Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The African Queen (1951)

Director:  John Huston
Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley

Watched this in film criticism today!

PLOT:  Canadian boat captain Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) is a steamboat mail carrier in charge of his boat, The African Queen, during World War I in August/September 1914.  He delivers mail and supplies to brother and sister British missionaries in the village of Kungdu in German East Africa, Samuel and Rose Sayer (Robert Morley, Katharine Hepburn).  They are attacked by German soldiers who burn the village.  Samuel dies after being beaten by a soldier.  Charlie returns and asks Rose to come with him on The African Queen so they can talk about what to do next.  He also helps her bury Samuel.

During the journey, Charlie grows annoyed by Rose's constant questions.  She asks him if he can make a torpedo and insists that they take the river route past a German fort and dangerous rapids.  After tackling the rapids, Charlie is shocked when Rose insists that they continue on the same route.

Down river, Charlie and Rose get ambushed by Germans.  As is expected, after overcoming the disaster, they fall in love.      

Charlie is covered in leeches and retained to bed.  He tells Rose that there is no way they can rescue The African Queen from the mud where it has been stuck ever since they lost the channel.  However, the rain frees the boat and Charlie and Rose head on their way again.  They build torpedoes and they are ready to take on the Louisa!  Rose wants to take it on all by herself, but Charlie convinces her to let him take it on by himself.

Charlie is captured and taken aboard the Louisa.  He spies Rose on a boat and the Germans capture her too.  Rose and Charlie get married aboard the ship, which then starts to sink due to an explosion.  In the end, Rose and Charlie go off happily in love.    

REVIEW:  This was one of the first films to be filmed on location in Africa.  This is a fun adventure movie and it was fun to see Humphrey Bogart not as a classy socialite like he portrayed in CASABLANCA, but rather as a rough-and-tumble boatsman with a crass vocabulary and a filthy lifestyle. 3 out of 5 stars.  

Trailer:


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