The Last Keeper (2024) Film Review
The Last Keeper offers viewers a reality that’s often blurred by those with power to speak out loud. This time it’s about Scotland’s Highlands, a territory that’s been in dispute for years, and everyone offers a compelling argument about who should control it. The problem is that all sides follow a different ideology and we all know how that turns out most of the time.
The problem is that decisions have been made, and they aren’t the best for those who reside in the area, regardless of the species. The environmental effect of the conflict is massive and is still being calculated. Yet the people also deserve some attention as they’ve also been affected when their culture and their labor have been threatened by those decisions. The Last Keeper is a great statement that will possibly make you think that romanticizing an idea sometimes goes against observing the real issues at hand
The Last Keeper deserves attention and it could be just because of one specific theme it explores: amidst the fight for the land, the one that takes place in freezing meeting rooms and palaces, no one talks about the effects on ecology. I arrived at it thinking the film would only tackle the political issues of Scotland’s land conflict situation, but the documentary also shed light on some aspects we tend to forget about. It’s a brave move, one that audiences won’t necessarily connect with, but director Thomas Opre does a great job at directing the camera where it’s more relevant.
On that note, the film also asks a very important question. One about rewilding, and the misconception that it’s always a good thing. One specialist questions it, and says that his ancestors lived there, and evolution took a natural path and left the land unpopulated. Perhaps it’s the way it should stay, and he ends with a very important rhetorical question: Are we supposed to live on a natural reserve? Isn’t this just romanticizing a lifestyle that’s uncalled for?
The Last Keeper requires the viewer to connect with a conflict that perhaps feels distant, both physically and emotionally. However, Opre does a fine job to expose a problem that’s more universal than we thought, and which could affect viewers at some point. After all, tourism is also an enterprise that’s been affected by the lack of vision when it comes to fighting over land. It sounds shallow, but sometimes something as random as tourism could be a good window. A window for the entire earth to find out that the corners of the planet that look ravaging could also be going through something harsh.
What I loved about The Last Keeper was its clever narrative that doesn’t exactly put the tragedy upfront for Scotland’s leaders to be judged. It’s purposefully edited to be a great story about a culture that’s not conventional, but could use some recognition by those who don’t connect with their values. Not everyone celebrates hunting as a sport, but the documentary will make you connect with those who stand with maintaining culture alive amidst the conflict for lands: the people balancing their traditions between what their ancestors wrote and their progression into a modern society. The gamekeepers and heroes of a story that’s only their own but could transcend the frontiers of Scotland if we turn our heads and look that way.
