Charlie smokes cigars and drinks gin, finally to the point of drunkenness, where he sings off-key and is surly and rude to Rose. Charlie talks of how he used to sleep off hangovers on typical Sunday afternoons. Rose disapproves of alcohol, sending his stash into the river while Charlie is in hangover agony. Charlie tosses his cigar to the ground upon arriving in the African village, and the African villagers rush over and scuffle over who gets the cigar butt.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
A hail of gunfire. German soldiers bully people (one dies off-screen) and burn a grass hut village. A threatened execution by hanging. Scene of Charlie plagued by blood-sucking leeches. Talk of torpedoes and bomb-building.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
A novel of the same name by C.S. Forester exists but has been completely overshadowed by the movie adaptation.
Positive Messages
some
Love-story message of a greatest possible "opposites attract" variety, with staid, spinsterish Rose falling in love with ill-mannered, hard-drinking Charlie, and the two learning to appreciate and respect each other. Secondary theme about striving against near impossible odds to fight tyrannical enemies.
Positive Role Models
very little
Both Charlie and Rose are flawed but heroic characters. Charlie drinks too much and is generally uncouth; Rose is a little snobbish, but by the end they've proven their worth and thoroughly won each other over. Rose and her brother are brittle Methodist missionaries, fish-out-of-water puritans in the African jungles. The script stops short of depicting them and their Bible lessons as intrusive and ineffective, but slovenly Charlie seems better adapted to the environment and culture. Black tribal Africans are mostly passive background characters. Both Charlie and Rose refer to the Africans who work for them as "my boys."
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The African Queen is a classic 1951 romantic comedy/adventure starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. As a movie set in Africa during World War I, the depictions of Africans are indicative of the stereotypes of the time. Bogart's character is a steamboat captain, and Hepburn's character is a missionary -- both make references to the Africans who assist them as "my boys." An early scene in which Bogart's character first arrives at the African village involves Bogart's character, Charlie, tossing a cigar onto the ground. Immediately, several African villagers run to and scuffle over who gets the cigar butt. As with other movies starring Bogart, there's plenty of smoking (cigars) and drinking (gin). Charlie is shown binge-drinking gin, resulting in him singing off-key and then making surly comments and insults at Hepburn's character's expense. The next morning, Charlie is hung over while Rose dumps the remaining bottles of gin into the river. There is light violence in the form of gunfire and dangerous river rapids. Squeamish moments involve blood-sucking leeches and, to a lesser extent, a painful mosquito swarm. There's a very mild suggestion that Charlie and Rose sleep together. Rose seems to be naked when bathing in the river (but actually she's covered with a slip). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
This is not much of a review, but what happened when I showed it to my 10 year old cousin.
First, let it be known that I am a huge history buff, and like to see younger people (I am 20, so by younger I mean 10-18 year olds) As an amateur historian, I have a bad habit of spewing off random facts about this period or the other, but while i was staying with my uncle and his son for a few months, my 10 year old cousin seemed to be fairly interested in my world war 1 facts. My uncle had the African Queen on dvd, so I figured he might get a kick out of it. I kind of expected him to be bored, but he was very into it. He asked my questions like "why are the Germans the bad guys" and "what does a missionary do" and how does a steam boat work." I liked answering his questions and teaching him about the general idea of war, and that the Germans were not evil, but they were fighting for there country. I also, was pleased that he took an interest in how the steamboat worked, so I fed his mind with some basic info on engines, and he got all of it. And, after we finished this movie, he asked if i had another to watch. I watched another timeless classic "the Grapes of Wrath" and taught him about the points of that movie, and that even though ti may be an old movie, it doesn't mean it is bad. Hope this helps someone, even though it is not a real "review".
Personally I think this is John Huston's best film. Beautifully made and with superb acting! A must see for anyone 12 and over!
What's the Story?
Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) and her brother Samuel are English missionaries in 1914 German East Africa. Their rare contact with the outside world is through Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart), who delivers their mail on his steam-powered boat, the African Queen. When Samuel is killed in a German attack, Charlie takes Rose with him. At first, they are stiffly polite to each other. Then, Rose decides that they must use their explosives to blow up the powerful German gunboat, the Louisa. Charlie thinks she's crazy and they clash. He steers into the rapids to show her how dangerous the river is, but she's thrilled by the experience. Charmed by her enthusiasm and praise, Charlie still insists that they can't possibly attack the Louisa, and yet she persists. Will the pair try to destroy the German boat, and if so, will they survive the dangerous mission? And will their attraction and admiration for one another continue to grow?
THE AFRICAN QUEEN is one of the finest and most satisfying of the "odd couple takes a trip together" genre. Rose and Charlie are opposites, and yet they are perfectly suited to each other. Ultimately, Rose isn't comfortable "rising above" nature, and indeed grows to love it, as she gives up some of the strictures of civilization and appreciates the beauty and "stimulation" of the natural world. Charlie learns to appreciate some of the beauties of civilization; to take the challenge and the responsibility of participating in the fight against the Germans, to have a relationship of trust and tenderness.
Humphrey Bogart won a well-deserved Oscar for this performance. Katharine Hepburn, who was also nominated, said that her performance was based on director John Huston's suggestion that she play Rose as Eleanor Roosevelt. (Compare this performance to her appearance in Pat and Mike a year later, in which she played a world-class athlete.) This movie is based on a novel of the same name by C.S. Forester, but the romance was added by screenwriters James Agee and John Huston.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the reason that German troops were in Africa in the 1900s. Where could you learn more about the history portrayed here?
Families can also talk about what makes a compelling love story. Is the "opposites attract" premise just more fun? Do you prefer stories of first love, or is it more compelling with more mature characters? Why?
How are Black African characters presented in a stereotypical manner in this movie?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
