KR Films

Three years ago, a crew 3, namely director LEE Chang-dong, actor SOL Kyung-gu and actress MOON So-ri has made a world praising film called PEPPERMINT CANDY (1999). While the actor and actress getting big, they are back to help director LEE again for his new film OASIS.

With very set up from a normal Korean film, OASIS describes the love between a couple who are not being accepted by the general community. Jong-doo is just being release from prison for a careless driving case resulting death. He is back to his hometown but none of the people can stand for him, including his family. SOL looks also like a person who cannot cope with the community, starting his bad experiences when getting the bus.

With his sincere visit to the death's home, he finds his Oasis - the death's daughter Gong-joo (MOON So-ri). Gong-joo has been suffered from a brain diseases with two faces. Most of the time, she looks like a severely disabled girl who cannot control her eyes nor her faces with very little ability being around. She is being considered as trash by her family. She lives alone at a poor house until she got visited by her doctor. Jong-doo is so excited for his Oasis and rape Gong-joo, which makes Gong-joo feel that she has just seen her Oasis.

The film title OASIS comes from a wall picture from Gong-joo's house which describes not a real Oasis but a place with music, woman and a child dancing around happily. The whole film takes the underline meaning of OASIS.

With the sudden start for the OASIS, both of them meet each other again and enjoying their Oasis. Then Jong-doo finds another Oasis on Gong-joo, the short period of them when Gong-joo behaves normal, she shows her love on him. With the love, Gong-joo has changed himself to be a person taking every care to her. Gong-joo also satisfied him by having sex with him.

However, the whole community knows nothing on this couple's love. Each family shows their reluctance to their new companion. LEE Chang-dong has taken a very sharp angle in describing the discrimination of prisoner and a disabled girl in the film in all extent. Audiences has been given chances to think about their way of treatment to this minority group.

SOL Kyung-gu, whose acting has being proved again with his awards from his last film PUBLIC ENEMY (2002), shows his wide variety of acting again as a prisoner from dialogues to acting. However, the more outstanding performer in the film is MOON So-ri. Acting as a disabled girl may help her to stand out her acting but not as what MOON done shows a face being abnormal almost all the time with iris looking differently from time to time. MOON shows perfect in her role in both disabled part and normal part.

Audiences have been considered director LEE's last film as a quality film. If they considered his new film as a OASIS to the Korean film industry, they have given an accurate expectation to the film.