This review may contain spoilers
Dream or reality?
What if the scale no longer showed reality? What if it showed 0? What do I weigh then, when I step on the scale and it shows that my weight is 0? Is it a dream or reality?
Tae Suk breaks into strangers' homes to stay there for a day or a night. He never steals, occasionally he moves a painting or changes something of minor importance, but he always repays the hospitality by fixing small things, doing the laundry or cleaning. One day, no more remarkable than any other day, he breaks into what he thinks is an empty house. In the darkest corner of the house, Sun Hwa sits huddled, despairing and afraid that her husband will come home. Her face is bruised. When she sees Tae Suk, she watches and follows her intruder carefully. Later that night, she steps forward and shows herself. Tae Suk is surprised and moves eagerly towards the door to leave when the phone rings. That's Sun Hwa's man.
In some situations - In some encounters - Only glances are needed to communicate and understand. When two people who share a very strong feeling meet, the moment and the energy can tell everything. Such is the case for Tae Suk and Sun Hwa. They share the feeling of an incredible loneliness and in this scene take part in each other - Are sucked into each other - And escape together. Without speaking at all.
3-Iron tells the story in images more than in dialogue. A stationary camera allows the viewer to see details: The scenography, the sound and above all the faces can be interpreted and observed to a completely different extent. Here it is unbeatable. It is a kind of poetry that our Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki also expresses himself so well in, a kind of figurative and very freely interpreted poetry. You don't lose interest in a single frame, not for a single second. And without knowing anything about their background, the symbol-laden images (the film literally speaks in them) shape two characters with a lot of depth and emotion. You understand their loneliness and you understand their longing: How they need each other for their survival. That energy creates one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever seen on film.
In the end, they get caught and Tae Suk is reported for a whole series of crimes. They are separated and Sun Hwa is forced to return to her husband who is patiently waiting for his revenge. But with more courage and strength in her body – She knows that Tae Suk will be released – She manages to resist. Now it is about finding a way for Tae Suk and Sun Hwa to reunite. What drives them now is love.
To a large extent, Kim Ki Duk's film is about precisely this: What drives and motivates people. Why does Tae Suk wander around apartments, what satisfaction and what holes does it fill? Does he fill the hole of loneliness? And Sun Hwa's husband, what motivates his vengeful spirit, could it also be loneliness? And when Kim Ki Duk does it with high-strung energy and strong characters, and instead of taking the turns uses empathy and meticulous image processing – Well then it can't be anything but masterful.
FYI: The director wrote the script for the film in a month, it was shot in just 16 days and edited in 10.
Tae Suk breaks into strangers' homes to stay there for a day or a night. He never steals, occasionally he moves a painting or changes something of minor importance, but he always repays the hospitality by fixing small things, doing the laundry or cleaning. One day, no more remarkable than any other day, he breaks into what he thinks is an empty house. In the darkest corner of the house, Sun Hwa sits huddled, despairing and afraid that her husband will come home. Her face is bruised. When she sees Tae Suk, she watches and follows her intruder carefully. Later that night, she steps forward and shows herself. Tae Suk is surprised and moves eagerly towards the door to leave when the phone rings. That's Sun Hwa's man.
In some situations - In some encounters - Only glances are needed to communicate and understand. When two people who share a very strong feeling meet, the moment and the energy can tell everything. Such is the case for Tae Suk and Sun Hwa. They share the feeling of an incredible loneliness and in this scene take part in each other - Are sucked into each other - And escape together. Without speaking at all.
3-Iron tells the story in images more than in dialogue. A stationary camera allows the viewer to see details: The scenography, the sound and above all the faces can be interpreted and observed to a completely different extent. Here it is unbeatable. It is a kind of poetry that our Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki also expresses himself so well in, a kind of figurative and very freely interpreted poetry. You don't lose interest in a single frame, not for a single second. And without knowing anything about their background, the symbol-laden images (the film literally speaks in them) shape two characters with a lot of depth and emotion. You understand their loneliness and you understand their longing: How they need each other for their survival. That energy creates one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever seen on film.
In the end, they get caught and Tae Suk is reported for a whole series of crimes. They are separated and Sun Hwa is forced to return to her husband who is patiently waiting for his revenge. But with more courage and strength in her body – She knows that Tae Suk will be released – She manages to resist. Now it is about finding a way for Tae Suk and Sun Hwa to reunite. What drives them now is love.
To a large extent, Kim Ki Duk's film is about precisely this: What drives and motivates people. Why does Tae Suk wander around apartments, what satisfaction and what holes does it fill? Does he fill the hole of loneliness? And Sun Hwa's husband, what motivates his vengeful spirit, could it also be loneliness? And when Kim Ki Duk does it with high-strung energy and strong characters, and instead of taking the turns uses empathy and meticulous image processing – Well then it can't be anything but masterful.
FYI: The director wrote the script for the film in a month, it was shot in just 16 days and edited in 10.
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