Codeliusthe2nd

The Lost City of Z

An endearing spirit and true cinematic taste drive James Gray’s odyssey into the jungle creating not only a masterpiece in storytelling, but a masterpiece in every sense. Focusing on the exploration of the Amazon jungle, Gray’s film examines the desire for adventure and ones obsession with discovering things only whispered about. This sense of adventure comes full force in the opening scene, setting the tone and aesthetic for the rest of the film. Bathed in gorgeous yellows and greens, the film captures a certain nostalgic aesthetic, specifically shining during the scenes in the jungle. These scenes are filled with wonder and bewilderment, as well as a vast emptiness, visually creating the image of longing that Fawcett was feeling. With impeccable imagery, it seems as if anything is possible – that anything, anywhere could be found. Charlie Hunnam is the shining star of the film, with a surprisingly fleshed out character that he could transform into. Percy Fawcett is not a simple character, with Hunnam having some tough shoes to fill. These shoes definitely were filled, as Hunnam transformed into Fawcett, truly putting him on screen. But, this film would not work without the supporting cast, the head of this cast being a barely recognizable Robert Pattinson. Pattinson’s image is hard to shake, as he will always be known as Edward Cullen, but he manages to escape this character to really show that he is a talented actor. His role was one of the more substantial, being one of the more memorable roles as well. Finding out that he was in this made the film more interesting, trying to see if he could get away from Cullen and become Henry Costin. The Lost City of Z is epic in scope, with more similarities to the epics of the 50’s and 60’s, rather than a modern adventure film. Gray’s direction and beautiful aesthetic managed to make the film be a nostalgic throwback to other adventure films. While the ending is left ambiguous, everything still managed to be realistic, with Gray giving his version of the expeditions that Fawcett embarked on. With a grip on realism, Gray created a beautiful film that certainly is going to get overlooked by other blockbusters, but most likely is much better than many other films that are out currently.