La Reine africaine

The acting by Bogart is brilliant and Katharine Hepburn is as good.It´s exciting and VERY funny.It also have a great direction by John Huston and even if a few of the action scenes feels old and maybe some of the special effects is not fantastic Humphrey Bogart really deserved his Oscar but Katharine Hepburn is as good.The dialogue between them is wonderful.4,5/5

Charlie Allnut is the Captain of The Queen, quite dishevelled and bedraggled but he ain't mean, keeps two missionaries informed, of how the world has been transformed, it's not too long before just one will leave the scene. As they escape along the river plans are hatched, to send torpedoes to a gunboat and dispatch, on their journey gin is taken, buckled shafts are warmed then straightened, it's not long before they make the perfect match. A short sojourn into the reeds causes distraction, but not long after heavy rain causes abstraction, as the enemy is spotted, the pair remain fully besotted, just goes to show that opposites, create attraction.

Great performances, great dialogue, great film.

John Huston directed this classic WWI romantic adventure that stars Humphrey Bogart as Riverboat Captain Charlie Allnut, an alcoholic and aging veteran of the river who is persuaded to lead pious Rose Sayer(played by Katharine Hepburn) by her missionary brother(played by Robert Morley) who is later beaten and left to die of fever by the German occupiers. Rose buries her brother, then sets out on the river journey, determined to avenge her brother's death(and do God's work) by tracking down and destroying a German submarine with a torpedo. Along the way, the mismatched couple connect and fall in love... Fine adventure with two perfectly cast stars at their best. Bogart won an overdue best actor Academy Award for his wonderful performance, with superb direction making this an authentic and memorable journey indeed, overcoming the predictable(yet believable) inevitability of the romance.

To me this film will always be the validation of Humphrey Bogart's long and distinguished career. His portrayal of the hard drinking Charlie was what made this film what it was. Also, he showed just how great an actor he was when he was able to match up against the woman who is generally considered to be the greatest actress in film history, Katherine Hepburn. Also, this film will always be recognized for having the perfect mix of action, romance and comedy and it will always be a classic.

A real gem of film-making! Bogart and Hepburn shine in this two-actors-adventure-movie and even without the breathtaking visual effects of todays' films, it outshines them in its simplicity and authenticity.

The plot is very good and straight and the situation where the two characters (polar opposites) interact is an eye candy for all film goers. Bogard's Oscar as well-deserved and Hepburn could won her fifth with that powerful performance. I consider the film a pioneer in war/jungle movies making and the fact that the "commandos" are so different (a Sunday school teacher and a drunk) makes it all the better.

If you have not seen it run and get it. You won't regret it.