I watched this film twice, almost ten years apart. The first time was about the same age as the protagonist, and I watched it as a business war inspirational comedy. Thought it was funny at the time, but average. The second time I watched it after ten years of work. Found a lot of different insights.
First of all, the cinematography and music of the films of the 1980s have a unique charm. In the film, the scenery of New York City, which was a symbol of wealth at that time, was rendered intoxicatingly and mesmerized. Especially the high-rise buildings under the setting sun, and the Hudson River, it is really beautiful. It really looks like the Lujiazui area in Shanghai at the moment. The music is also very disco style at that time, full of cheerful rhythms.
Furthermore, the way the protagonist succeeds is actually very unreal. It is impossible for anyone to pretend to be an executive. The management of this company is so chaotic. But the movie is a little bit surreal. There are many metaphors in the film that are not out of date after many years. First of all, unspoken rules and gender discrimination in the workplace, indiscriminate thoughts of married male bosses towards female subordinates and improper third-party relationships have also existed in the workplace after many years. At that time, there was only one woman in the company's executives, and there was no women's toilet, which reflected the difficulties of women in the workplace at that time; secondly, the upper position depended on "body". The very interesting point of this film is that it shows a bit of feminism. In the traditional sense, "relying on the body" for the upper position is all women's attachment to men. However, this film emphasizes that the success of several men depends on the favor of a middle-aged woman who still has a charm. Third, discrimination against ethnic minorities. The male protagonist pretended to be an executive at first and went to greet people at various workstations. There was only an Asian female employee. Hello, this small detail reflects the discrimination against minorities in the society at that time. Fourth, class differences. Blue-collar workers in the mailroom on the ground floor cannot greet white-collar workers in suits. The metaphor speaks for itself. Fifth, success requires noble people. This is more real. The protagonist met the big businessmen with the help of the nobles, and laid the foundation for the final success. This point, I feel very deeply after work. No matter how hard you work, no matter how talented you are, it will be in vain if no one recommends or has no chance.
Third, the pacing of several paragraphs of the film is excellent. What impressed me most was the make-up sequence when the boss's wife was preparing to launch a seduction attack on the limousine, and the close-up movement of several body parts, which outlined the ambiguous and sensual atmosphere. Of course, the most classic passage is the weekend night at the Big Boss Manor. Several people have their own tricks, stealing people from outside, interspersed between corridors and stairs. There was not a single line, but the funny and tense atmosphere at that time and everyone's thoughts were vividly displayed.
If you look at this movie as a workplace textbook, it will inevitably be biased. This is just a fantasy film of the lower class, full of dreams of the rich material life of the upper class. But the viewing experience is very enjoyable.
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