Blutroter Kongo

This film will make you sweat. I have not seen this movie since 1957, and its memory persists. The scenes of swarming tse-tse flies and jungle conditions make it well worth looking for. Interesting cast, although movie guides often don't give it high ratings, I think it should be reconsidered ... esp. in comparison to "Outbreak", "12 monkeys"; and in comparison to some more modern movies on Africa.

Joseph Pevney the director is more or less dismissed by so called highbrow critics. I think they are wrong. He directed Joan Crawford in one of the rare films on male prostitution, ' Female on the Beach ' and many minor gems of entertaining films that deal with character as well as action. ' Congo Crossing ' is perfectly cast. George Nadar is the lead male role, and he has been underestimated as an actor. Rock Hudson is often compared to him, and Nadar comes out as being inferior. The truth I think is that given the right roles they were both fine actors and both were gay and faithful friends. One had to go given the ' morals ' of Hollywood and gracefully Nadar left and became a writer. In this film he is on top form trying to redraw the map of the Belgian Congo, as what should be part of it's territory has become a renegade state for criminals. Peter Lorre runs it in uniform and gives a delightful over the top performance. Virginia Mayo is at her best as a cold woman of mystery who is warm when she wants to and not when men want to profit from her in more ways than one. This is by no means a great film, but excellent on its own terms. I can imagine audiences of the mid-1950's enjoyed every minute of it. I believe it, and films like it, give pleasure and sometimes have a lot of artistic beauty into the bargain. A mistake to underestimate directors like Pevney who had a lot to give to the diversity of cinema.

Same kind of intrigue as the Michael Curtiz's film, a mix up of exotic adventre and espionage yarn, intrigue, with good action scenes. It is full of charm of the fifties, and I thought about a Paramount film instead of Universal, because the Mountainl logo film company was more specialized in exotoc features, starring for instance John Payne and Rhonda Fleming or Arlene Dahl, directed by the likes of Lewis Foster or Edward Ludwig, than Universal, the science fiction and western oriented studio. Not my favourite from Jo Pevney who was a complete director: westerns, adventure - many with Jeff Chandler - crime; never any horror nor science fiction though. This one deserves to be seen at least once, for your knowledge.

Since I refuse to dislike a movie featuring Virginia Mayo and Peter Lorre, I admit to be biased in judging "Congo crossing". Virginia Mayo at her sexiest takes the movie on her beautiful shoulders. She is perfect in the role of the gorgeous adventuress wrapped into a number of stunning dresses (not particularly suited to Africa, to be honest). Maybe a trite character, but so dear to us old-flicks-buffs. Peter Lorre, unwashed, sweat and shabby as ever, hangs about with his unclean uniform, covered by medals in the style of a South-American dictator. Needless to say, he makes a treat of his whole screen-time. The sleazy and physically scary Michael Pate is a great villain. George Nader is a nice handsome guy, unfortunately lacking of charisma. But that's not much important: Virginia has enough charisma for both.

The story has some resemblance with "Casablanca". Only, here the refugees are replaced by crooks hidden in an imaginary little African state with no extradition laws. I don't know whether the movie was actually filmed in Africa. In any case, the locations are beautiful, the photography is accurate and the atmosphere is evocative. There are several old-style but well-made action scenes.

In "Congo Crossing" there are also some flaws, typical of this kind of movies. A common one for that epoch: the villain is prisoner of the hero, and the hero never sleeps, until exhaustion, for fear to be attacked. Why doesn't he simply tie the bad guy overnight?

Besides the intrinsic credit of Virginia's and Lorre's presence, "Congo crossing" is a pleasant, relaxing movie, especially suited to lovers of classic cinema.

It Couldn't fits better instead Congo Crossing than Brazilian title Congotanga-Hideaway of Outcasts, where every single murder, outlaws and crooks finding shelter in this smallest fictional African country running away from authorities if bordering with Belgian Congo, due Congotanga didn't assign any extradition law, turns out that a powerful mining company hires a geographer David Carr (George Nader) to certify if the confluence of both rivers didn't change the real river's course that would changing the frontier between Congotanga and Belgian Congo.

Meanwhile landing there from airplane a gorgeous former model Louise (Virginia Mayo) accused to murder his lover in Paris having a pulpy reward for his beauty head, guess who is the law officer there? Nothing less than the dubious Col. Arragas (Peter Lorre), then as expected each fifteen minutes a death corpse lays out somewhere, as that famous music assures "Peter Lorre contemplating a crime", it's looks like a little bit CASABLANCA in peace period, anyway has many crook men interesting in what's David Carr's work conclusion corcerning the border.

All the while a local Doc Gorman (Rex Ingram) hardly struggles against the tropical deceases over the poorest local natives waiting for medicines often stolen by the smuggler Carr Ritmer (Tonio Selwart) and his gang, in this fear atmosphere the picture unfolds, it's a lowest budge from Universal International release, full of mismatches, tons of clichés and so for, however it's an enjoyable adventure entertainment at the extent to it became at once one's my guilty pleasure pictures, it never was released in any format in Brazil.

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 1997 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD-R / Rating: 6.25.