Three Times (2020) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Three Times weaves three distinct love stories across pivotal moments in Taiwan's history, each rendered in a different visual and linguistic style to mirror its era. The film moves between 1966 Kaohsiung, presented in warm tones with dialogue in Taiwanese Hokkien; 1911 Dadaocheng, captured in the silent-film tradition with on-screen titles as Taiwan existed under Japanese rule; and contemporary 2005 Taipei, unfolding in the vibrant nightlife of the modern city. Together, these segments form a meditation on desire, longing, and the ways love persists across changing times.

The first story introduces Chen, a young soldier awaiting deployment, who finds himself drawn to May, a woman who works in a pool hall. Their connection begins through shared games and lingering glances, suggesting a quiet, unspoken attraction that blossoms amid the rhythms of a city alive with possibility. The setting evokes a nostalgic intimacy, where small gestures carry the weight of entire emotional worlds.

In the second tale, set during Taiwan's colonial period, a singing courtesan in a brothel longs for a different life. Her admirer, Mr. Chang, is a traveling writer and political activist dedicated to the cause of liberation, whose convictions shape the boundaries of their relationship. Rendered without spoken dialogue, this segment carries a hushed, theatrical gravity, where the courtesan's voice is the only sound to break the silence, and the political atmosphere frames her personal yearning.

The final story shifts to modern Taipei, where Jing, a club singer living with her girlfriend, crosses paths with Zhen, a photographer whose camera brings him closer to her world. Their attraction introduces a complicated dynamic into Jing's existing relationship, set against the backdrop of the city's pulsating nightlife. This contemporary chapter grounds the film in a more immediate, restless energy, exploring how love and identity navigate the complexities of the present day.