Korean director Kim Ki-Duk has created some unique films, most notably the luscious Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter"¦And Spring. 3-Iron does not equal the scenic beauty of that film, but the use of symbolic devices and minimal dialogue is identical. In 3-Iron, the two lead characters do not actually speak, aside from one meaningful declaration at the end. Despite this lack of verbal communication, however, their relationship is surprisingly engaging and tender.
Tae-suk (Jae Hee) has a unique way of avoiding human contact (and rent payments, for that matter), by breaking into empty houses! The young man treats the chosen house as his own until the tenants return. He cooks, fixes broken appliances and even does the family’s laundry. This pattern changes one day when he breaks into a house, unaware that someone is still there. Sun-hwa (Seung-yeon Lee), a battered and lonely wife, watches the enigmatic Tae-suk from the shadows. Once her presence is discovered – and Tae-suk rescues her from her husband – they flee the house together. Sun-hwa then joins her rescuer in his break-and-enter adventures. As the relationship grows, they discover an unexpected domestic bliss in the homes of strangers.
The 3-Iron golf club is a recurring prop in the film. As the least used of all golf clubs, it works well as a metaphor for the two outsiders and their decision to avoid human interaction. The metaphor is doubled when the club is also used to defend the couple, and comes back to haunt them when Tae-suk accidentally injures a stranger with a wayward ball.
If you salivate over gently paced films – and if you love a unique story told beautifully – you will adore 3-Iron. Marise Watson, Filmink Magazine
