The African Queen

Customer Rating:
Summary: "Prop's Busted. . ."
Comment: What a work of art! This is one of the best movies of all time. When the spinster missionary woman (Hepburn) must TOLERATE Mr. Arnaut (Bogart)
in their life-threatening trip down the river in a beat-up old boat, The African Queen, the fun begins. She can drum up no respect for this man--until she realizes that he is an intelligent person who may be able to save their lives by his cool wit. He good naturedly sloughs off her constant criticism, while she endures his slovenly ways and colorful language. At some point they start developing a strong like for each other. When Bogie finally shaves, well you know romantic sparks are about to fly. Movies or stories do not come any better than this.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Unusual for Kathryn Hepburn
Comment: Ms Hepburn is not the proto-feminist here which makes a change. The film actually presents a surprisingly good story. There's a man and a woman working together without any obvious female chauvinism attempting to emasculate the man or put him in the shade.

However the original book presented the romance between the returning missionary and the habitual drunk, it's an innocent love story in the movie. The booze is disposed of in the "first reel", and the two combine their talents in a more or less egalitarian symbiosis. There's quite a bit of excitement, too, as the unlikely pair shoot the rapids and fight Germans and insects.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic
Comment: Wife's favorite movie and brilliant in all aspects. Thoroughly enjoyable and now a part of our choice library!

Customer Rating:
Summary: HEROISM VS. TERRORISM
Comment: When his village is pillaged shortly after WW 1 outbreak, the Reverend (Morley)dies of shock, leaving only his sister (Hepburn) to fend for herself. Enter Mr. Charlie Allnut (Bogart, winning his only Oscar) the uncouth, hard drinking skipper of the "African Queen", a boat of 1890 vintage, unsafe in a swimming pool. In quick succession, Bogart saves Hepburn, motors perilously down the Congo River, evades the Germans, is saved by one storm, sunken by another, and is captured by a German warship. All the while, he and Hepburn have developed a romance, culminated by marriage just before they're about to be hanged as British spies. Miraculously, the warship strikes underwater torpedos of Bogart's sunken boat, is sunk herself, as the newlyweds swim to safety. This cursory review is intended to appeal to those under 50, as I"m afraid a modern audience would find little appeal in this production,once a real classic for most.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Merrily, merrily, merrily merrily - was it all a dream?
Comment: Keeping in mind that I watched this film on the subliminally par VHS option, I must say that "The African Queen" is a film that will bamboozle the senses, while cautiously telling the story about a daring duo in Africa. What brings questions to this film, nearly 56 years since its initial release, is not so much the characters, or the story, or the location, but the transition from 50s cinema to modern. Film studies coursework aside, one can tell the elasticity of a film by watching it again (over five decades later) and if it can continue to stretch, it has beaten through the space/film continuum. Was it enjoyed as much the first time as it was the 100th time? These are great questions to ponder as you watch another round of "Breathless", "Brief Encounter", or even "Grand Illusion" for the millionth time. Time, like age, can either be a blessing for films or a curse. "The African Queen" is a difficult one to pinpoint. On one hand it stars giants like Bogart and Hepburn direction by John Ford, while on the other hand it suffers from serious plot holes, sinking character development, and some over-burdening outside connections. I finished "The African Queen" today with bewilderment - it wasn't a disastrous film, nor was it the expected "breathtaking tour of Africa's wild side". There is power behind the working forces of "The African Queen", but they need to soon realize that the elastic is pulled to the point of no return, without releasing a DVD soon - they will a broken film with time not on its side.

If one asked who the five most important characters were in "The African Queen", it would be simple. They would be Hepburn, Bogart, Africa, Germany, and finally the boat itself (side note - none of these are in any symbolic order). These are all of the elements that we, as the viewer, are asked to be involved with throughout the course of the 104 minutes. Bogart is easy, on the eyes, ears, and soul. He embodied the surly captain with no care in the world. He was funny, captivating, and in control of every scene he was involved. Hepburn was a good counter-balance, but not that powerful of a character. She was weak when she was meant to be strong, insulting when kind, panicked when excited, and obviously had never been down rapids before in her life. Bogart had the swagger, Hepburn had the cue-cards and patented voice. They had chemistry, but more like a high school romance than a heated cinematic one. Bogart deserved the Oscar. They were great to watch on-screen, even as goofy as I thought Hepburn was, the pacing of the film and their dialogue kept me in motion. I loved what 50s cinema tried when doing a destination shoot. Africa was brought to the masses - in pre-production format. Campy cinematography deterred the faithful viewer away from the story because plastic mosquitoes and leeches were an eye-sore. It must have been amazing at the time to see Africa in its glory, now it seems forced and overwhelming. Then, let's not forget, the Germans. What good 50s film doesn't enjoy a good frolic in a wooded area without those pesky Germans lurking about? They were hams - all of them, but they brought a beginning, center, and end climax to this claustrophobic film. Finally, there was the African Queen herself, an aging professional that had more stories to tell than Ford would allow. It may save the day, bring a couple closer together, or even be a drinking buddy. Either way, these are the characters that create "The African Queen", whether you like them or not, they are with you throughout the journey.

As mentioned, the acting is bearable. The cinematography will definitely need a strong re-vamp when transferred to a DVD. The story itself keeps you seatbelted to your seat for the 104 minutes ... than why do I find myself so unfocused about my thoughts with this classic. Finicky with the characters , what juggles my mind with this film more of the overall platter than just one part of the serving. I didn't connect with the character, that's obvious, the story was fun - but at the same time seemed very dated and overwhelming. In one scene Bogart is afraid of the rapids, in the next leeches, in the next mosquitoes, but is never afraid to sleep outside without shelter. What can be irritating is that Africa really isn't all that frightening in this film, for being the major antagonist; I needed dark and seedy nights followed by blistering hot days with unbearable living conditions. Hepburn sweat, Bogart drank - that was about it. The boat itself was actually the scariest part of the film because of the cramp living area. While it did feel like the "African Queen" grew and shrunk between scenes, there was this sense of claustrophobia that couldn't be replicated in other films. There was tension, confusion, and panic on this boat, as well there should be, but it needed to be heightened. The terror level needed to go up one more notch - Bogey wasn't duct taping his windows.

Overall, "The African Queen" is a classic. There is never a reason to argue against that. It is a classic, however, that is slowly deteriorating over time. The sets are aged, the special effects are "MST3K"-able, and the acting (albeit fun) seemed cheap by the end. Set upon the background of the bestselling book by the same title, this is one of those that one should probably read prior to watching. Descriptions could mean life or death, and only the printed page will give us a true sense of emotion. I think I will add this film to my collection when it comes out, I could watch it again - but not side by side. Bogey is the character that steals the show, while Africa - in all its glory - seems to be short changed in the long run. Symbolically this film will be taught in film classes until the end of time, but for me, it seems to be loosing steam around each bend. I am not afraid to say that I got scared when rushing down the rapids or wading through the reeds, but I wasn't sold on the idea. Huston had the talent, he could have controlled his environment better. A classic yes, but will it remain that way? Guess I am back to wondering how many licks on the old Tootsie Pop for now...

Grade: **** out of *****