The idea of Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn sitting on a boat for the entire duration of the film didn't really appeal to me at first, despite the rave reviews it has had. But when I pressed 'stop' I had to sit back for a few minutes just to take everything in. And I can say this is one of the most powerful films I have watched in a long time.
Bogart plays Charlie Allnut who picks up Rose Sayer in Africa after her brother dies of fever after being beaten by German soldiers. They both set sail on Allnut's vessell 'The African Queen', each as different as they can be, with Hepburn hoping to convince Bogart to build a torpeado to sink the Queen Louisa (a German ship) and Bogart trying to get Hepburn to lighten up and stop being so prim and proper. Katherine Hepburn seems to play the character with a lot of her own personality embedded within, as Rose takes practically no notice of anything Charlie says despite the fact that he is an advanced sailor and she isn't, even to the stage where they both risk their life to navigate a particularly perilous part of the river.
I admire Hepburn greatly as an actress but sometimes don't like her non-stop bossy nature. Bogart was terrific on the other hand and really showed a compassionate and good-natured man, even though drink seemed to be his main priority. ( The idea that Bogart would only be around for a few more years after he made this film was a deeply sad thought when watching this ) It's a nice moral story with two great actors. What more could you ask for?
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