‘The African Queen' gave Humphrey Bogart his only Academy Award win. In his early 50s at the time, he was the last Oscar-winner to be born in the Nineteenth Century. His craggy features are perfect for embodying the character of Charlie Allnut, a Canadian delivery man living out in East Africa who owns a small steamboat called ‘African Queen'. The film is set during the early days of World War One, a time that Bogart would have remembered. Needless to say, he is entirely credible at embodying the sweet, awkward, down-to-earth Charlie Allnut.
This unusual film succeeds on the strength of the two leads who bring it to life. Playing opposite Bogart as genteel English Christian missionary Rose Sayer is Katharine Hepburn (‘The Lion in Winter', ‘Bringing Up Baby', ‘On Golden Pond'). Inevitably, her performance is strong and domineering, even a touch austere. Their polar opposite characterisations and gradually growing esteem for one another is the beating heart of the movie. Although Bogart preferred performing opposite his real-life wife Lauren Bacall, it's a shame he wasn't regularly paired-up with Katharine Hepburn, as together, they're dynamite.
Based on a story by CS Forester, an English writer best known for creating the naval hero Horatio Hornblower, it is an unlikely subject matter for a Hollywood blockbuster. The bulk of the film is a two-hander between Bogart and Hepburn, who appear in almost every scene. It opens just as the Germans, who are already at war in Europe, arrive and torch the village, taking away the villagers. Rose's fever-stricken brother succumbs to grief and illness. Left alone, Rose takes the only route out of the devastated land, jumping on board Charlie Allnut's little steamboat.
Yet the reason she travels with him is not to escape to neutral territory and avoid the war. Rather, she seeks revenge upon the Germans and concocts an intricate plan to sink one of their warships. Imagining that, faced by threats such as rapids and alligators on the river, Rose will quickly change her mind, Charlie goes along with her lunatic wheeze. But when Rose blossoms, having the time of her life facing every brush with death, he starts to worry that she really wants to go through with her plan and he'll have no choice but to keep his promise…
‘The African Queen' is partly a love story and partly a wartime adventure. The pace picks up considerably once the unlikely pairing hit the open waters. Allnut's common, no airs and graces way of life contrasts wonderfully with Rose's stiff-upper-lip, prim and proper, overly-mannered deportment. The collision of these two worlds elicits plenty of laughs along the way, especially when Allnut opens his crate of gin and gets a little too loose-lipped. It's a brilliant scene, expertly-played by Bogart. Little wonder they gave him the Oscar, though if the documentary on the extra features is to be believed, he may well have been drinking for real at the time.
As Charlie and Rose grow fonder of one another, we in turn take them into our hearts. However implausible the plot, we never stop believing these wonderful characters. If you're captivated by this duo, then you'll adore ‘The African Queen'.
Director John Huston, who had already directed Bogart in film noir classics ‘The Maltese Falcon' and ‘Key Largo', knows exactly how to get the best out of his leading man. He would go on to direct the original ‘Moulin Rouge', Marilyn Monroe's last film ‘The Misfits' and ‘The Man Who Would Be King'. Arguably, ‘The African Queen' is his best film. He captures the perfect blend of adventure and romance and makes the most of the exotic locations. It is perhaps a movie like no other – with its key theme of survival against the odds, it finds moments of stillness for warmth, humour and tenderness. Nearly three quarters of a century after it was made, ‘The African Queen' remains a captivating and exciting film brought to life by a visionary director and his two perfectly-paired leading actors. One of those films that everyone must see at least once in a lifetime that's also highly entertaining.
‘The African Queen' has never looked or sounded better than on 4KUHD. The original colour patina, common for films of the era, is retained. A host of extra features demonstrate the cultural significance of the film. There is a new audio commentary with Angela Allen and Ian Christie, plus one from the archives with cinematographer Jack Cardiff. The documentary on the making of ‘The African Queen' is an hour in length and has plenty of behind-the-scenes photographs of Huston, Bogart and Hepburn on location. It goes into details about the significant production problems that make you realise it's a miracle any film ever gets made. You'll also find interviews with modern day film historians and an original theatrical trailer. ‘The African Queen' lives up to its reputation as one of the all-time great movies.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley Director: John Huston Writer: CS Forester Released by: Studiocanal Certificate: PG Duration: 105 mins Release date: 21st October 2024 Buy ‘The African Queen'
