A World Without Thieves

Cast members:

Andy Lau

Rene Liu

Ge You

Li Bingbing

Plot:

The Chinese film directed by Feng Xiaogang was first released in 2004. The story is set on a train starting from Tibet. Sha Gen, a naive village boy working as a construction worker in Tibet, is returning home to get married with his five years of savings.

Sha Gen insists on carrying the money with him instead of using remittance, as it would cost more money. He is so innocent that he reveals to others on the train that he is carrying much money, and soon becomes the target of many thieves. Among them, Wang Bo and Wang Li are lovers as well as highly skilled professional thieves. Wang Bo wants to steal the money as a last hit, but Wang Li, pregnant with their child, is moved by Sha Gen’s sincerity, and decides to protect the innocent boy.

Then, a small gang of thieves led by Hu Li boards the train. Some members led by Hu Li cannot help themselves and steal some passengers’ money, but are all robbed by Wang Bo moments later. This exposes Wang’s skills to Hu Li, who wants to recruit him. But Wang declines, escalating to a contest between the Wangs and Hu Li’s gang. Sha Gen is still completely unaware of his surroundings.

While the two sides are in battle, however, a policeman in plain clothes is silently watching and awaiting his chance to arrest. As the police force finally closes in, Hu Li attempts to run away with Sha Gen’s money, but is confronted by Wang Bo, who had promised Wang Li to protect Sha Gen.

After a violent combat, Wang succeeds in retrieving the money and giving it back to Sha Gen, but gets seriously injured in the proceess and dies. Hu Li and his gang are all arrested as the train arrives at the station. The police officer lets Wang Li go and she later returns to Tibet. She abandons her baby with the locals before praying to the heavens in penance.

Comments:

The film explores the theme of human kindness and reflects the reality of rampant thievery on trains in China. It is a heart-warming movie and encourages people to be positive in the real world.