Jungle Love

“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?”

Following in the vein of other epic adventure tales of the past, like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Lawrence of Arabia, ‘Aguirre, the Wrath of God’ and Apocalypse Now, writer/director James Gray’s adaptation of David Grann’s The Lost City of Z is a dangerously grand journey into the mysterious jungles of the Amazon.

The 2017 feature is based on real life British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) – an Indiana Jones type, who, at the start of the narrative, is a military man with low standing due to his father’s previous actions (despite the fact Percy never met him). Looked down upon by the wealthy upperclassmen of the military, he is sent to the Royal Geography Society, where they try to persuade him to survey the border lines between Bolivia and Brazil (as the ever more desirable rubber plantations are leading towards war – the two governments have accepted the British institutions offer to do the job). Though wary, the Society members hint that this could be the perfect way to restore his good name, and Percy decides to take the position.

Leaving his lovely, pregnant wife Nina (Sienna Miller) and son Jack at home while he departs for the multi-year mission, it is a major sacrifice. He is joined by his loyal aide Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson), and together they enter the perilous jungles of Bolivia. Heading to a rubber plantation, it is a fantastical experience, as the owner is enjoying a live opera as they nearly instantaneously stumble from wilderness into posh society late one evening. Meeting with British Corporal Arthur Manley (Edward Ashley), he reports to them that they have been advised to stand down due to growing hostilities in the area. Unrelenting, they instead approach the Portugese owner of the plantation, Baron De Gondoriz (Franco Nero), who agrees to help – realizing it is good for business.

Providing him with food, helpers, a guide (Pedro Coello) and Corporal Manley, they travel down the river, a place no one has ever returned from. It is a place of unbearable heat, savage tribes, cannibals, piranhas, black panthers, dangerous snakes and the most potent diseases around (that severely weaken you as you cough up copious amounts of blood). . . the most vividly beautiful hell on Earth. Plus, their guide often mutters about a fantastical golden city and civilizations that would shock even the most knowledgeable historian – they originally think it is codswallop. After numerous dangerous encounters, they finally make it to the end of the river – a place no white man has seen before.

Deserted by their guide, they get to work, and Percy soon finds impressive remnants of pottery in the jungle as well as an intricate statue carved into a rock. After completing the mission, the team returns home, and Percy is greeted as a hero at the docks. Fascinated by his discoveries, as well as his wife’s – she finds an ancient Conquistador parchment that claims to have found the lost city of Z, Percy is driven to return once more to the Amazonian wilds. Giving a speech to the Royal Geography Society, he tells of his findings, and is ridiculed for claiming that there is a civilization more ancient and advanced than theirs within the jungles.

Finding a backer in another explorer, wealthy biologist James Murray (Angus Macfadyen), he decides to return to the jungle, much to the chagrin of his modern, progressive wife (who desperately wants to come along this time).

This is only the beginning, as Percy’s life feels like that of a farfetched violent fairytale. Eventually returning home as World War 1 is brewing, he is forced to leave his family once again, this time for the mucky, disease ridden and often gaseous trenches that border the horrid milieu known as no man’s land. But that is not the explorer’s fate. . . will he ever find the lost city of Z?

To highlight the quotation used to open this review, this is a story about reaching for those things that are unknown, for the mysteries that lie just outside our vision and flailing hands. Yet, at the same time, it is a tale of man’s obsession, his desire to prove himself right – his theories, observations and by way of that, finding glory and recognition throughout the ages. It is perhaps not too difficult to grasp why the explorer so desperately desires this. . . as his father’s failure has left him in a position of an outcast, like a filthy vagabond despite his status and military rank. And, after each and every failure, there is an even greater draw to the quest, as more and more of the man’s life has been wrapped up in it. Failure stokes the fire, for what is his whole life worth if he has nothing to show for it save a few treks through the jungles.

Equally as intriguing, it is the fascinating relationships that Percy builds that also adds to the tale. It is not surprising that after having gone through so much together, Percy, Costin and Manley are unbelievably loyal. They even find themselves together on the front lines during the war. Then there are the struggles with the newbie, James Murray, an interesting trial and error that leads to more upperclass controversies upon their return. Likewise, Society members Sir George Goldie (Ian McDiarmid) and Sir John Scott Keltie (Clive Francis) provide their own high society barriers for the explorer. Finally, there is Percy’s relationship with his wife and then eldest son, Jack (Tom Holland). Being faced with the burden of spending many long years waiting, the progressive dame is left with only hope and faith (and the tragedy of expectantly gazing off into the distance, looking for a sign). . . though it is her son who takes the most offense to his father’s long escapades. Yet, so like his dad, it is he who convinces the explorer to make one more attempt at his seemingly lost goal, but this time with loyal son by his side.

Filled with unimaginable vistas, the cast and crew filmed in numerous locales in Colombia, capturing the picturesque mountains and lush jungles, winding rivers and cascading waterfalls that allow us to make the journey along with Percy and his crew. It is this depiction that portrays both the pristine beauty and inconceivable danger, the dichotomous lure of being the first to traverse the wilds of unknown lands.

A visually stunning journey that in many ways feels like an epic of yesteryear, The Lost City of Z is a transportive tale full of magic, mystery and imagination (symbolic undertones flow through many of the final scenes). Featuring excellent performances, stunning landscapes as well as a tale that explores the mythos of man and his search for meaning, it is the type of thing that dreams are made of. So, follow your compass along this trek from a to Z, it is well worth the risk of being enveloped by the jungle.