A truly remarkable movie featuring major stars at the top of their game. Following World War One in East Africa, Rose Sayer needs gruff steamboat captain Charlie Allnut to help her escape danger and return to safety after her brother is killed by German soldiers. They are very different people; she’s a dedicated missionary, while he's a hard-drinking man with a mischievous look about him. As they travel further down the river, an unexpected connection begins to develop between them, both in their personalities and as they seek to confront the Germans. It seems almost certain that The African Queen began with a significant advantage from its very first scene! Having Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn starring alongside each other, plus John Huston directing, certainly created a favorable situation. Fortunately, history shows us that everyone involved created a wonderful and thrilling film, but it’s more impressive for being an interesting story than simply bringing together famous Hollywood actors. Adapted by Huston and James Agee from the novel by C.S. Forester, it's thought that the original plan was to make it a straight drama, but whether due to the stars’ preferences or just going with what felt right, the film ended up being a blend of drama and humor – the kind where you can tell everyone is having a good time. When considering character-driven stories, The African Queen stands out, particularly within 1950s cinema. Add to that an excellent story and location work in Congo and Uganda skillfully used by Huston (who clearly enjoyed the setting) and his cinematographer, Jack Cardiff. There’s also this wonderful feeling of ease; just as the boat, The African Queen, moves down the river, so does the film effortlessly progress without any unnecessary fuss, suggesting that it's a genuinely heartfelt story that you might not see again soon. Some critics may mention the dated studio-filmed parts as a reason why this shouldn’t be considered among the greatest films ever made, but really that’s only a problem if you want to lessen your enjoyment of everything else in every other shot. From Bogart's wry and humorous expressions to Hepburn’s portrayal of properness, it is an absolute pleasure and rightfully belongs on lists of all-time great movies. 10/10

Source on TMDB