Restrained and beautiful, The Lost City of Z is a stirring examination of explorer Percy Fawcett’s many quests to find a lost Amazonian city.
The Lost City of Z Synopsis
While on a survey expedition in the Amazonian jungle, British Officer Percy Fawcett discovers pottery fragments that point toward a lost civilization in the jungle. He names this civilization the “Lost City of Z” and manages to convince members of the Royal Geographical Society to back another expedition to find Z. Unfortunately, this attempt fails, and Fawcett is thereafter sent to France to fight at the frontlines of WWI. Years later, American interest in Amazonian exploration rekindles Fawcett’s obsession with locating Z. With international funding, he returns to the Amazon once more. This round bringing his eldest son Jack with him.
Snappy Review
I have a lot of respect for producers and studios that dare attempt stories like The Lost City of Z. It’s like, these are dead-end stories, aren’t they? How do you sustain interest in a narration you cannot change the ugly outcome of? How much do you add to or subtract from the tale, without incurring the wrath of historians and surviving family members?
IMO, such challenges are almost always insurmountable.
James Grey’s depiction doesn’t address all these issues in the best way, but for most parts, The Lost City of Z succeeds as a stirring biopic. One that progressively pulls you into the complex and almost incomprehensible psyche of British explorer Percy Fawcett.
Much of this is achieved by the movie’s quiet, Nat-Geo documentary-like direction, which aside from intriguing visuals, also limits emotional involvement and frustration with Fawcett’s failures. And then there’s Charlie Hunnam’s splendid portrayal of Fawcett, a performance as thoughtful and as confident as the camerawork.
In unspoken ways, Hunnam brings to life the complexity of a man torn between family and social duties, and overwhelming personal ambition. It made me very curious to learn more about the real Fawcett after the movie. In a way, it also made me dread ever being in his shoes.
If anything, the only aspect of The Lost City of Z that I disliked was the inclusion of metaphysical elements in the latter half. Perhaps this was to soften the inevitable ending, or to respond to a question that can have no known answer, but to me, it cheapens Fawcett’s motivations.
Personally, I also don’t see what’s so wrong with Fawcett wanting to honour his family name or to advance his stalled military career through the discovery of Z. Ambition, to me, doesn’t need any spiritual endorsement to be worthwhile. Sometimes, it is by itself, a sufficient purpose.
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