Oasis

Released May 7, 2004

2h 12m

Romance

Drama

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Oasis: Trailer 1

2:11

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90%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

83%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

Fresh out of prison, Hong Jong-du (Sul Kyung-gu) finds an unlikely soulmate in Gong-ju (Moon So-ri), the daughter of the victim of the hit-and-run accident for which he went to jail. Wheelchair-bound and suffering from severe cerebral palsy, Gong-ju is kept cloistered in a cheap apartment by her brother, whose only concern is the government assistance she receives. Over a series of clandestine meetings, the two begin an improbable relationship that defies the judgment and cruelty of the world around them.

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Critics Consensus

Lead actress Moon So-ri's stand out performance gives this harrowing film much of its power.

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Philip Wuntch

Dallas Morning News

A loving and lovely film.

Rated: B+

Sep 9, 2004

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

A brave film in the way it shows two people who find any relationship almost impossible, and yet find a way to make theirs work.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 27, 2004

Full Review

Wesley Morris

Boston Globe

The actors' scenes together are simultaneously abrasive and oddly gentle: two untamable people trying to stabilize each other.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 6, 2004

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Every aspect of this production is outstanding from the performances to the cinematography to the score to the direction.

Rated: 4.0/4.0

Sep 18, 2020

Full Review

Panos Kotzathanasis

HanCinema

Lee Chang-dong directs and pens a film that deals with a quite unlikely romance in order to portray in shuttering and occasionally disturbing (and even offensive) realism the circumstances of handicapped individuals.

Apr 7, 2019

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Projected Figures

a touching, if uncomfortable, depiction of conservative Korean society as the danger from which misfits sometimes need protection (rather than the other way round).

Aug 7, 2009

Full Review

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Audience Member

Lee Chang Dong's Oasis softly caresses the audience's heart with the smooth touch of two Seoul's lost souls, desiring for an unknown sense of humanity which they never seem to have found, until now. This is a movie of all and nothing, about prejudice, judgement, guilt, paradoxically filled with a void that shapes the characters of the movie. Hong Jong Du is a former detainee who spent a conviction for murder while driving drunk, to ultimately protect his brother who actually committed the crime, and his family . When he comes back to greet the victim's family after his release, he meets Gong-Ju, the victim's daughter, who is also paralytic. The two of them will initiate a relationship which will eventually result in a series of adverse joints of destiny which will drive them apart. The striking sensitivity and delicateness of the theme is mixed with an intimate sense of deep understanding of two souls who saw neglected the best from their life. They seem to find in each other a reason to grasp the meaning of a lifeless existence, which importance we may seem to forget on a daily basis. The surrounding prejudice and judgement towards whom the society seems to hipocritically ignore may splendidly turn into one the most impactful, impressively touching story of redemption, love and incomprehension that you will see on screen.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Beautiful and haunting film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely not. This man rapes this disabled woman in her home, and the story proceeds with them falling in love afterwards. I could not and refuse to continue watching after that. Heinous, unnecessary, and traumatizing. I get they're trying to show this love story of two marginalized people (I don't believe the male lead to be marginalized whatsoever, as a convicted rapist and murderer), but honestly, a rape as a plot point for romance, much less any kind of narrative, is absolutely vile.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is daring stuff. Deeply touching. I was utterly stunned.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

(Wrong description up above) Oasis is unrelenting, unapologetic, and uncomfortable. It tells the off kilter romance between a socially shy ex-con and a woman with cerebral palsy. This sounds like a romance that cannot exist, but it does. It well directed and written with a steady heart, so the movie is endearing and never schmaltzy. It ends exactly how you'd imagine, with society and the families not being able to understand. Some enjoy the optimistic ending, but I did not see any dialogue between the families to show how they misconstrued everything. Oasis is an eye opening critique on how society views ex-cons and the physically disabled, wrapped around a sweet Romeo and Juliet like romance, and its solid.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is an incredible film. A thoroughly unlikeable, social misfit falls into a relationship with a girl suffering from extreme cerebral palsy. The film takes it's time building just how unsympathetic the main character is, including starting the relationship with what one could only call a sexual assault, before taking you many places you do not expect to go. It manages to blend stark realism with some amazing and touching fantasy sequences. In the end, it's a testament to the power of feeling accepted by at least one person. Startling and brave.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Lee Chang-dong

Director

Sul Kyung-gu

Jong-du Hong

Moon So-ri

Gong-ju Han

Ahn Nae-sang

Jong-Il Hong

Ryoo Seung-wan

Jong-Sae Hong

Chu Gwi-jung

Jong-Sae's Wife

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Oasis: Trailer 1

2:11

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Synopsis

Fresh out of prison, Hong Jong-du (Sul Kyung-gu) finds an unlikely soulmate in Gong-ju (Moon So-ri), the daughter of the victim of the hit-and-run accident for which he went to jail. Wheelchair-bound and suffering from severe cerebral palsy, Gong-ju is kept cloistered in a cheap apartment by her brother, whose only concern is the government assistance she receives. Over a series of clandestine meetings, the two begin an improbable relationship that defies the judgment and cruelty of the world around them.

Director: Lee Chang-dong
Producer: Sung-min Choi, Kaynam Hyung
Screenwriter: Lee Chang-dong
Distributor: Bright Angel Distribution
Production Co: Dream Venture Capital, UniKorea Pictures, East Film Company
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): May 7, 2004, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 19, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 19, 2015
Runtime: 2h 12m

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