Thursday, March 18, 2010

207. The African Queen

The African Queen (1951)

Director: John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart
Katharine Hepburn

IMDb Rating: 8
My Rating: 9

"Dear... what's your first name? ... Charlie! That's a nice name, Charlie."

Rosa Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) and her brother Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley) are missionaries in a village in German Eastern Africa during World War I. The importer of their supplies and mail is Canadian born boat Captain Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart). He warns the Sayer's that the German's and Britain's are at war. It isn't too long until their village is burned to the ground, including the Sayer's missionary. Samuel rebels against the German's and is beaten, which results in a fatal fever. Charlie returns to the village to find it and Rosa in ruins. He offers to help her bury her brother and escape from the village on his boat "The African Queen." Rosa agrees, and they soon start to go down river and leave her home for the last ten years behind.

Once on the boat, Charlie and Rosa start discussing what they are going to do. Charlie happens to mention that a German gunboat is on patrol in a lake far up river. Rosa tries persuading Charlie to sink the German vessel with a make-shift a torpedo. Charlie agrees to the plan, but believes that she will abandon her idea when she sees the rough obstacles that are ahead. Although, his plan seems to backfire as she finds the adrenaline rush of rapids and waterfalls to be exhilarating. The two at first bicker and fight, but soon a romance starts to bloom. As soon as the prospect of love is present, Charlie fully agrees to the plot to sink the gun ship. The adventure ahead of them may be rough, but the two are determined to seek vengeance for a fallen brother and a country that they both desperately love.

Much like the previous film on the 250, The African Queen works mainly with only two actors, Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Of course, with two actors of their caliber, you don't need much else. Hepburn gives one of her most light-hearted and lovable performances. Don't get me wrong, Hepburn is rarely anything but outstanding, but most of her roles show her to be rather shrew. In this film, she actually brings forth a character that you can care about. Bogart is also excellent in his Academy Award winning performance. Here he drops some of his edge, in what I find to be one of his softer roles. You don't see as much vulnerability, like in his famous late night binge drink in Casablanca. It's honestly more of a caring and understanding approach than I am used to with him, but it works wonderfully. Separately Bogart and Hepburn always deliver, but their combined performances here is one of the finest parings in film history.

I was also glad to see that the continent that shares the film title was not forgotten. Much of the film features the beautiful scenery and wildlife of Africa. The waterfalls and rapids that come in the film are equally beautiful and thrilling. Each time The African Queen comes upon one of the obstacles, your heart races just as much as it marvels. Even though some of the shots are shot against a blue screen, it still somehow maintains it's realism. The animals are also a fun addition, with the appearance of hippos, crocodiles, and blood sucking leeches. Director John Huston's additional focus on Africa's rich natural beauties shows that he realizes there is more to be seen on camera than his actors.

This film couldn't come on the list at a better time. The African Queen makes it's United States debut on DVD and Blu-ray disc this Tuesday. Before Tuesday, you would have had to wait for a viewing on Turner Classic Movies (like I did), or pay a costly import fee. The African Queen is by far one of the most entertaining films on the list thus far. Bogart and Hepburn have rarely been better. It would be hard for anyone not to like this film, as there is truly something for everyone. So come this Tuesday, do yourself a favor and spend an evening with this fantastic film.

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