Review of The African Queen (1952) by I Don't Know W — 27 Aug 2011

John Huston's THE AFRICAN QUEEN [1951]: One of the most beloved crowed pleasing films of Hollywood's golden era, John Huston's THE AFRICAN QUEEN is an unquestionable classic adventure film that in 2011 celebrates its 60th Anniversary the same year that another great Huston and Humphrey Bogart classic, THE MALTESE FALCON [1941] celebrates its 70th Anniversary. This classic film holds well up against the test of time and holds its entertainment value very well.

THE HUMPHREY BOGART FORTNIGHT.

Day Six: John Huston's THE AFRICAN QUEEN [1951]: .As much as the back-story to this films incredible production on location in Uganda and The Congo with bulky Tri-Colour Technicolor cameras and a massive multiple River Barges for the shooting of the scenes on the river. The real reason why the QUEEN holds up today is due to the simple and brilliant plotline , Huston's direction and of course the great performances by Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. So in the conclusion to this fortnight long look at the films of Humphrey Bogart I end this review marathon with the film that gave Bogart his only Academy Award for Best Actor in THE AFRICAN QUEEN.

THE PLOTLINE.

Set in German East Africa in 1914, before and during the outbreak of the First World War in a remote small Village. English Christian Missionaries Reverend Sayer and his sister Rose Sayer (Katherine Hepburn) are shocked to hear that War has just broken out in Europe by a laid back Canadian supply Boat Captain and handyman Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart). Not long after the Sayers refuse to leave their "flock" a patrol of German and African soldiers burn the village and drive off the villages and assault the Reverend, in front of Rose. Not long after the Germans leave, the Reverend delirious by a fever dies leaving Rose all alone until Charlie returns. Charlie helps Rose bury her dead brother before he decides it's best for them to leave the village on his river boat THE AFRICAN QUEEN.

After anchoring behind a small river Island the slack and lazy Charlie decides it's best to say well away from the Germans. However the prim and proper Rose suggests to Charlie that they must head on down river and cross the lake out of German East Africa go to the Belgian Congo (which Belgium was an ally to The British Empire during the War). Charlie tells Rose the feat of getting down river is near suicidal for various reasons like a major German Fort overlooking the river, deadly rapids, and on the lake a heavily armed German Warship called The LOUISA that could easily shoot their small boat out of the water. The rest of the film becomes a dangerous mission to torpedo The LOUISA while Rose eventually helps Charlie overcome his Alcoholism, the pair fall in love with each other, having to fix a broken propeller and wade through thick reeds and deal with death a thousand times over down the river on THE AFRICAN QUEEN.

THE ACTING, SCRIPTING, DIRECTION, & THE CINEMA-PHOTOGRAPHY.

To start with the main focus of this review series the acting from Bogart is well as always brilliant for AFI's greatest leading man. Bogart as the lazy, unshaven, drunken and reluctant hero Charlie finally gave Bogart his only Oscar for acting. To be honest the academy totally ignored Bogart's greatest performance as Fred .C. Dobbs in that other Huston adventure classic THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE [1948]. As much as Bogart deserved an Oscar for that film, thank god he wasn't denied and Oscar for this film. Bogart had a talent for playing for likable reluctant Heroes and Anti-Hero's and his role as Charlie Allnut is another great performance by Bogart.

For the other great performance in this film by Katherine Hepburn as the optimistic heroine Rose is a great contrast to Bogart's at first pessimistic hero. In a way Hepburn's strong performance in the role of the prim and proper Rose works well off Bogart's character. The whole reason why the film works well is due to the pairing of Bogart & Hepburn in a simple adventure story.

John Huston as a writer-director was a co-writer on the adaptation of the C.S Forester's 1935 novel. In the same vein of other directors who wrote or were involved with the writing of the screenplay have the added advantage of having a much clearer understanding of the story to the film. Huston's experience as an actor and a writer came in handy when it came to adapting a literary source to the big screen. Huston's vision of the story is simple and entertaining which made this film work so well along with the strong Bogart & Hepburn onscreen paring and the stunning shots of the African Landscape , which is why this film gets a solid 80% from me.