What happened to the snake?

Rating: 7/10 (29 November 2017)

Percy Fawcett was one those British explorers we learnt about at school back in the 1950's, but nearly all the illustrations of his trips into the Amazon showed his encounter with a 62-foot anaconda. I waited for it, but it was a no-show.
It could have given the film a boost especially after all those sessions at the starchy Royal Geographical Society. However we do get piranhas. "The Lost City of Z" is an interesting film more than a riveting one. Like the book by David Grann, the story is one long frustrating search. Fawcett, played in the film by Charlie Hunnam, was a driven man who was the first European to explore vast areas of the Amazon and South America. But his search for a lost civilisation deep in the Amazon jungle became a life-long obsession.
He seemed more of an eccentric in Glann's book although in the movie you have to wonder what was going on in old Percy's head when he leaves Sienna Miller behind in England for years at a time. She plays Mrs Fawcett and although we don't have a giant snake to lift the film, we do have her.
This film is beautifully photographed with authentic looking scenes and Indians. Obviously it wasn't an easy film to make, however, the various journeys are somewhat hard to follow. The film avoids old-fashioned narration but it may have helped us navigate our way a little more easily.
The story takes a side trip to WW1, but like much else in the story it gives us yet more doom, gloom and mud.
Eventually Percy heads back into the Amazon one last time with his eldest son; the product of one of his trips back to England. However just like Captain Cook on his last journey, Percy misreads the natives with unpleasant consequences.
Films about explorers tend to be a bit glacial. This film is similar to 1990's "Mountains of the Moon" and in both cases the books they were based on gave context and detail, while the movies struggled to be as cohesive.
With that said, this film does give a very believable feeling for the times. If you can get your heart rate in sync with the "Merchant Ivory" pace of the film then there is much to admire - even if they didn't bother with the snake.