At the end of Erich von Stroheim's classic 1924 silent film, "Greed," two men are stuck in Death Valley with money they both want just out of reach. It is easy to think that Anthony Hayes had this film (and this scene) in mind when he cowrote and directed "Gold," a rugged new thriller about two men, the desert, the title element, and, of course, greed.
The film is set "some time, some place, not far from now." Man 1 (Zac Efron) is first seen riding in a boxcar. He is a good man, as illustrated by his giving food to a crying baby. As he arrives at a station, he is in search of Man 2 (Hayes), who will take him to "The Compound," which is a long car ride away. Man 1 walks with a limp and has a vacant look in his eyes. He keeps an air of mystery about himself — refusing to explain the scar on his weathered face — but he does reveal that he is going to The Compound after seeing a flyer that reads, "In four months, you'll be a changed man." Man 2 questions this decision, telling him that he will work hard, for long hours, and be a target.
