Huang Yishun once said that a genre movie with quick cuts is not as difficult as one that is static and moody, and it is the latter that is the case in The Years That Go By. The entire movie is a reflection of the depressed state of mind of the female protagonist, Shan Shan, in the countryside, and the editing and the language of the movie also enhance the portrayal of her inner world. When Shanshan returns to the countryside, she meets Hsiao-Sung and Chun, her childhood sweethearts and married couple, and reopens a long-sealed jar of vinegar, which causes ripples and changes in the simple emotions between the three of them. At a time when China and the United Kingdom are negotiating the future of Hong Kong, the movie avoids the distracting political issues and uses the "trip to the hometown" to show the love between the two places in a casual manner. The movie seems to be a hidden message to Hong Kong people, who on the one hand are troubled and anxious, and on the other hand hope to break through the boundaries with their compatriots in the Mainland and have mutual tolerance and understanding.