|
 -Iron" is the latest offering from Ki-duk
Kim, the acclaimed Korean director who has been
responsible for a number of nihilistic
masterpieces, including "Samaria"
and "Bad
Guy". "3-Iron" has been
gathering strong reviews and a number of
accolades, including several prizes and a special
director's award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.
However, this critical success is unlikely to
translate into widespread popularity, as
"3-Iron" is very much in line with the
director's previous films, being a complex
exploration of human relationships and
communication, as well as the violence so often
inherent in these aspects of our existence.
This
is not to suggest that the film is obtuse or
inaccessible to the average viewer as, if
anything, "3-Iron" sees Kim softening
his bleak view of humanity somewhat, and removing
some of the incredible viciousness which made many
of his earlier works rather unpalatable for those
with weaker stomachs. Although "3-Iron"
is still very much concerned with emotional
isolation and in this case a desire to fade from
the world, the director injects a sense of
surrealist whimsy. Also, despite themes of
domestic violence and societal control, Kim works
in a number of surprisingly gentle and beautiful
moments. The end result is an almost ethereal, yet
truly captivating film which is fascinating and
moving, and which stands amongst Kim's finest, yet
again confirming that he is one of the most
talented and insightful directors working in the
profession today.
The film begins
as we follow Tae-suk (Hee Jae), a strange, silent
young man who breaks into people's houses when
they are away on holiday, and takes up residence.
Far from being a thief or intent on any kind of
damage, Tae-suk actually cleans the houses, fixes
broken appliances, and tries to soak up the
details of the inhabitants' lives. His ghostly
existence is changed when he breaks into the house
of Sun-hwa (Seung-yeon Lee, recently in "This
Charming Girl"), a battered wife who chooses
to hide and watch Tae-suk as he goes about his odd
rituals. When her selfish brute of a husband
returns and beats her again, only to be thrashed
by Tae-suk using strategically hit golf balls,
Sun-hwa leaves with the strange young man and
enters his world of living between the lines of
society. Although at first things proceed in the
manner of an idyllic dream, tragedy strikes,
leaving the two facing harsh choices which will
dictate their place in the world.
One of the most
striking aspects of "3-Iron" is the way
Kim generates tension between the calm, ambient
existence of the two protagonists, and the violent
noise of the outside world. This tension is laid
bare by the fact that neither Tae-suk nor Sun-hwa
utters a word until the final scenes of the film.
Although this may well sound like pretentious
excess, Kim uses the device skillfully, seamlessly
interweaving it with the fabric of the film, and
it is quite likely that viewers will not even
realize the lack of dialogue until the two
eventually speak. The whole film is filled with
small gestures, and a gentle form of communication
which is innovative and at times simply
delightful. Both Jae and Lee give outstanding
performances, and the range of emotions they
convey with mere looks and actions is quite
incredible.
This silence,
combined with the gentle soundtrack and Kim's
dreamy, gorgeous visuals, gives the parts of the
film which focus on the strange couple a haunting
and beautiful air which is joyful in its
innocence, yet sad because the viewers are all too
aware that their self-imposed isolation will not
endure. Kim constantly reminds viewers of this by
shooting the outside world in harsh colors and
shadowy darkness, portraying a world filled with
selfish, vicious characters, such as Sun-hwa's
husband and a number of brutal policemen. Although
not as unpleasant as his earlier films (such as
"The
Isle"), Kim still includes a number of
uncomfortable scenes, as well as some of the
random deaths which he often uses to illustrate
the chaotic nature of the world.
Kim uses this
tension between the two different types of life to
illustrate the traps that people exist in, whether
of their own making or not, a theme which he has
explored in several other films. In
"3-Iron", Kim offers some form of hope,
though typically, this is left very much up to the
viewer to interpret and to draw meaning from, as
the film's final act takes a decidedly surrealist
turn, with events that may or may not be real, and
a climax which is incredibly moving, whilst
leaving much to the imagination.
This, for many
viewers, will be the main problem with the
director's films, as his decision not to impose
any kind of real moral judgment on his characters,
or to offer any concrete answers to the questions
raised, can be frustrating. However, for those who
enjoy films which stimulate and probe, Ki-duk
Kim's works can almost be seen as philosophical
tracts which beg for deeper meditation in a way
which is hugely rewarding in an age where most
films simply spoon feed viewers their plots and
secrets.
|
