Oasis left me speechless. It rendered me stunned. In awe. In a paralysis of feelings that seem to drown me in unspeakable emotions. This film is powerful. It is brave. It is heartfelt. It is raw. Lee Chang-dong portrays realism with harsh critique of society, at times, disturbing but also very provocative and tender. It is indeed a very challenging narrative to tell but Lee does it with great sensitivity. Lee doesn't romanticized his characters and their experiences but instead, normalizes them in a way that is both different and similar to us. He heavily comments on how society treats marginalized groups but doesn't explicitly tell us, that's wrong but we feel that. We cringe. We shudder. We feel disgusted. Angry. Like we want to do something. His use of shadows, particularly of light is powerful. These are numerous shots of reflections of these characters -- in the car mirror in the opening shot, in Gong-ju's mirror. The repetitive symbolism of the Oasis, the shadows, the fear, the magic show that Jong-du and Gong-du desire for escape. They create their own fantasy world where they can be happy, fooling around and dancing -- just like anybody else. The shadows that Gong-ju fears and the magic that Jong-du does is particularly important in showing the comfort that the two find in each other. Please don't disrupt my life, okay? I could do that too! I envy people with jobs! She's watching! It doesn't matter! I'm already pretty now. You even call yourself a human? You have to fit in to society, that's what being an adult means. The people around these characters force them to become like them -- to fit into society according to their standards of how an adult should be, of now a normal person should be. And it shows how these standards affect the characters. And how when they are together, these standards don't matter. These standards are shit. Screw these standards. Yes, Oasis is not an easy film to like. At times, it's comfortable. Particularly that scene at the climax of the film. But it's a very important scene that changes these characters -- one that breaks their fantasy world. And now that reflects us -- how we treat them. It is truly okay for them to take responsibility for what you have done just because he has nothing to lose, but you do? But there is so much genuine and raw emotions here. Moon So-ri's performance is incredibly powerful, playing a character with cerebral palsy with such authenticity and care. A well-deserved Marcello Mastroianni Award for Emerging Actress indeed. Sol Kyung-gu's performance is heartfelt. Having worked on Peppermint Candy, the chemistry of the two is undeniable. In the end, Lee tells a daring film; one that makes us rethink, provokes us and challenges us. This is a 2 hour of film of brilliance and power.