NFR Project: 'The African Queen' (1951)

 

NFR Project: “The African Queen”

Dir: John Huston

Scr: James Agee, John Huston

Pho: Jack Cardiff

Ed: Ralph Kemplen

Premiere: Dec. 26, 1951

105 min.

Do you see how John Huston’s name keeps popping in the National Film Registry?

There’s a reason for that. He knew how to tell a story on film. A versatile artist, he changed his style from movie to movie. There are few distinctive Huston-isms in his movies; Huston is always taking a direct, clear path through whatever material he has decided to master. He gives the story what it needs.

He gives the actors what they need, too. Huston's characters define themselves through action, but Huston always gives the players time to work out their feelings on the screen. Thus, he garners many acting awards for his performers. For this film, Bogart won his only Oscar.

The tale is, on its surface, simple. Take two contrasting natures, put them in a life-or-death situation, and watch what happens. A man and a woman take a boat trip. She’s “respectable,” he a bit of a lout. They fall in love. Do they make it to their destination?

It is 1914. In German East Africa, a middle-aged brother (Robert Morley) and sister, Rose Sayer (Katherine Hepburn) run a mission. Bringing them their mail and supplies by his little steamboat The African Queen is Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart), one of those incessantly wearied by feeling put upon, washed with the genial glaze of the alcoholic. A long early scene shows the three interacting awkwardly together. Charlie’s lack of manners, and self-consciousness, contrast comically with the siblings’ genteel aspirations transplanted to the African bush.

World War I begins. The Germans attack, the village is burned, the brother is killed. Charlie returns to aid the situation. He buries the brother, and takes Rose with him on the boat.

They begin to travel down the Ulanga-Bora Rivers to freedom. That the two are a mismatched pair is to be expected. She is prim and proper, he is rough and coarse. Charlie explains that the Germans command a warship on the lake that is their destination. Rose has an inspired idea. Taking the supplies on the Queen, they could fashion torpedoes and ram into the side of the German warship.

Charlie reluctantly agrees, and down they go, shooting the rapids. Rose loves it. Charlie angrily refuses to continue, and berates Rose as he drinks heavily. She rebels, and pours out all his alcohol as he sleeps it off, leaving a trail of empty bottles in their wake. “A man takes a drop once in a while, it’s only human nature,” argues Charlie. “Nature,” replies Rose, “Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.”

Once again, Charlie gives in. They sail successfully past a German fort, and joyfully embrace – which turns into a clinch. It is implied that they sleep together. They go down a second set of rapids, more destructive than the first. They are forced to fix the ship’s drive shaft and propeller blade. The fight their way through mosquitoes, and pull the boat through a leech-infested swampy part of the river.

Finally, they make it to their destination, and prepare to ram the German ship. However, in a night storm the boat sinks. Charlie and Rose are picked up by the Germans, who are intent on hanging them. They ask to be married first. The captain of the German boat does so. Suddenly, the Queen surfaces and drfits into the German ship, exploding and  sinking it. Charlie and Rose survive, and swim off together.

This was Huston’s (and Bogart’s and Hepburn’s) first color film, but he keeps his colors muted, working in greens and grays. There is extensive location shooting in Africa, combined with some excellent in-studio tank work. A little miniature work and some dummy boat work complete the effort. Given the excellent script and the sheer watchability of Bogart and Hepburn, the result is a compulsively engaging film.

The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: An American in Paris.