An Elephant Sitting Still
This epic, heart-rending, beautiful first film by the young Chinese director Hu Bo would have heralded a filmmaker of great promise if he hadn’t committed suicide while fighting to finish it. Four main characters—a young, charismatic hoodlum (Zhang Yu); two students, each trapped in scandal (Peng Yuchang, Wang Yuwen); and a retiree pushed out of his home (Liu Congxi)—fight despair while dreaming of a possibly unattainable future. A snapshot of contemporary China’s ethos, and a masterwork of cinema.
Director: Hu Bo
Cast: Zhang Yu, Peng Yuchang, Wang Yuwen, Liu Congxi, Wang Ning
Runtime: 230 mins