"A Man's Reach Should Exceed His Grasp"

Rating: Null/10 (13 July 2017)

In the bonus segment of the DVD version of "The Lost City of Z," David Grann, the author of the book on which the film is based, asserts that the British amateur explorer Percy Fawcett was one of the "last of his kind." Both the author and the film's director, James Grey, compare Fawcett to Indiana Jones. But the true prototype of Fawcett is the swashbuckling adventurer T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia").
This beautifully photographed film chronicles the three separate trips made to Brazil by Fawcett, whose initial goal of mapping the Verde River to determine a border conflict between Brazil and Bolivia, evolved into a much broader quest for discovering the historical origins of the region. Fawcett's trips of 1906, 1912, and 1924 led him to believe in what he called the "lost city of Zed." For Fawcett, "Z" may have been a combination of the Garden of Eden and El Dorado. To his credit, Fawcett perceptively observed artifacts and archaeological findings that suggested a hidden civilization had thrived along the Amazon.
The film may have overreached in developing Fawcett's perception of the "Noble Savage." But it was this same kind of support for indigenous population that had guided T.E. Lawrence in the Middle East. Indeed Lawrence and Fawcett were virtual contemporaries. But did Fawcett actually use the words "We are made of the same clay" to describe the local Guarani Indians? The filmmakers work overtime in turning Fawcett into a champion of globalization.
Fawcett's contentious relationship with England's Royal Geographical Society is one of the interesting subplots of the film. The idealistic Fawcett was at odds with the paternalistic approach to world exploration, as apparent in his conflict with Mr. Murray, the oversized representative of the British Empire, whose girth, laziness, and lack of courage nearly scuttle Fawcett's second expedition. For the third expedition, Fawcett found success in John D. Rockefeller and American journalists for his funding. But Fawcett is eventually recognized as "England's bravest explorer" and is awarded the Founder's Gold Medal.
Beyond his travel experiences, Fawcett fought with distinction and was wounded in a gas attack in the trenches of World War I. His long-suffering wife Nine, whom he fondly addresses as "Cheeky," as well as three beautiful children, Jack, Brian, and little Joan, were deprived for long stretches of their lives of a husband and father. But young Jack joined his father on the final, fateful Brazil expedition in 1924.
SPOILER FOLLOWS: The film was successful in its approach to the strange disappearance of Fawcett and his son. Were they boiled alive as sacrificial victims, or did they join the community of the native Guarani Indians?
In sum, "The Lost City of Z" is an outstanding film epic with spectacular cinematography. The role of Fawcett was interpreted as a cheerful, intelligent, and idealistic remnant of the British Empire. He began his journey by attempting to reclaim the good name of his family after his father had squandered two family fortunes. But in the education he received from his journeys, his goal changed dramatically, as he came to recognize that "We know so little of this world." This is the stuff of great drama and great cinema.