Classic and essential movie reviews

The African Queen: A River Cruise Turns Into War Heroism

adventure, romance
1:46
PG
1951

Review by Brandon Talks Movies on Jun 25, 2017

Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put on this earth to rise above.

In the classic era of cinema, female characters had an interesting but disappointing trait: they relied on the male characters to move the plot along. Though there were some strong female characters in the 30s and 40s, they were usually portrayed as less capable than the males, and the plot usually didn’t go anywhere until the males got involved. In most movies of that era, the females were also very dependent on the males. (I know there will undoubtedly be some exceptions, but this was the norm.) This era started to die off in the 50s (although traces of it can still be seen today), and for that, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the 1951 movie The African Queen. Directed by John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) and starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, this is a movie that not only defined the romantic adventure genre (Romancing the Stone and Pirates of the Caribbean are modern derivatives), but it also showed that a female lead who is in every way her male co-star’s equal can make for a successful film.

The movie is set in a remote village in Africa where Rose and her brother Samuel are running a small church for the native villagers. Charlie, a steamboat captain who delivers mail and packages to these remote villages, stops by as he does regularly, but this time with news that a war (WWI) has broken out between Germany and England (where Rose and her brother are from). When German soldiers show up to burn the village, conscript the locals, and kill her brother, Rose knows she has to do something. Charlie rescues her and plans to escape, but Rose has different plans that will change the tide of the war in Africa. The two then set out on an impossible journey toward an impossible task that’s riveting to watch.

But Rosie, I’m not one bit sorry I came. What I mean is, it was worth it.

The plot in The African Queen is great, but it’s the characters and their relation­ship that really make this movie amazing. Humphrey Bogart’s Oscar-winning performance is charming as always, and Katherine Hepburn was nominated for an Oscar as well. The chemistry between the two leads is fun and natural, and they make a great pair. The writing also deserves a nod for giving these great actors some great material to work with. Watching these two characters on-screen together is magical—I don’t believe there’s a person alive who won’t like them.

Like many war movies not on the battlefront, there’s some symbolism going on here. When an English woman is attacked by German soldiers, and an American man is reluctant to get involved, we see international politics play out on a steamboat. Charlie is a drunk who’s content to sail through life, and Rose is a passionate but uptight woman asking him to be better. But this isn’t a lecture; it’s a romance. It’s about two people, and two nations, coming together in a beautiful way to be something neither of them could be on their own, and they each learn from each other. It’s a celebration of the union and what they accomplished together.

Like all great adventure movies, there’s a mixture of feelings that come across while watching this: fun as the adventure unfolds, anxiety as the dangers present themselves, and hope as we see the characters want their goal more than anything else. This is a funny movie, but there were times when every­thing seemed hopeless. There’s also a well-executed romance that truly brings out the best in both characters without overshadowing their very important goal. It’s a great mixture of emotions and the movie is fun to watch without being too light on tension.

Should I Watch The African Queen

The African Queen is one of the finest specimens of the adventure genre and may be the defining movie for the romantic adventure sub-genre. It’s also a positive reflection on the politics of America and England in World War I. The movie holds up very well, although some of the primitive blue screen effects are painfully obvious today. If you feel like going on a little adventure, or just want to see a sweet comedy play out, this movie fits the bill.

Movies Like The African Queen

Academy Awards

Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Humphrey Bogart)

Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Katharine Hepburn), Best Director (John Huston), Best Writing - Screenplay (James Agee, John Huston)

John Huston1950sadventureromance

Cartoon version of Brandon

About Brandon

My name is Brandon, and I love movies. Not bad ones, though—just the good ones. I’m curating and reviewing a list of classic, essential-viewing, or just plain good movies from all decades, and I've been reviewing them since 2016. I also co-host Peculiar Picture Show, a podcast about movies and mental health and write about Dungeons & Dragons options, builds, and optimization.

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