Main Themes:

Conflict, Greed, Poverty.

Ideologies:

Modern society is a state where the poor are left to be poor and the rich become richer. This will be

portrayed with our two characters.

Outline Summary:

Liang is a humble, poor man who discovers a formula to create gold. He and his neighbor, Tao

are both alchemists. Tao Is a rich, wealthy and greedy man, who wants everything. When they come

together, Liang presents his formula to Tao. Tao realizes how valuable the formula is and becomes hell

bent on having it for his self. Tao “helps” Liang to create the mixture, with the intention of stealing it,

and leaving Liang with nothing

Plot:

Scene 1

[Ext. Three buildings shown Oriental Mansion Left, run down Shack Right, Alchemist hut center 

 forward. Intro Lamp, Moon in the sky] 

Liang and Tao leave their homes and head towards the Alchemist hut.

[Int. Room within the Alchemist hut] 

Once there Liang presents to Tao a formula which he has discovered which shows how to create gold.

Liang humbly offers to share the formula with Ta However Tao realizes that the formula is worth

millions, his greed overcomes him and he has an idea to steal Liang’s formula in order to prevent him

from becoming rich, and keep all the wealth to his self. Liang begins to prepare a mixture, while Tao

waits in the background.

Scene 2:

[Int. Camera facing Liang at a desk surrounded by equipment and his mixture.] 

Liang is stood, carefully stirring the mixture; Tao is stood over his shoulder with a menacing grin on his

face, and impatiently fidgeting and is desperate to “help”. Liang grabs a vile and very slowly swills the

solution. Tao, sick of waiting rushes up, snatches the vile, shakes it furiously and dumps it in the mixture.

Liang then reaches for a pestle and mortar, and delicately grinds away at an ingredient, while Tao beings

to pace up and down in the background furiously. Sick of waiting Tao knocks Liang out of the way, grabs

the pestle and smashes it into the mortar, then throws the whole thing into the mixture.

 

After this, Liang signals that the only thing left now is to wait and patiently stands watching the bubbles

pop from the mixture. Tao stands waiting also, but beings to fidgets, tapping his foot and looking at his

watch (wrist) and finally snaps, walks up to the flames and pulls out a fire bellow, and increases the size

of the flames to speed up the mixing process. The flames reach a great height and the mixture begins to

bubble violently, followed by smoke. And then there is a violent explosion.

[Ext. original shot of three houses}

The explosion blows the roof off of the Alchemist hut, there is a pause and the camera switches back to

Tao stood in the hut, facial hair singed and pointed upwards. He looks around for Liang and looks

towards the ground. Camera focuses on a mustache laying on the floor, burning. Tao turns and grins at

the camera evilly.

Scene 3:

Shot of Tao stood at a stall selling fireworks, still with a grin on his face. The camera follows a firework

that is shot from behind the stall and the final flash leads out.