The most famous antagonist where often people don’t even think about Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale is an investment banking executive. Yes, we see his “perfect” life and all the expensive things he owns, but we instead connect it with his psychopathic character rather than his job. As he descends into his madness led by his alter ego, in the end, we have to ask ourselves, what is this movie really about? It is still speculated by many is it merely someone with an illness represented in an unorthodox way. Still, maybe it’s another way to show how far people can go if their character is already prone to instability once they gain “everything that is wanted by many”.
5. Margin Call (2011)
Margin Call depicts a whole day before the 2008 financial crisis. There are many big stars in the movie from Kevin Spacey to Jeremy Irons and Zachary Quinto. The film was meant to show us, by the director’s words, the tragedy of lost potential and how manipulated a system can be.
6. Arbitrage (2012)
Richard Gere was nominated for a Golden Globe Award thanks to his portrayal of Robert Miller, a hedge fund manager who goes on a trip trying to cover up his company’s frauds. He desperately tries to sell his company before everything gets revealed, but life gets in the way, and he becomes even more on the edge when unfortunate events unfold.
In conclusion
What do you think? Is the case of antagonists in this line of job natural or bound to become one? Maybe it’s both? Where would you draw the line if you were in the same position?