What does the phrase a pound of flesh mean?

The saying "a pound of flesh" is another term for a debt that needs to be paid, except that 'pound of flesh' refers to an onerous debt, one that is either unable to be paid (but demanded), or one that is far in excess of the amount owed, or one in which the payment is set to adamantly exacting standards. It comes from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, if you'll recall.

As regards the movie Seven Pounds, the result of this interpretation of the title would put some interesting fillips on the entire narrative of the film. Use the link below to review that question and its answer.