3-Iron (2004)

Wow! Just wow! I watch A LOT of films and the more you see the more you realize how difficult it is for filmmakers to create something that sticks out from the crowd.

This, my friends, stuck out from the crowd. This is the type of movie I like to watch and someday hope to make. This film was absolutely amazing from start to finish! A true art film, slightly similar in tone and mood to one of the best art house films of all time, In The Mood for Love.

I did not know what to expect going in. I was half-terrified that this was going to be some gut - wrenching tragedy that will haunt me for days, but it wasn't. Not in the least. Instead it was one of the most beautiful renditions of love I've ever seen materialize on film in a very long time.

The leads do not speak a word of dialogue, but it was neither missed nor needed. Everything that's important was beautifully communicated with a meaningful glance or a tender act. The chemistry between the leads was undeniable. I never grew tired of being in their world, in fact I wanted to get lost in it.

More than anything, though, I loved the message that I interpreted from it.

A lot can be said about life and how we get through our own personal struggles. The audience might not be entirely sure what is real or imagined, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter. What matters is that as human beings we need these moments of reprieve, real or imagined, to get through life. They add meaning to our existence and give us the strength to carry on in the face of adversary. I just love it.

I also loved the ending - bittersweet, but not in a sad, haunting sort of way. In a very positive, hopeful, uplifting sort of way. It's been a couple of days since I saw the film and it still brings a smile to my face just remembering it.

I can't praise it enough. Everything about it was just perfectly rendered: the atmosphere, the setting, the acting, the score! I've been listening to the lovely, evocative music of Natasha Atlas ever since I saw this film. Kim Ki-duk, by this effort alone, has not only cemented himself as a director to watch for me, but also one that is likely to influence my own work as a filmmaker. This was a perfect 10. I'm sure I'll be re-watching for this for years to come.

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This movie really emphasized the meaning “actions speak louder than words”. Through the silence of the main character the watcher was able to focus more on the actions and were able to freely translate the body language. Things like eating with one another, crying on each other's shoulder, touching feet under the table, taking a picture together, or other such simple gestures became much more powerful and meaningful.

This movie is very quiet but it works quite well for it. Throughout the entire movie, probably only about 4 songs are played. Three of which are instrumentals and the fourth an extremely calming, beautiful song called Gafsa sung by Natacha Atlas. Music would only be played if a scene needed to be over emphasized. This only happened a select few times in the movie but when music would play it would do exactly that. It would evoke a whole new kind of feeling from a scene.

As for the dialogue, it was also very quiet. In the entire movie, the extras had more dialogue than the two main characters. The main male character, Taesuk did not have a single line while the main female character, Sunhwa, had two.

The plot and dialogue alone may not have been anything amazing, but the idea of the movie appeared not to be focused on a gripped story. Instead, it felt more focused on extracting emotions from the audience and allowed the audience silence to think and interpret the movie without distractions of constant dialogue, music, and plot changes. Its beauty lies in its simplicity.

For people that are into solid plots, surprising twists, complex dialogues, and romance, I would not recommend this movie. But for the people that can appreciate a calming, simplistic movie with realistic themes this would be for them.

This is my all time favorite movie and is the only thing on this site that I'm okay with giving a 10 on rewatch value because no matter how many times I watch it I never get sick of it

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There are plenty of reviews already explaining how awesome this movie but I'm still amazed. The plot is just so refreshing and different but not too complex. It's great! I think everyone would enjoy this movie regardless of age and preferences. To put it in short, it's a sweet love story of two people alone in this world. A woman who suffers from domestic violence and a mysterious boy who breaks into people's homes when they aren't around but only eats and sleeps there and retreats right after the owners return.

The cast is amazing! The two main leads express themselves so beautifully without any use of words. I would recommend it to everyone. One of the finest Korean movies I have watched till date.

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Ok, so Kim Ki Duk (KKD), my favourite director. This was not the first I've seen of him but I must say it's a masterpiece (there is no other way to describe it).

If you are not a KKD fan and haven't seen any of his movies I suggest you begin with this one because it's the easiest to understand and it's a delightful love story.

The main characters don't talk during all movie but their feelings are definitly conveyed to the viewer (that's the power of all KKD movies in my opinion and the reason why they are so famous worldwide).
As in most of his movies the main character is a woman with a problematic life that finds salvation through love. It's a very moving and beautiful story that will leave you wanting more of KKD.

The movie has violence and sex (as all of KKD's other works) although here in a very small scale (compared to others of KKD's works). It's definitly a must watch.

If you liked this and want more of KKD's works I suggest to move on to 'Time' or 'Beautiful' and then keep going to other of his most heavy works.

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There's not so much "drama" as there are "emotions". The actors were outstanding. No lines from the main character. This was very a unusual movie. It felt like you're watching more then understanding more, if you know what I mean. It's great if you don't like subtitles :P It was nice watching something different then the unusual. The writers did a good job making the feel of the story & setting of the mood, and the actors did wonderful at prompting the affect of emotions.

It was fantastic. This was my VERY first drama I've ever watched. For a beginner, it's really hard to catch the storyline, get all the character's names so you know who's talking about who (& faces), read the subtitles, grasping the emotions & moments given... Man, it was work for me, compared to anime (plus I HATE Romantic >.

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damnn, how is this not a top movie. this movie is just strange that i cant explain, one has to watch to know coz the end was confusing. its a silent movie where the two main leads dont say a word in the whole movie but their actions are louder. great direction from the director who was able to accomodate their situations to fit the silence. this man is squating in peoples houses when they are away on vacation then he does some chores before leaving. he bumps into one house where a woman is hiding from her abusive husband and he helps her out without saying a word. they both now squat together and more strange things happen. the arabic music is just perfect and sets the mood. love it love it

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I expected to find this movie interesting, and to enjoy it as kind of a cult-classic of Korean cinema... But I didn't expect to be entranced or moved so deeply. And I certainly didn't expect to still be thinking about it for days and weeks afterwards.

The characters are strange, and yet we know them, because we know loneliness. We know what it's like to look into a house and wonder about the lives of its inhabitants. We know what it's like to feel helpless and trapped. And if we don't know what it's like to meet someone who understands us, we want to know, and 3-iron (or "Empty Houses") takes us there. It doesn't shy away from the weird, the violent, or the morally ambiguous, but somehow the main characters' innocence is overwhelming.

Weird and wonderful is the best way I can describe the movie. Highly recommended!

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I began this movie.. Having no idea what it was going to be like. NO IDEA. I read the summary.. thought it sounded.. amusing, and said to myself, "I think I'll check it out and I can go watch something else if I don't like it." And so I started it.. I am sooo glad, I chose this movie, so glad.

This movie is so weirdly likable.. and I think it really is to be watched by those who are able to understand the subtleties of little things. I kinda of fell in love with this movie even though I really.. REALLY don't understand it. I started watching it and.. It's one of those movies that's just a what-the-fuck movie. You occasionally come across one of those and this is definitely a what-the-fuck kind of movie. You really don't understand what it is you're seeing but you keep watching and you are enjoying it, weirdly enough.

The lack of dialogue, the music, the slowness.. it's like some sort of foreign dance. You aren't really used to it and so you don't think it's "good" but you still enjoy it BECAUSE of it's foreignness and because of it's beauty and difference. It's difference is what makes it enjoyably.

To be able to watch and fully enjoy and understand it, I think you're going to have to be someone who can be very open-minded and also not easily get emotional. It's a very emotional movie but in so much subtlety. Subtlety is truly the other title for this movie. it touches on everything, but the touch is so light, I feel like a lot will go unnoticed and just go in one ear and out the other to those who are unable to see this movie as an art piece.

There is little-to-no dialogue in this movie but it makes for a rather melodramatic, dark plot that kind of worms it's way into your brain and sits there waiting for a reaction. I get the feeling, while watching this dark movie, that it's one of those painful and artistic movies where subtlety is everything and you really have to listen and look to understand what's happening. It's almost messed up and twisted but it's not. A purely innocent love story that leads the characters to a sort of new love and family warmth that they have (or so the story forgets to tell us) never had or have been able to receive.

This movie touches a lot on the lack of a normal, easy life these two have. It touches on domestic violence and what it does to woman both during and after they've gone through the abuse. It touches mental illness and on homelessness and.. in a way.. life "on the run."

Love, misunderstanding, intelligence, trickery, mental health, physical disability, although this movie portrays all of these things.. I feel like they do it in a way that's very difficult to understand yet so easy to pick up on once you really take a look at it.

If you can understand the pain and beauty people go through in life and see how the humans react to different types of treatment, I feel like you'll very much enjoy this movie.. very much.
It's definitely worth your time so go and watch at least 20 minutes of it before you drop it. I promise you wont be disappointed if you didn't run away after reading the summary.

"It's hard to tell that the world we live in is either a reality or a dream."

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