The Lost City of Z 2017

In 1905, Major Percy Fawcett, an accomplished equestrian and marksman, hosts a spectacular stag hunt on an Irish baronial estate for the benefit of the esteemed Archduke Franz Ferdinand (though his efforts are met with icy indifference at the post-hunt soiree). A year later, he meets with officials from the prestigious Royal Geographical Society in London, where they inform him that Bolivia and Brazil are teetering on the brink of war over the disputed border, which directly impacts the region’s lucrative rubber trade. The British government has been asked to survey this treacherous terrain, and Fawcett is entrusted with leading the expedition.

As he sets sail for Brazil, he meets Corporal Henry Costin, a seasoned veteran familiar with the unforgiving Amazon rainforest. Upon arriving at a sprawling Portuguese-owned rubber plantation, they meet Lance Corporal Arthur Manley, who cautions them against further exploration into the jungle’s depths. Undeterred, Fawcett and his trusted guide, Tadjui, press on, completing their mission despite treacherous conditions.

Tadjui regales him with tales of a mythical city deep in the jungle, where golden spires pierce the sky and civilizations thrive. Initially dismissive of this fantastical account, Fawcett is soon convinced of its veracity upon stumbling upon ancient pottery fragments and intricately carved stone statues hidden amidst the dense foliage.

Upon his triumphant return home, Fawcett is hailed as a hero, and his wife, Nina (Sienna Miller), has given birth to their second son. In the revered Trinity College Library of Dublin, she uncovers an ancient text chronicling the conquests of Spanish explorers, which speaks of a fabled city hidden deep in the Amazonian jungle. Fawcett dubs this mystical place “the Lost City of Z” and sets his sights on finding it.

Intrigued by Fawcett’s tales, renowned biologist James Murray agrees to back his expedition, but his lack of experience navigating the unforgiving jungle proves a significant hindrance. As they venture deeper into the dense underbrush, Fawcett’s party is ambushed along the riverbank, and he must broker a fragile peace with the native tribes.

As Murray’s leg infection worsens, he succumbs to madness, pouring paraffin on their dwindling supplies in a desperate bid for escape. Realizing the futility of their situation, Fawcett sends his ailing companion away with a trusted guide and the last remaining pack animal, abandoning the expedition to its fate.

As Murray bears witness before the esteemed trustees of RGS, Fawcett’s alleged abandonment of him in the treacherous depths of the jungle is brought to light, prompting a fiery rebuke that culminates in the latter’s dignified resignation. The outbreak of World War I in Europe casts a somber tone, as Fawcett fights valiantly on the battlefields of France, only to suffer the devastating loss of his dear friend Manley at the Battle of the Somme and temporarily lose his sight due to a chlorine gas attack while leading an infantry charge. The weight of war’s cruelty is tempered by a poignant reunion with his estranged eldest son Jack, who has long harbored resentment towards Fawcett.

Fast-forward to 1923, where Fawcett finds himself living in quiet obscurity in Britain, yet American interest in exploring the Amazon has reached a fever pitch, driven largely by the legendary tales of the lost city. The philanthropic John D. Rockefeller Jr. and a coalition of U.S. newspapers join forces with the RGS to finance a new Fawcett expedition, a venture that promises to reignite British pride. As Fawcett prepares for this ambitious undertaking, he shares a treasured compass with Sir John Scott Keltie, vowing to return it once the lost city is unearthed.

For this quest, Fawcett and his son embark on a perilous journey, traveling light and unencumbered, their path beset by the dangers of the Amazonian wilderness. The RGS’s Costin declines an invitation to join them, choosing instead to remain behind, as the Fawcetts navigate treacherous landscapes and confront the unforgiving power of nature. A fateful encounter with native tribes leaves them battered but not defeated, only to be beset by a second tribe that posits the Fawcetts’ spirits do not belong in their world. This enigmatic assessment sets the stage for a journey that will span years and traverse realms both physical and metaphysical.

Years later, Nina Fawcett meets with Keltie at the RGS, her eyes ablaze with an unyielding conviction: she is convinced that her husband and son are still alive, living among the tribespeople of the Amazon. The RGS, having dispatched over a hundred individuals to search for Fawcett in vain, refuses to launch another expedition; Keltie counsels Nina to accept the tragic truth of her husband’s demise, but she remains resolute. Instead, she presents Keltie with the compass that had been promised to him once the lost city was found. As Nina departs, her reflection in a mirror appears to step into the verdant expanse of the Amazonian jungle, a testament to the enduring power of hope and the unyielding human spirit.