When I just watched the first half, I thought it was another exaggerated Goldfinger movie. For example, Bernard took out a small notebook to record the algorithm of present value and some other simple formulas, he taught Matt to learn basic arithmetic, and Matt, as an "actor" sent by Bernard and Joe, eats a meal, Showing off his quick-calculation skills persuaded the owner of the city's landmark building to sell it to him.
None of these things seem true to me. Those simple formulas are far from enough to support the valuation of assets, basic arithmetic cannot replace the sensitivity of value, it is difficult for an "actor" to play the role seamlessly in such a short period of time, and the owner of the building will not. Don't do any research on the buyer's identity, just because this person is very good at math, he is willing to sell the building to him.
But when the plot progressed to the point where Bernard went back to Texas and wanted to buy the bank there, I realized that the previous plot was not really about recounting these events, but just wanted to tell the plot as quickly as possible, so I took the A very symbolic expression to illustrate: 1. Matt has successfully become the face of Bernard and Joe; 2. Bernard has a very high personal ability in investment; 3. Joe has resources and connections.
After laying the groundwork for the above three points, you can officially start the story in Texas. Bernard made enough money in Los Angeles with Joe and Matt. He returned to Texas with his wife and son, and seeing the injustices still suffered by black people, he hoped that he could do something to change this situation. The way he thought of it was to buy a bank.
Joe was opposed to the plan from the start, believing it was less a business act than a political act/social change that would be met with opposition. But because of Bernard's insistence, he joined. But Texas is a state with relatively serious racial discrimination. Unlike in Los Angeles, Florence, the original shareholder, was not very at ease with his opponent when he bought the bank this time, and finally found Bernard and Joe's black people. identity. Just as Joe expected, all kinds of troubles began to appear. Of course Matt is one of them.
I had always thought that Bernard or Joe would always find some way to restrain Matt's behavior. After all, the knowledge and etiquette taught to him could not be returned, but they could bring huge benefits to Matt. Makes him truly a "top man" on most occasions. And he's white, and if he wants to leave, or to get revenge on Bernard or Joe, there's nothing they can do to fight back. But they didn't, they were really just working with Matt on trust.
A white child from an ordinary family with no long-term education, when he suddenly finds that he can chat and laugh among the rich, can easily seal major deals, and is respected by others, it is difficult for him not to fall in love with this shell , it is also difficult to separate yourself from the character. And he lives in a typical white society, and the attitudes of people around him towards blacks are hard not to affect him. I don't think Bernard or Joe didn't think of this.
Even so, they still did it, bought the bank for the benefit of black people, and hoped to benefit from it while benefiting black people. At this time, Matt really started to swell: He threatened the two to run a bank by themselves, or just let them go. Florence's dissatisfaction was also manifested, and he kept stumbling Bernard and Joe. They start to get caught in the predicament of coexistence inside and out.
Something must have happened after that. Matt's threat forced Bernard and Joe to buy a second bank again three months later, and Matt's inflated deal in this deal put him in Florence's trap. But the most terrifying thing is the mutual help between white people, so that the people who really fall into the trap become Bernard and Joe. Matt refuses to admit his mistakes and puts all the blame on two people. Finally the Arkansas legislator came forward and said, if you can testify that there is a loophole in the law (that gave black people the opportunity to buy two banks) and help us change the law (so that black people can no longer do this), you can be identified as Not guilty or go to jail.
This choice is at the heart of the whole film, at the heart of the entire fight against discrimination: they have to choose to block the way they have walked, making it impossible for all other black people like them to do what they do now , in exchange for the freedom and wealth of his subsequent life; or choose to expose the well-known fact of discrimination, throw away everything he has now, and be put in prison, just to see if anyone can do it because of this act. Black people make some changes?
Either way you lose. Even with Bernard's ability, Joe's friends who were willing to help him, and they bought hundreds of real estate together, they ended up with this choice. Unless Bernard has given up on buying banks in the first place.
So they went to jail. Like a losing fight before every winning fight, courage is commendable, but luck is a little less.
Prejudice and fear of differences cannot be burned by a group of people, even though they know that these differences may not affect their lives. It is their instinct to choose to ignore and avoid differences, stay with "similars", and enjoy the immediate peace first, even if this behavior means that "others" will be unfairly treated, which means that it is likely that someday in the future there will be a Field erupts. And the potential threat of the group's blindness and contempt for the "different" will make the group more reluctant to make changes, because they don't know what they will face if they give in.
So knowing the essence, whether it is a person or a thing, is so important, it can effectively dispel the blind prejudice and fear of differences, and understand when those differences are important and when they are not. If one party is willing to have more in-depth understanding and observation of the other party, and are willing to discover which of their strengths are actually group and which of their shortcomings are actually individual, if they are willing to be friendly but cautiously accept each other's contact and temptation, they are willing to plan Cooperation on the basis of clearing the bottom line may lead to a win-win situation.
Bernard and Joe are the fires in the fight for minority rights that haven't burnt out prejudice, but they should have kindled fires in more people's hearts, and that's good enough.
And, the idealism that can be put into practice is fascinating.
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