WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
There is often no surpassing the beauty of the natural world. What we see each and every time we look out a window or out our front doors into all that’s around us, whether in the city or elsewhere, there is something to behold that reminds us of this very point. The sky, plants, animals, it all can become a true testament of what we are blessed with on the planet we call home. However, what is also so sadly evident is that there are people who don’t remotely care about appreciating anything except the acquisition of power and money—and will do anything to attain it.
In South Africa, amidst the realities of a global pandemic, game reserve ranger Khuselwa (Avumile Qongqo) and her co-worker Rob (David S. Lee) work tirelessly to ensure the wild creatures inhabiting their territory are safe and looked after. However, when outside forces threaten to upend the peace through illegally entering and targeting certain animals, it falls to Khuselwa and an unexpected compatriot, a young local girl named Litha (Liyabona Mroqoza), to intervene.
Next, my Mind:
Lingering uncertainty and newfound focus, confused fear and utter courage, shattered belief and refreshed ambition, plus both the unfettered cruelty and overtly inspirational facets of human nature all collide with resounding, compelling, and yes, NECESSARY, impact through this 28-minute Oscar qualifying short film from director Cindy Lee, writers/producers Darwin Shaw and Will Hawkes, South African producer Nomtha Dano, writer/executive producer David S. Lee, along with executive producers Saskia Rosenburg Haak, Howard Tager, and Adam Thal. Proficiently executed in a manner that launches you as the viewer into the deeply sobering then ultimately galvanizing true story being depicted, it’s messages are concise, candid, and wholly clear without being “preachy” or needlessly overbearing.
Quite the opposite is true here via a narrative that follows both a young girl simply wishing for normalcy to return to her life and a stalwart veteran game reserve ranger bent on insuring the animals under her watch remain as they are whose lives intersect, meld, then get positioned in the most potentially devastating of circumstances. The film is nothing short of profound in showcasing the harrowingly raw, vilely evil actualities being encountered by rangers day to day as they literally put their lives on the line for the sake of protecting the stunning, elegant allure of the reserves, their epic landscapes, and the multitude of wild denizens that reside there. To say this project is a visual dedication to them would be a severe understatement, as I would honestly place these individuals in the same overall realms of police, firefighters, emergency personal, military, and other who have the fortitude to give it all for the sake of preserving what’s REALLY important–LIFE and FREEDOM!
However, the other aspect of the narrative that’s so wonderfully orchestrated is the picture of foundational humanity in times of abrupt upheaval (think as it is here, the time of COVID-19), the desperation of some to make ends meet for themselves and family, while others just try to keep finding the BEST in what they see and interact with in SPITE of the hardships. This critic felt this was so charmingly and affectingly portrayed through the young girl Litha, especially upon her converging with Khuselwa and the engagingly touching bond they experience which serves them BOTH so well, a needed balm in a stormy and unsure time. Yet, let us also not remotely lose sight of the fact that this film is also intensely plain and unflinching in the tapestry it paints that illustrates the dark side of people who strive for nothing but self gain and greed at the cost of that which is, and should be, treasured.
How this gets explored is not only significantly heartbreaking and unquestionably vexatious to your soul, but the actual manner in which the film’s initial finale gets arranged ends up delivering a multi-layered punch to the gut that only allows for the intended persuasiveness of the story to sink in even more adeptly. Thankfully, as hinted at above, HOPE does manage to win the day, but even with this being showcased, there are the post-finale statistics provided that are associated with the situation at hand, and those just make you shake your head in disgust and disbelief while gaining MORE respect for the rangers who remain THIS committed to their mission. Folks, this is a fully awareness-raising film, one that SHOULD stay in your head for immediate and future contemplation, perhaps to the extent of finding a way to support these efforts somehow, to know it IS something we should NOT forget or ever grow weary of hearing about.
Qongqo delivers a magnificently understated then fully energetic performance here through her role as Khuselwa, a South African game reserve ranger whose passion for preserving everything the reserve and its residents are about is only matched by her own buried apprehensions about exactly what the future holds as the world reels from COVID-19 and how it has apparently impacted her, even if only by moments of conjecture that we are witness to. Coming upon the young girl Litha and forming a new, mutually beneficial companionship with her, events take a turn for the worse when an act of maliciousness forces Khuselwa to take needed action that could put her in grave danger. It’s this mix of situational volatility that allows Qongqo to show her range of acting, able to present herself as the strong, dedicated “everywoman” she is while exhibiting such calm then controlled fury when called for.
The arena of child actors, yes AGAIN, keeps impressing me more and more as time continues to pass, and if I understand it correctly, this short film was the DEBUT of Mroqoza as seen through her turn as Litha, a picture of innocence and wonder at the world who demonstrates her joy in the simplest things even as the world falls into chaos. Trying her best to help provide for her father and grandmother with whom she lives with, Litha’s chance run-in with Khuselwa utterly transforms her life in ways she never could, or would, have anticipated. The new take on her own ingrained adoration of nature and the animals she’s only played with wooden carvings of, the exposure to both the real thing, and the ugliness people are capable of, will alter her forever and send her on her own path of fervent resolve to be a part of protecting that which she loves. An emotionally potent performance that shows vulnerability, passion, and steadfast talent on the rise.
Supporting turns are here from Makhaola Ndebele as Thabo, Litha’s father who is doing his level best to provide for his family by trying to get any kind of work he can, until one day it may prove to be beyond a questionable choice, David S. Lee as Rob, a longstanding friend and co-worker of Khuselwa on the reserve whose role in Litha’s life is only just beginning, and Waldemar Schultz as Mickey, a man who will have more than a small sway on multiple people’s lives. Additional appearances are made by Sikhumbuzo Sibisi, Nonpumelo Vanqa, and Kamogela Ndawo. So, in total, “The Last Ranger” is a forthrightly stirring journey into the heart of deep-seated conviction to uphold what’s right, those who aim to do so every single day at the risk of losing it all, the verity of a child’s perspective in possessing an unwavering desire to stand up instead of pull back, the overt evil human beings are capable of, and the belief that GOOD can still be made manifest for the betterment of this world–man AND beast.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
