The Lost City of Z - "Revival of the Adventure Genre" (Film Review)

Robert Pattinson and Charlie Hunnam in The Lost City of Z (2016)

The Lost City of Z hit theaters on April 21st, but I had the chance to see a screening of the film on April 9th at the San Francisco Film Festival. The theater was packed, and the screening was followed by an entertaining Q&A with director, James Gray.

Though most may be unfamiliar with Percival (Percy) Fawcett and his historical significance, it has been widely speculated that he was an inspiration for the popular character, Indiana Jones. I was among those who were initially unaware that the film was based on the true story of Percy Fawcett, an explorer and cartographer sent by the Royal Geographical Society to map out uncharted territory in the northern region of South America. Though a dangerous and lengthy journey awaits, an unfavorable family name left behind by his late father leaves Fawcett no choice but to accept the mission so that he may put right his reputation, achieve promotion within the British army and provide for his growing family.

The film follows Fawcett, played by Charlie Hunnam, and a small team of brave souls that accompany him on the expedition, which includes Fawcett's right hand man, Henry Costin, played by Robert Pattinson. Many are familiar with the leading men of the film from a number of past high-profile roles and praise for their dashing good looks, but Hunnam and Pattinson lost a significant amount of weight in preparation for the roles to physically transform and convey the taxing experience that Fawcett, Costin and the crew endured on their expedition. Upon arriving to South America, it's clear that the journey ahead will be grueling if not potentially fatal for the team. Nevertheless, they decide to carry on as planned, making their way down the Amazon River. It's what the team discovers at the end of the river that, inevitably, sparks Fawcett's fascination with uncovering the unknown of the Amazon jungle.

Upon his return to England, Fawcett's account of what the team encountered on their journey and the corresponding claims are met with ridicule, which only further fuels Fawcett's insatiable appetite for exploration. In the years that have passed since his journey began, Fawcett's wife, Nina, played by Sienna Miller, has been caring for their child. Now expecting a second, Nina faces the possibility of yet another lengthy separation from her determined husband.

This film acts as a resurgence of the adventure film genre, and is praiseworthy for its authentic delivery. The jungle scenes were filmed in Northern Columbia under demanding conditions, and the entire film was filmed on 35 mm rather than digital by request of director James Gray. The natives featured in a number of scenes were actual natives of the area, which contributed to the film's authenticity and resulted in some of the strongest scenes in the film. As far as the rest of the casting, Hunnam was very strong in the lead role of Fawcett. During his Q&A at the San Francisco Film Festival, Gray stated that the script was originally presented to him by Brad Pitt, who not only produced the film, but was originally intended to portray Fawcett. It was later mutually determined that having an Englishman play the part was more appropriate, and so Benedict Cumberbatch was cast in place of Pitt. Unexpectedly, two weeks before filming was to be underway, Cumberbatch backed out of the role due to his wife expecting to give birth during filming. It was not until they were back to the drawing board that Hunnam was suggested for the role. As far as the role of Costin, Robert Pattinson is hardly recognizable, as he was eager to secure the role, and was willing to make whatever physical changes were needed to do so. And though her screen time is minimal in comparison to her co-stars, Sienna Miller delivers a very strong performance, with one line in particular that serves as the inspiration to Percy's drive:

"To dream.
To seek the unknown.
To look for what is beautiful is its own reward.
A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" - Unknown

Overall, I was quite pleased with the film and would definitely recommend it. My tip is to hold off on learning about Fawcett prior to seeing the film to maintain an air of mystery as to what became of him and his quest.

*SPOILERS*

In reality, Percy Fawcett made about eight trips to the Amazon jungle, rather than the three that are depicted in the film. As if three journeys were not enough, it is clear that Fawcett developed some level of obsession with the idea of discovering the "Lost City of Z" or "Zedd" (as it is referred to in the film). Watching the final scene of the film was frustrating on some level. I was very much hoping that the film would end with Fawcett parting the jungle leaves to find an expanse of glistening treasure and a secluded, welcoming population of natives. Sadly, that was not the case because that's not the sort of thing that happens in real life. Instead, we witness an ending up to interpretation, I suppose. For the realists out there, Gray suggested in his Q&A that Fawcett and his son "were probably eaten." That much you likely assumed already. For the dreamers, however, you can hold on to the hope that the natives were not the savages they appeared to be and, perhaps, they were merely carrying out an ominous looking ritual that concluded with Fawcett and his son's lives spared, suggested by the reveal of the pocket watch that survived. Perhaps...

Director, James Gray during Q&A at the San Francisco Film Festival (April 9, 2017)

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