Time of Love

Time of Love

Year: 1991

Runtime: 75 mins

Language: Persian

Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Drama

Three episodes, all with relatively similar plots about a love triangle between a woman and two men.

Time of Love (1991) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Time of Love (1991) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In a sun‑drenched town where everyday sounds mingle with the whisper of birds, a woman named Gozal finds herself caught in the restless pulse of desire. She shares a modest home with a husband who makes his living behind the wheel of a taxi, while a young blond shoeshine boy drifts through the streets, offering quick clean‑ups and quieter confidences. Their lives intersect under the watchful ears of an old man who spends his afternoons recording the songs of birds, a habit that unintentionally turns him into a silent witness to the fragile ties that bind them.

The story unfolds in three self‑contained episodes, each revisiting the same love triangle from a slightly shifted angle. In one version the taxi driver is the husband, in another the roles are reversed, and a third offers a moment of tentative reconciliation. This structural play invites the audience to contemplate how perspective reshapes loyalty, longing, and the sense of inevitability that hangs over the characters. The recurring presence of the old man—always listening, always noting—adds a lyrical undercurrent, suggesting that even the most ordinary observations can ripple through lives in unexpected ways.

The tone balances a hushed melancholy with a subtle, almost hypnotic rhythm, echoing the cadences of the bird songs that thread through the narrative. The cinematography is intimate, lingering on close‑up glances and the worn textures of the town’s streets, while the soundscape alternates between bustling market chatter and the soft, steady hum of traffic. These elements together create a world that feels both familiar and estranged, a place where love, envy, and fate seem to circle back on themselves.

Through Gozal and the men around her, the film explores how desire can both illuminate and obscure the paths we walk, leaving viewers to wonder whether the cycle can ever truly be broken or if the town’s quiet chorus will forever echo the same refrain.

Last Updated: December 03, 2025 at 23:36

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

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.

Tragic Love Triangle Movies like Time of Love

Stories where jealousy and infidelity trigger an inescapable spiral of violence.If you liked the fatalistic spiral of Time of Love, explore more movies about love triangles with tragic consequences. These films, often dramas or thrillers, focus on the dark outcomes of jealousy and betrayal, creating a heavy and tense viewing experience similar to this one.

tragicfatalistictensegrimmelancholicoppressivejealousybetrayal

Narrative Summary

These narratives often follow a similar fatalistic arc: the discovery of infidelity leads to intense confrontation, culminating in irreversible consequences like revenge, murder, or suicide. The structure may be linear or use variations to emphasize the cyclical, inescapable nature of the conflict.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared exploration of dark, relationship-driven tragedy, their high emotional weight, and their steady, grim pacing that builds a sense of inevitable doom centered on betrayal.

Complex Anthology Dramas like Time of Love

Complex narratives using multiple stories to explore a single, heavy theme.Fans of the intricate, three-story structure of Time of Love will appreciate these complex narrative films. These movies use multiple perspectives or vignettes to build a deeper exploration of a central tragic theme, offering a similarly demanding and thought-provoking watch.

complexmelancholiccontemplativefatalisticthought-provokinganthologymulti-storythematic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves telling several self-contained stories that are variations on a core theme. This structure allows the film to compare outcomes, challenge perspectives, and build a cumulative emotional and intellectual weight, demanding active engagement from the viewer to piece together the overarching message.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their complex, non-linear storytelling structure and their use of that structure to deliver a profound, often heavy, thematic exploration. They share a steady pacing that allows for deep reflection and a mixed emotional tone due to their segmented nature.

Unlock the Full Story of Time of Love

Don't stop at just watching — explore Time of Love 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 Time of Love is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Time of Love Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Time of Love, 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.

Time of Love Summary

Time of Love Timeline

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

Time of Love Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Time of Love

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Time of Love. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Time of Love

More About Time of Love

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

More About Time of Love

Similar Movies to Time of Love

Discover movies like Time of Love 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.