I had some reservations going into nearly four hours about what seemed like an elephant just standing still! However, it turns out the film isn’t really about an actual elephant but more of a series of stories centered around four young people living in Manzhouli. It's not exactly a place where much excitement happens and the prospects for these individuals don't seem any better than what their parents had, or even their grandparents. “Bu” (Yuchang Peng) lashes out after constant bullying at school; “Ling” (Uvin Wang) attends the same school but has run away from home; then there’s “Cheng” (Zhang Yu), who is struggling with suicidal thoughts. Rounding out this group, “Mr. Wang” (Zi Xi) is trying to prevent his son from sending him to a nursing home – somewhere he feels he's not ready for. What follows is largely depressing. There’s really no other way to describe the somber tone of this mostly slow-moving and introspective look at four people, three deaths, too much sadness, and perhaps an excessive number of scenes depicting despair. So why bother watching it? Well, it's a strikingly original piece of filmmaking that occasionally offers drama, sometimes feels like a documentary, and explores themes of grief and loneliness in a genuine way. The fact that all of this is contained within a single twenty-four hour period gives it an intensity that shifts between emotional impact and absurdity. You might even wonder if the director (Bo Hu) was just experiencing a really bad time when he created this, until you notice – particularly with Yuchang Peng and Zi Xi – that so much of the film’s power comes not from what is said but from the understated performances. It could almost be a silent movie were it not for the sound design, which effectively conveys their sadness. Now, the other elephant in the room: does it really need to be this long? Probably not, and at times it feels overly drawn out and self-indulgent, diminishing its impact. Scenes seem to appear simply for dramatic effect rather than because they truly contribute to the characters’ stories. As with most films dealing with suicide and its aftermath, it's neither a pleasant nor an easy watch, but it is a powerful film that examines how people cope with everything from persistent sadness to everyday life, making it worthwhile. I would suggest seeing this in a theater; attempting to concentrate while watching it on television might just be too much to bear.

Source on TMDB