All the time, people who would normally have very
little to do with each other or who would never
otherwise meet, are thrown together by
circumstances outside of their control. This is
particularly true in crises and other unpleasant
predicaments people can find themselves in. These
include everything from natural disasters, war,
legal matters, accidents, transportation
breakdowns, power outages, and crime. While
people often don’t have control over these
circumstances, they do have choices as to what
they will do and how they will respond to the
challenges that these difficulties create.
The African Queen is a story of survival and
how two mismatched people pull together. These
people, Charlie and Rose, learn to accommodate
each other and function together to achieve a
goal: Get a boat down a treacherous jungle river.
They are civilians who are caught in enemy
territory at the beginning of World War I. Rose
is a crisp, prim, and proper minister’s
sister. Charlie is a irreverent, unsophisticated
somewhat crude mechanic.
On the surface level The African Queen is
a love story of sorts and a tale of revenge. Rose
wants to blow up a German gunboat down river
because the Germans destroyed the mission and her
brother died after being overwhelmed by the
strain of the loss and the conditions of the
jungle. Charlie just wants to get out of harms
way but reluctantly goes along with her even
though he thinks what she wants to do is
"crazy" and believes it’s
impossible to get a boat down the river. In the
course of this venture they become closer and
develop affection for each other as they respond
to hardship and danger.
In watching The African Queen it is
important to realize that blowing up the gunboat
is a story gimmick. This gives Charlie and Rose a
challenging goal and a reason to do something
dangerous. It also heightens the tension between
Rose and Charlie, creating a situation that helps
us to realize something important about the
character and qualities of these two and how they
learn to tolerate and get along with each other.
What makes The African Queen such an
important and popular movie is its fundamental
story: Two people, who are basically strangers,
learn to function together and care for each
other as they contend with very unpleasant
realities during a difficult, unwanted ordeal.
As so often happens, the two need each other
because individually they do not have all that is
necessary to respond to the challenge confronting
them. Charlie is a "jack of all
trades," clever with his hands, but not the
smartest man in the jungle. Rose is a planner and
able to see possibilities but does not have the
skill or knowledge needed to get herself out of
this desperate situation. Fortunately for Rose
and Charlie they have the capacity to do
something that is essential for survival:
Cooperate.
One problem exists that has the potential for
undermining their efforts. Charlie has a drinking
problem, and at one point, early in the journey,
gets pretty drunk. Rose does something which,
under different circumstances, would be
co-dependent and vindictive but in their
situation is essential: She dumps the remaining
alcohol overboard. We must remember that this is
a life and death situation, and both of their
survival depends on them being able to think
clearly and respond appropriately. This is
basically the same thing as taking the car keys
away from someone who is drunk and refusing to
let a surgeon perform an operation while under
the influence.
The African Queen is a good movie for people
to see who are dealing with a difficult situation
and need each other to get through it. Too often
failure occurs because of inflexibility,
dissension, and pride. The film affirms the
importance of working together, learning to give
and take, and maintaining respect for each
other’s contributions.
Not rated by M.P.A.A.
Available from M.G.M./U.A Home Video |
|
