The African Queen

1951 | Drama | 105 minutes | English

Info

Samuel Sayer and his sister Rose are British Methodist missionaries in the village of Kungdu in German-controlled East Africa. Their mail and supplies are delivered by a broken-down steamer named “The African Queen” that’s manned by a gin-swilling Canadian Charlie Allnut. World War I breaks out and German troops burn down the village and kill the protesting Samuel Sayer. Charlie buries Samuel and convinces Rose to escape with him on the African Queen. Charlie mentions to Rose that the British cannot attack because of the presence of a German gunboat on the lake. Rose suggests they equip the African Queen with a torpedo and sink the German gunboat. A drunken Charlie reluctantly agrees knowing that navigating the Ulanga River to reach the lake is hazardous as it’s filled with dangerous rapids and guarded by German outposts. The constantly bickering couple make it to the lake, but a storm capsizes the African Queen. Charlie and Rose are captured by the Germans and are to be hanged as spies. Before the hanging takes place, Charlie implores the captain, as a last request, to have him marry them. He does, and Charlie and Rose are now a newly-married couple. Meanwhile, the torpedo that was attached to the African Queen has reached the German gunboat and, with a huge explosion, totally destroys it. Charlie and Rose survive. Mission accomplished!

Cast

Humphrey Bogart (Charlie Allnut) / Katharine Hepburn (Rose Sayer) /

Robert Morley (Samuel Sayer) / Peter Bull (Captain of the German Gunboat)

Why Stream This Film?

The fact that this film adventure was filmed on location in Uganda and the Congo in Africa, especially for a Technicolor picture that required unwieldy cameras was absolutely courageous. Throw in a director like John Huston, superb performances by Bogart and Hepburn, a literate screenplay by James Agee, and magnificent cinematography by Jack Cardiff, and you end up with a monumentally exciting film experience. That’s The African Queen.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 98%
Metacritic Score: 91

Accolades

75th Venice Film Festival, Winner, Golden Lion
Ten Academy Award Nominations. Winner: Best Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), Best Cinematographer (Alfonso Cuarón)
Festivals: Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York
Best Film of 2018: Time Magazine and The New York Film Critics Circle