Review of 3-Iron (2004) by Gareth J — 01 Nov 2007

Considering that the majority of South Korean films tend to be largely about Miike style violence and terrible acts of cruelty, it was a refreshing change for 3 Iron to blow away my expectations. Undoubtedly the most striking thing about 3 Iron is the way in which silence usurps dialogue for many of the scenes.

Like Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands or Jane Campion's The Piano, 3 Iron leaves its main characters almost totally mute allowing simple, lament-like music to punctuate their alienation in a superficial world of controlled customs and underlying hatred.

It also allows for vast quantities of emotion to be conveyed through the simplest of physical gestures, relatiing to the age old idea that people are judged through actions not by empty words. This empowers the few phrases spoken by female protagonist Sun-hwa and deepens their meaning whilst male lead Tae-Suk remains silent so that he can further perfect the ghostly stealth to which he has surely devoted his life.

All in all, 3 Iron is a film about two isolated, downtrodden people who find a new way to live. One that does not pay lip service to society or to authority but instead relates to the one thing that does matter: companionship.

As long as the two of them have each other, the rest of the world doesn't matter and that surely is something that any one who has been in love can relate to.