The movie was meant as a harsh critique of the excesses of 1980s capitalism — but it became wildly popular with actual Wall Street types. (When it came out, our critic suggested that its moralizing was its weak point: “The movie crashes in a heap of platitudes,” Vincent Canby wrote.)

The director, Oliver Stone, said that in a twist, many young people told him it had inspired them to work on Wall Street. Even years later, brokers would tell him, “You’re the man!”

Mr. Stone discussed the film’s legacy in this 2009 Times video. He said it was “misunderstood by some, because it was about a horrible thing that was going on, about how people would worship money at all costs.”

That interview took place as he was preparing to film the sequel, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” released in 2010. Our critic called it “a corrective, a parody and a sly act of auto-homage.”

Karen Zraick contributed reporting.

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