Review of The African Queen (1952) by Bandido G — 31 May 2009

If you're in the mood for an old-fashioned and somewhat unorthodox love story, look no further than The African Queen.

Directed by John Huston, this little gem of a movie has so much going on it that it's easy to get lost in it. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn (in their one-time screen pairing), it's a match made in...well...made in Africa.

Charlie, played by Bogart, is the captain of the steamboat The African Queen, working for a minister and his sister Rose, played by Katharine Hepburn, in the heart of Africa. During the film WWI breaks out, forcing the characters to try and outrun the Germans and make it up river to the sea. Along their way, they find trouble, adventure and each other.

Bogart gives a wonderful performance. It's so wonderful in fact it was his first to earn an oscar nomination, which he subsequently won. Katharine Hepburn is her usual quirky self, giving Bogart a rough time of it. The rest of the cast is pretty sparse, save for Robert Morley, who plays a rather tragic role.

The look of the film is decently lush, wish lots of colorful landscape and wildlife. It can be a little flat at times but it's really lovely to look at.

The score of the film I felt was a little lacking. Mostly lush and period, it really didn't play much of a dramatic role for a dramtic story, particularly during some of the film's final moments.

But overall, the film is mostly good with some nice dramatic and comedic material. It won't please all modern audiences (most classics like it don't), but it is a really nice love story with some plentiful comedic and dark moments.