full title
3-IRON (2004)
  • Director KIM Ki-duk
    Year 2004
    Status Completed
    Genre drama
    Starring LEE Seung-yeon, JAE Hee
    Running Time 88 min.
    Country of Production Korea
    Festival & Awards 2004 Venice Film Festival - Competition - Special Prize for the Best Direction
    2004 Toronto International Film Festival - Contemporary World Cinema
    2004 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival - Eurasia Competition
    2004 International Film Festival Rotterdam - Maestros: Kings & Aces
    2005 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Horizons
    2005 San Sebastian International Film Festival - FIPRESCI - Best Film of the Year
    Synopsis Tae-suk drifts around on his motorcycle to find empty houses to stay in. He goes from door to door and puts up flyers on the key holes of each house. He later breaks into the house where the flyer is not removed, assuming that the owner is away. Tae-suk lives there till the owners return, but never steals or ruins anything in the house.
    He repeatedly lives like this until one day he sneaks into a rich home and meets a married woman named Sun-hwa, who has been suffering under the torment of her abusive husband. He witnesses her husband trying to rape her and swings golf balls at him with a 3 iron. Once he's out of commission, Tae-suk grabs Sun-hwa and takes her away from her cruel husband.
    Tae-suk and Sun-hwa stick flyers to doors and enter empty houses together. In every home they break into, Tae-suk as usual cooks food, does the chores, and fixes broken items. Sun-hwa sees this and for the first time feels the real comfort of a home. Tae-suk sees Sun-hwa gradually find her smiles again and begins to fall for her little by little. The two feel the pain and loneliness in each other and eventually fall in love.
    Then one day, they enter another house and discover the dead body of an old man. Tae-suk and Sun-hwa bury the body in a respectful ritual, and begin living in the old man's house as if it was their own. But their short happy days come to an end when the old man’s son makes a surprise visit. He calls the police and they take Tae-suk and Sun-hwa away.
    Tae-suk is charged with murder, trespassing, and kidnapping, while Sun-hwa is unwillingly brought back to her husband and begins her miserable marriage life again. As Sun-hwa waits for the day Tae-suk is released, Tae-suk finds a secret way to bring back the joys he and Sun-hwa once had.
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