My blood boils and my heart beats in my chest when I fight. (c) Why are all my friends crazy? (c)
Watching a lot of guys fighting each other seems extremely boring. Especially when there is no fighting going on. For some reason, one immediately wakes up feeling that a plot that cannot move from its place is absolutely uninteresting. And it's not often the other way around. In most cases, such films cease to please at the beginning, and before its end, not many remain spectators. It’s hard to sit around watching the incessant fights and actors that change every few minutes. Action is good, but not in large quantities. If there is not a completely opposite genre next to it, the film, one way or another, will seem even for a moment boring. You may just feel dissatisfied after watching. Such films are like chewing gum, which quickly loses its taste, but it never disappears. The word “Sacred Land” does not belong to this category. There are fights, fast-changing characters that you do not have time to follow, as well as a slow plot. At first glance, it seems so meager that the desire to watch a short drama instantly disappears. Only in fact it turns out that you just have to wait and join in the heat of passions and battles, which are saturated with history. You don’t notice how all the episodes are viewed and you want to continue.
The drama itself is not just about fights. It's about life: hard and unpredictable. There is no place for tears, pain and weakness, because at night the streets are ruled by lawlessness, in which an ordinary person who is not able to protect himself cannot survive. Each phrase is imbued with meaning, each dialogue means something and each character brings something different to the story. None of the heroes are alike. They speak differently, think differently, behave completely different and fight mercilessly, each in its own way. Of all these, three of the most impressive characters stand out.
Kan Yu in the role of the main character, on whose feelings the plot is built. He is an incredibly introverted boy who wants to communicate, but no one likes him. So he goes out into the night streets looking for adventure. Forgotten by everyone, even his own father, Kang Yu follows the laws of the street, beating everyone he meets. He masterfully avoids trouble, always counting only on his strength. This character is unusual. You can’t call it weak, it’s absolutely not. He's not shy, he's just different, not like the others. And if his eyes are empty at normal times when he's fighting, they're incredibly shiny. It was great to see the changes in his personality. In the beginning, Kang Yu looked like a downtrodden boy who never looked a man in the eye if he was being talked to. He sometimes felt sorry for himself, but that feeling went away as soon as he started fighting. The introverted boy disappeared somewhere and another Kang Yew came in his place - arrogant and self-confident. Such changes happened with him all the time, and it was a little worrisome, but after even liked it. Don Ho, who played the main character, was pleasantly surprised. If in the previous film, where he played, his character did not show a single emotion, then here he finally showed himself in terms of the actor. He conquered his game, made me believe in his character and I think I really fell in love with his abilities.
Sang Ho was the prototype of Kang Yu. They were similar once, but now Sang Ho stands a few steps higher. Although Sang Ho is presented as a character who could not decide on which side he was on, only positive feelings arose for him. He seemed to show the best future for the main character, but at the same time he taught Kang Yu boxing. The kind of contradiction that Kang Yu put on San Ho after he blamed him. But still, this character was so kind and understanding. He cared about his friends, valued his own promises and always kept them. If he says something, he will, even if he hates himself for it. When Kang Yu lost his conscience, Sang Ho played her role. He appeared unexpectedly and put his brains back into the intelligent but inquisitive head of the protagonist.
And sin will not mention the last character - Tae Shik. A guy who doesn’t appear to be a positive hero. It was made entirely of darkness and proved it in every way possible, which is why his changes were so striking. From a rude guy, he turned into a man who would protect his friends even at the cost of his own life. And he always proved it. His self-sacrifice outweighed the selfishness of Kang Yu, giving the main character few answers to his questions. Without Tae Shik, who knows what would have happened to Kang Yu? Still, if Sang Ho played the role of the conscience of the main character, then Tae Shik was responsible for the correctness of thoughts.
The drama was so short that I didn’t want to say goodbye. Those four and a half hours flew by in an instant. Fights, good actors, I found everything I wanted. And when they briefly mentioned the romantic line, I finally realized that this drama is incredible. She captures literally from the very first minutes and does not let go until the final. You're sitting on needles and you don't know how it's gonna end. We can only guess and hope for a happy ending.
10 out of 10