The Lost City of Z chronicles the
events of the life of Percy Fawcett, a good natured and rigorously determined
British explorer who disappeared in the Amazon with his son while on an
expedition to find a forgotten city rumored to contain remnants of an advanced
civilization. The story spans almost two decades, highlighting Fawcett's
personal victories and struggles, his complicated family life, and his
outspoken beliefs on the nature of the human race. Gray's screenplay builds
the world around Fawcett in restrained, but elegantly constructed details that
never encroach on the action as they unfold.
His approach to the subject matter is an intoxicating mixture of
reverence and creative license, reflected in the best performance of Charlie
Hunnam's career. In a time when good intentions can set social media
sanctuaries ablaze, Hunnam's Fawcett is both decent and flawed, dedicated to
his mission and blind to its eventually toll. There's a remarkable scene
in which Fawcett has to defend his theory on Z to a room full of pompous nobles
in order to secure funding for his next expedition. While Hunnam dances
with words, humbly venerating the cultures of the jungle, the remainder of the
room, representative of the ruling class, continues to view the tribes of the
Amazon as nothing more than savages to be taken advantage of or killed.
This idea remains with the viewer just long enough for it to be plucked
away when it becomes clear that Hunnam's Fawcett believes the tribesman are precious
ends to his exploratory means. There is no hero in Gray's world of
uncertainty and The Lost City of Z
triumphs as a result of this ambiguity.
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| We have finally found the Golden Monkey! Prepare a batch of bananas for he is hungry. |
Hunnam is supported by Sienna Miller who plays Fawcett's
resolute wife, Nina. One of the many surprises is in how the central
relationship is defined. Given the time period, certain expectations are
present on the surface; however the partnership beneath redefines
preconceptions, illuminating the awful price of the pursuit of the unknown.
Miller is sorrowful, but not broken, and her scenes with both Hunnam and
Holland are superb, showing the impossible complexities of parenthood with
charm and adoration. Tom Holland continues to perform as Fawcett's
estranged son and it is in the final act that he slowly begins to shine. Robert Pattinson rounds out the cast as Fawcett's friend and partner, a
rugged soldier with genuine grit and a sly sense of humor. There are
multiple cameos throughout, with Angus Macfayden stealing every scene in a
villainous turn as a disgraced gentleman.
The true heart of Z is
legendary cinematographer Darius Khondji's wondrous visuals. This is a beautiful
picture that immediately enraptures with crisp overheads of battlefields and
tight interior shots of smoky parlors filled with arrogant men. The
scenes in the jungle, particularly multiple stress inducing river sequences
hearken back to not only the glory days of Francis Ford Coppola, but to the
classics upon which Hollywood was built. This notion of a golden age is
ever present, but never brought to fore, remaining a whisper throughout the
film's two hour-twenty minute runtime. There are surreal rituals
conducted under vacant moons and ghostly remnants of imposed civilization stand
out among the trees like coffins, conjuring thoughts of both Werner Herzog and
Aleksei Yuryevich German's tales of dangerous preoccupation.
The implication that this is a massive undertaking both in scope
and meticulous design is immediately apparent from the first sun kissed frames
and never lessens, with Hunnam's complete dedication coming full circle in an
unforgettable climax that manages to tie the mammoth ideas of Gray's endeavor
in a perfectly ambiguous bouquet of glory and defeat. Available now for
digital streaming, The Lost City of Z
is one of 2017's greatest films and I strongly suspect it will remain such come
December. If you're interested in seeing something truly remarkable that
delicately captures the magic of what films are all about, this experience
demands your attention.
Score
-Kyle Jonathan
Score
-Kyle Jonathan