Institute History
Description
The burgeoning master of Korean cinema, Kim Ki-duk, returns to Sundance (The Isle screened in 2001, and Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter…and Spring in 2004) with his latest tour de force, 3-Iron. Although this film also relies heavily on imagery rather than dialogue, Kim produces a fascinatingly different result.
Tae-suk is homeless and lives like a phantom. His daily routine involves temporary stays in houses and apartments he knows are vacant. He never robs nor damages his unknowing hosts' homes; rather, like a kind ghost, he repays their unintended hospitality by doing the laundry or making small repairs. Once a beautiful model, Sun-hwa has withered living under the shadow of her abusive husband, who keeps her imprisoned in their affluent house. Tae-suk and Sun-hwa are fated to cross paths through their invisible existences. They meet when Tae-suk breaks into Sun-hwa's house, and they instantly recognize the similarity of their souls. As if bound by unseen ties, they find themselves unable to separate.
3-Iron is a magical love story set in a poetic universe filled with lucid desperation and serene detachment. Imbued with rare elegance, levity, and depth, it portrays a courtship between characters who are ebbing and flowing through their lives toward each other. Kim Ki-duk is a lyrical narrator of love and solitude and has orchestrated yet another visual masterpiece.