Oasis (film)
Encyclopedia
Oasis (2002
) is South Korea
Lee Chang-dong
's third feature film, and the last one he directed before his stint as South Korea's Minister of Culture. The film's plot tells about the difficult romance between a mildly mentally disabled man who was just released from jail after a two and a half year sentence for involuntary manslaughter and a woman with severe cerebral palsy
. Starring in these roles are the couple from Lee Chang-dong's previous film Peppermint Candy
: Sol Kyung-gu
and Moon So-ri
. The movie also shows how the two main characters are treated by their families and perceived by the people around them.
The film was a critical success, earning prizes in numerous film festivals. Among the most important were the special director's prize given to Lee Chang-dong at the Venice Film Festival
and the Marcello Mastroianni award for best "first time" actress given to Moon So-ri at the same event.
In an awkward attempt at reconciliation, Jong-Du seeks out the family of the man killed in the hit-and-run accident. He finds the man’s son, Sang-Shik, in the process of moving out of the apartment. Sang-shik is leaving his Cerebral Palsy-stricken sister Gong-Ju behind to be cared for by the neighbors, while he uses her disability pension to supplement his own lifestyle. The family is horrified at Jong-Du’s intrusion and he is told to leave, but not before he has become intrigued by Gong-Ju.
Jong-Du decides to woo her by sending flowers and, while spying on Gong-Ju’s apartment, discovers where her house keys are hidden. Later, he lets himself in at a time when he knows she is alone. Trying to reassure and pacify the startled Gong-Ju, he loses control and starts to impose himself on the helpless young woman, stopping only when she faints. In classic Jong- Du fashion, he impulsively leaves his phone number in her room before he departs so that Gong-Ju would know where to find him.
Fired from his delivery job after crashing the scooter, Jong-Du is given the opportunity to work in his brother’s auto repair shop, where he also sleeps at night. A couple of days later to his surprise and delight, Gong-Ju calls him in the middle of night.
After a number of secret encounters and outings, several times nearly being discovered by Jong-Du’s brother or the neighbors, the two misfits become inseparable. Uninhibited and wanting to share her feelings with Jong-Du, Gong-Ju tells him how frightened she is of a shadow from a tree outside of her window that reflects on a picture hanging in her room. In his protective yet comforting manner, Jong-Du promises Gong-Ju that she no longer has to be afraid because he will make the shadows disappear by magic.
On their adventures outside of the apartment, the couple is faced with the harsh reality of a discriminating society but is comforted by the innocent sanctity of their shared love. When Jong-Du naively brings Gong-Ju to his mother’s birthday celebration, tempers flare. The last thing Jong-Du’s older brother wants is for him to be socializing with a family member of his hit and run victim.
Wanting to feel and be treated like a woman, Gong Ju invites Jong Du back to her apartment where they make love. When her brother arrives on a surprise visit, chaos erupts. Jong Du is arrested; charged with raping a helpless, handicapped woman. Gong Ju’s family makes sure that no one hears her side of the story. But in one final burst of passion, Jong Du escapes from the police and rushes to Gong Ju’s apartment. The couple manages to reaffirm their love as Jong Du fulfills his promise of making the shadows disappear, by climbing the tree adjacent to her apartment and cutting the branches off, before falling and being hauled off to prison.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
) is South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
Lee Chang-dong
Lee Chang-dong
Lee Chang-dong is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and novelist. He won the 2008 Special Director's Prize at the Asian Film Awards and has been nominated for the Golden Lion and Palme d'Or. Lee served as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004.-Life and career:Lee...
's third feature film, and the last one he directed before his stint as South Korea's Minister of Culture. The film's plot tells about the difficult romance between a mildly mentally disabled man who was just released from jail after a two and a half year sentence for involuntary manslaughter and a woman with severe cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. Starring in these roles are the couple from Lee Chang-dong's previous film Peppermint Candy
Peppermint Candy
Peppermint Candy is a 1999 film, the second film from South Korean director Lee Chang-dong. The movie starts with the suicide of the protagonist and uses reverse chronology to depict some of the key events of the past 20 years of his life that led to his death.The film was received well, especially...
: Sol Kyung-gu
Sol Kyung-gu
Sol Kyung-gu is a Grand Bell Award, Golden Space Needle Award, and Bratislava International Film Festival Best Actor winning South Korean actor. He studied film and theater at Hanyang University and upon graduation took part in mostly theatrical productions...
and Moon So-ri
Moon So-ri
- Career :Moon So-ri appeared in plays and short films such as Black Cut and To the Spring Mountain before finding fame as a leading actress. Her first film role was in Lee Chang-dong's acclaimed Peppermint Candy, however her acting skills were not really showcased until she appeared in her second...
. The movie also shows how the two main characters are treated by their families and perceived by the people around them.
The film was a critical success, earning prizes in numerous film festivals. Among the most important were the special director's prize given to Lee Chang-dong at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and the Marcello Mastroianni award for best "first time" actress given to Moon So-ri at the same event.
Plot
Upon his release from prison, Hong Jong-du goes looking for his relatives in Seoul. His brothers have moved and neither they and nor their mother are aware Jong-Du is back on the streets after serving a three-year prison term for a hit-and-run accident that his older brother committed. He quickly discovers that during his absence his family has moved without telling him. Oblivious to society’s rules, Jong-Du again ends up in police custody for non-payment of a restaurant bill. He is bailed out by his brother and reunited with his estranged family who reluctantly take him back in. Slightly retarded and an incurable social misfit, Jong-Du is hired as a delivery boy for a neighborhood Chinese restaurant on the recommendation of his older brother.In an awkward attempt at reconciliation, Jong-Du seeks out the family of the man killed in the hit-and-run accident. He finds the man’s son, Sang-Shik, in the process of moving out of the apartment. Sang-shik is leaving his Cerebral Palsy-stricken sister Gong-Ju behind to be cared for by the neighbors, while he uses her disability pension to supplement his own lifestyle. The family is horrified at Jong-Du’s intrusion and he is told to leave, but not before he has become intrigued by Gong-Ju.
Jong-Du decides to woo her by sending flowers and, while spying on Gong-Ju’s apartment, discovers where her house keys are hidden. Later, he lets himself in at a time when he knows she is alone. Trying to reassure and pacify the startled Gong-Ju, he loses control and starts to impose himself on the helpless young woman, stopping only when she faints. In classic Jong- Du fashion, he impulsively leaves his phone number in her room before he departs so that Gong-Ju would know where to find him.
Fired from his delivery job after crashing the scooter, Jong-Du is given the opportunity to work in his brother’s auto repair shop, where he also sleeps at night. A couple of days later to his surprise and delight, Gong-Ju calls him in the middle of night.
After a number of secret encounters and outings, several times nearly being discovered by Jong-Du’s brother or the neighbors, the two misfits become inseparable. Uninhibited and wanting to share her feelings with Jong-Du, Gong-Ju tells him how frightened she is of a shadow from a tree outside of her window that reflects on a picture hanging in her room. In his protective yet comforting manner, Jong-Du promises Gong-Ju that she no longer has to be afraid because he will make the shadows disappear by magic.
On their adventures outside of the apartment, the couple is faced with the harsh reality of a discriminating society but is comforted by the innocent sanctity of their shared love. When Jong-Du naively brings Gong-Ju to his mother’s birthday celebration, tempers flare. The last thing Jong-Du’s older brother wants is for him to be socializing with a family member of his hit and run victim.
Wanting to feel and be treated like a woman, Gong Ju invites Jong Du back to her apartment where they make love. When her brother arrives on a surprise visit, chaos erupts. Jong Du is arrested; charged with raping a helpless, handicapped woman. Gong Ju’s family makes sure that no one hears her side of the story. But in one final burst of passion, Jong Du escapes from the police and rushes to Gong Ju’s apartment. The couple manages to reaffirm their love as Jong Du fulfills his promise of making the shadows disappear, by climbing the tree adjacent to her apartment and cutting the branches off, before falling and being hauled off to prison.
Venice Film Festival
- Special Director's Award, Lee Chang-dongLee Chang-dongLee Chang-dong is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and novelist. He won the 2008 Special Director's Prize at the Asian Film Awards and has been nominated for the Golden Lion and Palme d'Or. Lee served as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004.-Life and career:Lee...
- Marcello Mastroianni Award, Moon So-riMoon So-ri- Career :Moon So-ri appeared in plays and short films such as Black Cut and To the Spring Mountain before finding fame as a leading actress. Her first film role was in Lee Chang-dong's acclaimed Peppermint Candy, however her acting skills were not really showcased until she appeared in her second...
- International Critics Prize
- Cinema Verine Prize