Gekko dropping the plate through a space in the table - metaphor?
Gekko dropping the plate through a space in the table seems like an unnecessary moment of comic relief. But later there's the speech where Gekko talks about how money is "transferred from one perception to another, like magic." Then he tells Bud about the painting and how "the illusion has become real."
Plus! Immediately after the table scene Gekko says, "Look, I got no illusions about winning a popularity contest with any of you."
Makes me wonder if the table scene was a metaphor for illusions.