Days of Heaven

Year: 1978

Runtime: 94 min

Language: English

Director: Terrence Malick

DramaRomance

In 1916, two siblings and their lover flee Chicago and find work on a wheat farm in Texas. Entranced by the beauty of the landscape and the farm owner's wife, they become entangled in a complex web of deceit and passion. A tragic accident sets off a chain of events, leading to a desperate struggle for survival and a quest for retribution against the backdrop of the vast, golden plains.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Days of Heaven yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Days of Heaven (1978)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Days of Heaven (1978). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:42

Main Characters – Days of Heaven (1978)

Meet the key characters of Days of Heaven (1978), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:42

Major Themes – Days of Heaven (1978)

Explore the central themes of Days of Heaven (1978), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:42

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Pastoral tragedies with melancholic beauty like Days of Heaven

Stories where idyllic landscapes contrast with crushing human despair.Discover movies like Days of Heaven that unfold tragic stories against breathtaking rural landscapes. These films use the sublime beauty of nature to amplify themes of loneliness, class struggle, and doomed love, resulting in a heavy, visually stunning, and melancholic viewing experience.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often follow characters seeking refuge or a new life in a seemingly peaceful natural environment, only to find their personal conflicts and flaws magnified by the isolation and harsh realities of that world. The plot is typically a slow-burn crescendo towards an inescapable, often violent or sorrowful, conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped for their shared aesthetic of visual grandeur paired with emotional devastation, a deliberate slow pacing that lets the atmosphere build, and a central theme of humanity being both dwarfed and defined by the natural world.

Slow-burn love triangles with tragic consequences like Days of Heaven

Deceitful romances that simmer quietly before boiling over into tragedy.If you liked the complex deceit and tragic fallout of the love triangle in Days of Heaven, explore these films. They feature simmering tensions, morally ambiguous characters, and romances that are doomed from the start, leading to heavy, emotionally resonant conclusions.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a central deception—often a ruse for survival or social climbing—that creates an unstable romantic triangle. The pacing is slow, allowing the psychological pressure on the characters to build until a catalyst event triggers a violent or sorrowful chain reaction, leaving no character unscathed.

Why These Movies?

Movies belong here due to their focus on a specific narrative structure: a slow-building, deceit-based love triangle that escalates into tragedy. They share a high emotional weight, a bittersweet or bleak ending, and a contemplative, anxious mood.

Unlock the Full Story of Days of Heaven

Don't stop at just watching — explore Days of Heaven in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Days of Heaven is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Days of Heaven Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Days of Heaven, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Days of Heaven Timeline

Track the full timeline of Days of Heaven with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Days of Heaven Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About Days of Heaven

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Days of Heaven: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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Discover movies like Days of Heaven that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.