Review of The African Queen (1952) by Allen H — 04 May 2010

4: The first time I saw The African Queen was in college on a very poor DVD transfer. Seeing it on Blu-Ray is like seeing it for the first time. One senses it is a different kind of film from what is typically produced by Hollywood from the opening moments.

It's fairly obvious we are actually seeing an African jungle and actually hearing the sounds of a vibrant African ecosystem. Thus, it's immediately clear the film has been shot on location and there is no substitute, unless your Hitchcock making something like Rear Window.

Additionally, there is no roaring lion, Warner symbol, Univeral globe, UA glitter, Paramount emblem, RKO radio tower, etc. In addition to this absense, it was obvious to me throughout the film that it was indeed an independent production.

The production values are slightly less than what one would expect in a studio film. I don't mean to imply that this negatively impacts the beauty and effectiveness of the picture, but simply to point out that it is more spartan and lesser in scale than I imagine the same picture would be if placed in the hands of a David Lean, William Wyler, King Vidor, etc.

and all of their studio resources. The conditions in which the film were shot are certainly harsh, but much less harsh than those experienced in a shoot like Lawrence of Arabia, which Spiegel also produced.

Spiegel seems to have had a good eye and a strong business sense, as he was involved with some of best location films of the 50's and 60's, including Lawrence, Bridge on the River Kwai, and On the Waterfront.

Despite how wonderful the film looks, it does not approach Cardiff's best work, namely The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus. This is undoubtedly due to the difficult working/lighting conditions. I'd also say the film pales in comparison to Renoir's The River, another Technicolor location masterpiece from around the same time.

It is rather remarkable that these filmmakers were able to use the huge and unwieldy Technicolor camera on their various shoots in austere and extreme locations, not without mishap of course, but ultimately to great effect.

The story here is not the river though; it is the on screen chemistry between Bogart and Hepburn. They simply light up the screen and have more than a few powerful and funny moments. They both explode off the screen as only true movie stars can.

The boat itself would receive third billing in my book and the locations fourth. Huston really causes us to identify with their plight and be taken along on their journey to the point where we feel their pain and exhilaration and remain anxious for them right up until the very end.

This would have been a great set to be on, with Huston, Bogart, and company drinking, Bacall cooking and nursing, and Hepburn being Hepburn. This is a classic that will never die. I don't exactly love it, but I can more than appreciate it.