Kim Ki-duk Latest Film “3-Iron” Gets Rave Reviews

The entrancing moving "3-Iron", the eleventh movie by Korean cinema powerhouse director Kim Ki-duk, is receiving rave reviews from film critics around the world.

According to CineClickAsia, the movies' overseas distributor, on January 18, the U.S. periodicals ‘Reelview' and ‘The Seattle Weekly' ranked "3-Iron" (the original title "Bin Jip" means "vacant houses") number four among in their list of last year's top ten movies.

Moreover, the film was named the "Best Film for 2005" by Belgium's Film Critics Association. "3-Iron" was the third South Korean film to win the honor after "Chihwaseon" (Strokes of fire) and "Old Boy".

"3-Iron" won four awards at the 2004 Venice International Film Festival, and Kim Ki-duk received the Silver Lion, the prize for the best director. The movie was named the best film last year by the Italy-based International Federation of Film Critics, FIPRESCI.

In Spain, "3-Iron" has also earned the Great Prize Fipresci at the 53rd San Sebastian Film Festival in San Sebastian, and the Golden Spike Award, the top prize, in the 49th Valladolid International Film Festival. The film also won 5 prizes its own in the 8th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia.

The English name of the movie, "3-Iron", is a reference to a golf club, the object that has a pivotal role in the story. "3-Iron" is a very quiet movie, in which actions, rather than words, dominate. The protagonists of the film never speak.

The film revolves around the story of a woman locked in a cycle of violence and harassment, and a homeless young man with nothing to lose. Roamer Taeseok (played by Jae Hee) is in the habit of seeking out vacant houses; he resides in the house for days, cleaning the house and repairing broken gadgets during his stays. One day, he visits a gorgeous mansion where Seonhwa (played by Lee Seung-yeon) lives like a ghost between brutal beatings by her husband. One day, Taeseok saves Seonhwa from her husband's violence by wielding a three-iron golf club against him. From then on, they live together like a married couple.

Exported to some 40 countries, "3-Iron" has definitely propelled Kim Ki-duk to the status of a world-class filmmaker. The movie is gaining a great recognition, garnering steadily audiences throughout Europe. The film garnered 130,000 viewers with an intake of 900,000 Euro in France; in Italy 170,000 people saw the film for a total of 950,000 Euro of revenue.

"3-Iron" is extending its screenings to 22 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Switzerland, and Israel.

By Rachel Lee