The Greed of Man (大時代)

A sweeping story about the stock market, money and one family's slow ruin. It follows two sides of a household over several decades, and the pull of greed shows up in nearly every scene. I had heard for years that it was the best of its era, and I now agree.

The writing is patient and the acting is large without being silly. Few shows let a villain be this magnetic and still feel moral weight at the end. There is a speech near the finale that I rewound twice.

Eighty episodes is a lot, yet the story never loses its grip. I would pair it with a quiet week and good tea. It taught me more about old Hong Kong than any documentary.