Oasis Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Oasis Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 25, 2024

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of The Poetry of Lee Chang-Dong: Four Films.

Lee Chang-dong is another one of those perhaps strangely lesser known names not just among the so-called "unwashed masses", but potentially even among some supposed film cognoscenti, despite the fact that he is one of his native country South Korea's more notable filmmakers and also despite the fact that the international recognition Chang-dong has received from any number of festivals and other annual ceremonies means scrolling through a list of nominations and actual awards bestowed on Chang-dong can take some considerable time. Film Movement is therefore hopefully aiding and abetting a wider appreciation of Chang-dong's often fascinating filmography by offering an aggregation of four of his early works. As of the writing of this review, and kind of ironically given the overall title of this collection, it looks like only one of the films in the set, Chang-dong's lyrical 2010 opus Poetry, has had a previous Region A release on Blu-ray, in this case a 2011 release from Kino Lorber.

If Green Fish offered some fairly rote plot dynamics within a still somewhat bracing presentation, beginning with Peppermint Candy, Chang-dong seemed to be willfully pushing the envelope in more and more overt ways as he arguably became more comfortable in his role as a leading South Korean auteur. That envelope pushing is certainly front and center in Oasis, a film that is markedly unsettling but also may strike some as unintentionally exploitative, especially with its "abled" actors portraying disabled protagonists. The fact that by 2002, when this film was released, there were already at least some film and television properties featuring differently abled people in roles featuring characters with both physical and mental hurdles, it may seem positively provocative in a way for Chang-dong to offer Sol Kyung-gu as a developmentally delayed man named Hong Jong-du and Moon So-ri as Gong-ju, a woman with extremely debilitating cerebral palsy.

There's an undeniable "squirm quotient" to some of what transpires, after Jong-du is released from prison after having killed a man in a hit and run offense, but who perhaps improbably (at least in worlds divorced from the vagaries of Chang-dong's screenwriting) ends up caring for his victim's daughter. The tension between what on one level would seem to be a sweet if still potentially troubling love story and what ultimately starts to become something decidedly more perilous (details won't be divulged here) gives this film one of the most powerfully unsettling emotional ambiences in Chang-dong's filmography.

If the emotional content of the two main performances is undeniably almost overpoweringly devastating, I have to say I was increasingly uneasy with So-ri's depiction of some of the physical throes Gong-ju endures, if only because I know more than one person with cerebral palsy and admittedly anecdotally have never seen anything like the contortions this character experiences. That may be of little to no concern to others who get caught up in this kind of horrible cascade of unfortunate events that two already "hurting" individuals have to go through. This is in no way an "easy" watch, and so sensibilities should probably be steeled before taking this one on, but Oasis is a gut punch, one way or the other.

Oasis Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Oasis is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Film Movement with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.90:1. Film Movement tends not to provide a wealth of technical information on its releases, and that's once again the case here, though all four films in this set are advertised as having been culled from new 4K scans. While the somewhat unusual aspect ratio here may raise questions as to the element utilized, or at least the transfer process, the actual look of this presentation is consistently outstanding in terms of a well saturated, natural looking palette and some appealing detail levels. As is discussed in a supplement focusing on production design, the film doesn't really offer anything that's going to "wow" the eyes in terms of visual splendor, but even little details like the parquet like floor of Gong-ju's apartment are typically rendered with really precise fine detail levels. As can be gleaned in some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, framings are at times more than a bit askew, but imagery remains generally sharp and very well delineated. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

Oasis Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Oasis offers either LPCM 2.0 or Dolby TrueHD 5.1 options in the original Korean. This film is graced with a rather elegiac and haunting score by Lee Jae-jin, and for that reason alone the surround track may be the preferable choice since it considerably opens up the spaciousness of some of the soaring string cues in particular. Outdoor material also offers good ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Oasis Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Lee Chang Dong Intro (HD; 4:06) is subtitled in English.


• Making Of (HD; 33:27) is subtitled in English.


• Actress Moon So-ri as Han Gong-ju (HD; 6:35) is featured in this interview, subtitled in English.


• Actor Sol Kyung-gu as Hong Jong-du (HD; 5:25) is featured in this interview, subtitled in English.


• Composer Lee Jae-jin (HD; 10:00) is interviewed about the film's score. Subtitled in English.


• Lee Chang Dong and Art Director Shin Jum-hee (HD; 13:30) discuss the film's look. Subtitled in English.


• Oasis Preview Screening (HD; 2:37) has some brief candid footage. Subtitled in English.


• Oasis Trailer (HD; 2:11)

As with most Film Movement releases, the disc also offers an About Film Movement option on the Main Menu which leads to text about Film Movement.

Oasis Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It might be humorously mentioned that there are so many disturbing things about this film that its portrayal of two differently abled characters might be somewhat far down the list. That caveat aside, this is an emotionally wrenching experience that is unusual and provocative. Technical merits are solid and the supplements enjoyable. Recommended.