At first glance at the title of "Death Money", I guess it should be a crime film that is desperate for money, and its English title "life without principle" also alludes to human nature that abandons the rules.
However, after watching the film, it still exceeded my expectations, and behind this "death-taking money", it also revealed a cold social reality.
At the beginning of the film, Inspector Zhang Zhengfang, played by Ren Xianqi, investigates a neighborhood injury incident. Both parties are elderly people, and the perpetrators have come to Hong Kong for decades to engage in various walks of life, but they still can't afford to buy a house, which has caused this tragedy because of the rental problem.
At this time, Zhang Zhengfang's wife was looking at the house under the leadership of the housing agent, although Zhang Zhengfang still had no intention of buying a house, she still paid a deposit.
Teresa, a bank clerk played by He Yunshi, is diligent and diligent, but her performance is almost at the bottom. In the face of pressure, she kept calling to recommend financial products, even if the other party had a bad attitude and insulted. She will also handle high-risk wealth management business for depositors in violation of the law, and she will have to do nothing in the face of customers' opportunities.
And the three-legged leopard played by Liu Qingyun is also not happy in the rivers and lakes, the boss is shabby and stingy, and the brother Bai Shanhua always takes advantage of him. Although the three-legged leopard is very affectionate, it has not exchanged for the other party's one heart. It was hard to meet a bulging-eyed dragon who made him rich, but he died indirectly at the hands of his boss after the stock market crash.
In Hong Kong in the film, most people are struggling to survive.
However, their fate is changed by the unexpected appearance of rich people.
Zhong Yuan, the owner of a financial company, whose main business is loan sharking.
After suffering a huge loss, the bulging-eyed dragon plans to lure out Jongwon with the three-legged leopard in the name of borrowing money and take the opportunity to rob it. Originally planned to rob ten million, but the bulging eye dragon could only take out a house deed to mortgage, so Zhong Yuan returned the ten million withdrawn to five million and let the bank clerk deposit it.
This bank clerk was Teresa, and because she was an acquaintance, Jongwon directly handed her five million and left, and did not go through the formalities on the spot.
When Zhong Yuan took another five million into the car, the three-legged leopard was already ambushed in the back seat of the car, and just as he was about to do it, a man outside the car took the first step and tried to rob it. Zhong Yuan fell down after fighting with him, and the three-legged leopard effortlessly got the five million.
The three-legged leopard with five million bought stock index futures at the behest of the bulging-eyed dragon, and the money was multiplied several times. The case of the bulging eye dragon being stabbed in the chest thought that the investment had failed again, and he died in a hurry.
In this way, the embarrassed three-legged leopard instantly became a multi-millionaire.
Teresa, who learned of Jongwon's death, also lost the five million that had not yet been recorded, and she also became a millionaire with financial freedom and left her job decisively.
And the aforementioned Wife of Zhang Zhengfang, when facing the loss of deposit for check-out, the appearance of a rich person in the mainland also solved their urgent needs.
The plight of the people at the bottom and even the middle class is solved by a rich man.
Ten million to Zhong Yuan said nothing, the borrower can borrow five million a house deed, two house deeds ten million, but this is only one of his customers, as the owner of the financial company, you can imagine how strong his assets are.
However, precisely because of his worthless ten million, the fate of the two people was completely rewritten. The three-legged leopard no longer has to saddle up in front of the boss, nor does he have to be angry with the hotel owner, and Teresa is completely liberated from the wronged little clerk.
This reminds me of a phenomenon in nature where the death of a megafauna feeds countless tiny creatures.
The same is true of Zhang Zhengfang and his wife, but in contrast, their situation is not too obvious. In fact, for this movie, I think their plot is a bit chicken ribs, or a little deviated from the "death gold" at the center of the story.
However, Zhang Zhengfang led to the plight of the Middle Class in Hong Kong and the plight of the bottom people who have moved from the mainland, which may also be the director's desire to further highlight the multi-level contrast between the rich class and other classes and strengthen the film and television effect.
Although the gap between rich and poor is a fact that we cannot ignore, it does not mean that there is any deep meaning, in the current free environment, as long as hard work and wisdom, everyone has the opportunity to create their own wealth dreams.
Today, from "The Birth of a Word" to "Deadly Gold", it took about half a year to revisit about fifty movies of Galaxy Image, which has come to an end, and then it is time to start a new Journey of Hong Kong films.
In the era of the decline of Hong Kong films, I believe that there are still many viewers who do not forget the classics.