Review of The African Queen (1952) by Philippa W — 11 Apr 2011

Years I've been curious to see this, and our boat trip through Borneo finally made me think it was time, but even doing my best to put myself in a 1952 mindset, I find it hard to see why this film remains so famous.

Clobbering you over the head with everything it tries to do, whether it's the love story or the relationship of the missionary to the natives or the "action" story or the jungle scenes..

. what was the old line, "if you see a knife in the first scene, someone will use it before the last"? Repeat a few times that your boat is filled for some reason with Oxygen tanks and blasting powder, and even Katharine Hepburn sees torpedoes in her mind's eye.

.. Two stars just out of consideration for the actors and the era, but I think now I have to go back and watch Casablanca and Key Largo again and see whether I can still muster some appreciation for these period pieces.

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