The African Queen

It’s easy to see why The African Queen is highly rated. A good story, good acting, and characters that you care about combine to make it worth watching.

The movie has the slower pace of an older movie, so be prepared to take a slow ride down a calm river. Still, there is enough to keep you interested and engaged. Bogart and Hepburn do a great job with their characters. Rose was believable as a strait-laced Christian missionary. Her high bred English manners are an engaging part of her role as she sips tea, reads the Bible, and concerns herself with modesty and propriety during the first half of the movie. You’re tempted to think she doesn’t have much depth to her, and are surprised as the movie goes on with her determination and strength. She has decided that they will do their part in the war and take down a German warship, the Luisa. When they hit severe rapids and damage the boat, Charlie checks on the damage.

Rose asks, Could you see anything, dear?

Charlie: Yeah. The shaft's twisted like a corkscrew and there's a blade gone off the prop.

Rose:  We'll have to mend it, then.

Nothing seems to discourage her from her goals, and her personal determination is displayed when she gets shot at by German forces, bitten by flies, and pulls the boat through the swamp, never wavering from her plan to sink the Luisa.

This movie was made in the early 50s, as women’s roles were expanding and their strength was really being noticed and appreciated. Rosie the Riveter had just encouraged women in the US to contribute to the war effort at home, and the similarities (even the name) are easy to see.

Having seen many old movies, I was actually very impressed with the effects and filming. It wasn’t easy with the equipment of the 1950s to shoot in Africa, and especially the river shots. As I read up more on the making of the film, I was amazed to learn how many of the cast and crew were sick, and how difficult the set conditions were.

For me the most distracting part of the movie was the music. It seemed to me to be used not to enhance a feeling that was being portrayed by the picture, but to force the audience to feel something that wasn’t in the visual or dialogue. The editing was sometimes a distraction as well, with some of the fade outs feeling extreme and distracting.

One interesting thing I noticed was when Rose dumped the gin and threw the bottles in the river. There was a shot of floating empty bottles, and I have to admit the environmental implications disturbed me. I’m not sure a shot like that would have made it into one of today’s movies. I'm quite certain that the portrayal of native Africans wouldn't be the same in today's world, as they were made to look like big children. They were seen fighting over a cigar, taking glee in shooting (and missing) the African Queen, and singing horribly. 

Despite the minor rough parts, The African Queen is worth watching for the first time, or seeing again.