3-Iron (Bin-jip) (2005)

Director:
Kim Ki-duk
Starring:
Lee Seung-yeon, Jae Hee, Kwon Hyuk-ho
Genre:
Drama / Romance / Art-house
Rating:
A true beauty experience with great originality.

When Kim Ki-duk removed a flyer that had been attached to his door, it became the genesis of the film 3-Iron. It tells the story of Tae-Suk, a young, beautiful homeless man who breaks into houses where the owner is away for one reason or another.

The young man, who rides an elegant motorcycle, quickly makes himself at home in these houses; he bathes, washes his clothes, and eats whatever the house provides. In return, he repairs broken items in the home; he cleans, launders, and makes everything neat and tidy. One day, he finds the weeping, battered, beautiful Sun-hwa in a house he thought was empty. The woman and the young man find each other's hearts, and the woman takes the opportunity to flee from her loathsome husband together with Tae-Suk. Before they leave, the husband, returning home unexpectedly, is "adjusted" by Tae-Suk... in sensitive places with golf balls struck with the 3-iron.

Now, the rich, influential husband takes a cruel revenge on the man who fled with his wife.

A true beauty experience with a sensual performance. A film of great originality.

Reviewed by Iva (September 2005)
Editor's Note (2026): Kim Ki-duk's masterpiece is renowned for its near-total lack of dialogue between the main characters. Iva accurately captures the film's unique balance between the violent and the beautiful.

The Iva Bring-Johansson Collection Project

Originally produced as a weekly segment for HIT FM Stockholm, these reviews represent a lifetime of cinematic insight. Today, the archive is an evolving digital project, meticulously translating Iva’s original 1979–2021 work into English.

Our mission is to preserve this legacy while expanding our focus on Nordic Noir and Scandinavian Cinema. Stay tuned as we expand our reach into the shadows of the North.