Charlie Hunnam has said his character in new film The Lost City Of Z felt oppressed by early 20th century society.
The Sons Of Anarchy star plays real-life British explorer Percy Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in 1925.
In the film, Fawcett is shown sticking up for the idea that South American tribes could be advanced enough to build a city in the jungle, in the face of opposition at home to his expedition.
At the UK premiere at the British Museum in London, Charlie told the Press Association: ”An interesting theme and one of the biggest drives and motivations for Fawcett’s (adventures) was that he felt really oppressed and marginalised by society.
“We have this horrible tendency to rank in society, whether it be the British class system or the American wealth system.”
Fawcett is accompanied on his adventures by aide-de-camp and “right-hand man” Henry Costin, played by Twilight and Harry Potter heart-throb Robert Pattinson.
The film is an adaptation of a non-fiction book of the same name by David Grann and is set in an era when white supremacy and colonialism were an accepted part of society.
Director James Gray said: “Unfortunately I don’t think very much has changed since the early 20th century.
“When we make a movie about the past, we are making a comment on the present and I think that point has been made.”
Robert admitted that depicting the idea of colonialism retrospectively was difficult as they were dealing with the “contemporary idea of it”.
In the film, the lead character is also torn with the dilemma of choosing between following his dream to find the lost city and staying with his wife, played by Sienna Miller, and family.
The Lost City Of Z will be released in UK cinemas on March 24.
