The African Queen - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (UK Import)

I am very proud to have grown up in a household that valued movies. I went to the theater often; very nearly weekly. When we weren’t going to the movies, we were renting them and buying them in droves. I wasn’t pushed to like certain films above others, I wasn’t told I couldn’t see this film or that one because of the genre or “quality.” While I ran through repeat viewings of Conan The Barbarian I was also exposed to countless classics that became instantaneous favorites. 

One such favorite was John Huston’s 1951 romantic adventure film The African Queen. I don’t fully recall how old I was when I first saw it, but it left a mark. I was drawn to the exotic locations, the entertaining characters, and the fact it was an adventure film that didn’t need to rest on constant action sequences. It was exhilarating to watch this tiny boat pass by a German fort or brave treacherous rapids or be toed by hand through leech-infested reeds. All the while, we watch two of the most unlikely people fall in love. I can’t count how many times I’ve watched Bogart and Hepburn light up my TV screen with this beautiful film in forty years, but it captures my attention every time. 

Since everything else I have to say about this film would be such a copy of what David Krauss already wrote, I’ll avoid the plagiarism charge and simply repost his thoughts from our 2010 Blu-ray review here: 

'The African Queen' has been consistently praised and admired by critics and audiences alike since its 1951 premiere, but for several years John Huston's stirring romantic adventure also carried the dubious distinction of being the only picture on the AFI's list of the 100 Greatest American Movies yet to see a digital release. That frustrating fact sent diehard cinephiles into periodic apoplectic fits, but Paramount, after much wrangling, at last secured and then painstakingly restored the film's original three-strip negative, which had been locked away in a British vault. (According to the studio, all American prints had deteriorated to such a degree they were unsuitable for remastering.) And now, after what seems like an eternity, this Holy Grail film hits the home video market not only in standard definition, but also in glorious 1080p.

And let me tell you, the wait has been worth it. Classic movie fans who don't rhapsodize over this superior effort, which breathes new life into this venerable drama, should head straight to the optometrist, because 'The African Queen' is a kingly specimen that will thrill even the most discriminating high-def viewers.

Notable for its ambitious location shooting in the Belgian Congo, colorful production history, terrific chemistry between stars Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, and sweet, captivating story (based on the novel by C.S. Forester of Horatio Hornblower fame), 'The African Queen' scored big upon its initial release and hasn't lost any of its luster since. Bogart won his only Academy Award (beating the likes of Marlon Brando in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and Montgomery Clift in 'A Place in the Sun') for his role as the gruff, grimy, gin-soaked Charlie Allnut, skipper of The African Queen, a rickety riverboat that delivers supplies to, among other places, a small, isolated mission run by the Reverend Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley) and his prim, virtuous sister, Rose (Hepburn). Unaware of a major conflict known as World War I, Samuel and Rose are shocked to hear from Charlie about an imminent German invasion, and when Kaiser Wilhelm's soldiers overrun the mission almost on cue, the siblings watch in horror as troops ransack and burn their settlement. The trauma and devastation send Samuel to an early grave, leaving Rose to fend for herself in the wilds of The Dark Continent.

When Charlie stops by to assess damage and offer help, he never dreams the dogged Rose will shanghai him and his boat, taking them on a dangerous journey down river that will continually test their courage and tenacity, all in the hope of finding and destroying the German gunboat that harbors the regional command. Along the way, the dilapidated African Queen must traverse treacherous rapids, cut through dense brush, and survive rough storms, while its two oil-and-water shipmates spar, bicker, and ultimately become smitten. Charlie and Rose's romance is as unlikely and unexpected as it is endearing and cute, and the middle-aged couple often acts like two starry-eyed teens basking in the unsullied bloom of young love. Their strong emotions, however, never weaken their resolve to confront and cripple the wily Germans, but executing their preposterous plan will take every ounce of energy and blind faith they can muster.

The long-standing appeal of 'The African Queen' may be due in part to its against-all-odds attitude and core values of guts and perseverance, but more likely stems from the irresistible appeal of its improbable hero and heroine. The notion that a blasphemous drunk and pious spinster could fall in love, let alone have the audacity to believe they can take down a well-oiled military machine, is both ludicrous and delightful, and Bogart and Hepburn play their roles to the hilt. Never for a moment does their affection seem anything less than genuine, and with a mastery of their craft that few others in the industry possess, the two legendary actors infuse their eccentric, charismatic characters with palpable warmth and spirit.

No stranger to big, outdoorsy tales of indomitable will and chutzpah, Huston (who teamed with Bogart on the equally rugged and immortal 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre' just three years before) deftly blends rousing physical sequences with scenes of exquisite tenderness and charm. The director's keen sense of rhythm keeps the story flowing like the river itself, ramping up tension at some points, gently drifting along in others, to create a comfortable mood punctuated by stunning landscape and wildlife shots. The marvelous script (which he co-wrote with James Agee) contains several memorable exchanges, and despite the fact that most of the film is a two-person dialogue, the characters are so richly drawn and brought so vividly to life by the actors, we never tire of them.

Amazingly, 'The African Queen' was not nominated for Best Picture, but both Huston and Hepburn did receive nods for Best Director and Actress, respectively. (Huston was beaten by George Stevens for 'A Place in the Sun,' while Hepburn lost to Vivien Leigh's Blanche DuBois.) Yet the lack of awards recognition can't diminish the film's lasting impact or the reverence it engenders. Charlie and Rose, as sweaty and disheveled as they often appear, and as quirky and stubborn as they often act, are one of the movies' immortal couples, ranking right up there with Scarlett and Rhett, Rick and Ilsa, and Jack and Rose. Their passion may be muted and their age advanced, but they're still quite a pair. And 'The African Queen' is still quite a film.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The African Queen chugs down the river to attack 4K UHD for the first time thanks to Studio Canal. Pressed on a BD66 disc, we were only given a check disc for review, but expect a standard 4K case with slipcover for your upcoming retail edition purchase. Note all images are from the 2010 Paramount Blu-ray - I haven’t been able to rip the 4K disc as of yet.

Way back, a lot of work went into the big restoration of The African Queen for its 2010 Blu-ray reveal. Here are the notes about the restoration effort Studio Canal provided for this 4K UHD disc release: 

For the 2010 4k restoration of THE AFRICAN QUEEN, Romulus Films —one of the film's original production companies— provided access to the original three-strip negative at a London facility where the film was carefully scanned and digitized. The separate elements were then transferred to Los Angeles and painstakingly recombined and inspected frame by frame to ensure that every detail aligned and that any dirt and scratches were removed.

To ensure that the restored picture matched the filmmakers' original vision, Paramount arranged a screening of an MPAA archive print for the film's original cinematographer, Academy Award winner Jack Cardiff, whose comments were recorded live during the screening. That same archival print was later screened alongside the newly restored version so that the restoration team could ensure that all of Cardiff's notes had been addressed. The result is a vibrant, warm picture that reverentially recreates the film as it was originally meant to be seen.

In 2024 a new UHD was produced from the 2010 restoration.

So, in a nutshell, Studio Canal took the incredible work that was already done and upped the ante with a full 2160p 1.35:1 Dolby Vision HDR package. And often times the results are immediately breathtaking. That 2010 Blu-ray was gorgeous, this 4K presentation only adds to that success allowing us to fully absorb numerous scenes in their full glory. If you had doubts there’d be room for improvement, that’s quickly dismissed. Bogart’s rugged beard-stubbly face and Hepburn’s intricately detailed virginal white dress are much clearer than before. The wide on-location establishing shots deliver incredible three-dimensional depth while film grain retains a true cinematic appearance without any signs of smoothing or DNR nonsense. Yes, it looks like a film shot 73 years ago, but often it also looks like these long-dead actors could walk out of the screen and into our living rooms. Scenes where the backgrounds were obviously faked in one way or another on a studio stage are just as obvious as ever, but the film still looks incredible! 

So what is holding me back from giving this a perfect 5/5? Honestly, it comes down to a slight split hair with some of the color timing. Now this film has always looked very warm. It’s always had a strong yellow and green presence with striking blues. For this edition, it appears that Studio Canal has pushed some of the yellows a tad hotter for some scenes. The first notable instance is the opening credits. Compared to the Blu-ray, the letters are now a slight tan shade instead of true white. Later when Charlie and Rose are on the African Queen and Charlie hilariously kicks the shit out of the boiler for the first time, the sky behind Charlie is now a hazy, smoggy yellowed hue instead of a grayish white like the Blu-ray.

I highlight these sorts of specific instances because this yellow push isn’t consistent. It’s not like the entire film is that much more yellow to the point that it skews other colors. This isn't anything like Cat's Eye or some other problematic 4K releases. Rose’s white dress is perfect white throughout. When the sky is blue, it’s a perfect blue and not skewed to some sort of lime green shade. So this timing was done judiciously, and honestly, if I wasn’t so familiar with the film, I probably wouldn’t have noticed some of these very slight changes. The rest of the Dolby Vision grade is excellent and this transfer looks splendid.

On the audio front, we have an LPCM 2.0 mix doing the work. Doing the disc flippies back to the 2010 Blu-ray, I didn’t notice much of a difference beyond I didn’t feel like I needed to have my volume up quite as high with the 4K disc. But that wasn't even really a problem before - it's not like that 2010 Blu-ray had soft anemic audio. It was grand then and this track offers a terrific mix for the film letting dialog have its due while also making sure the excellent Alan Gray score shines. It’s a clean mix, free of hiss or serious age-related anomalies. It might not sound like it was recorded yesterday, but it’s a beauty all the same.

Considering Paramount kind of whiffed it in this department with their 2010 Blu-ray, it’s nice to see Studio Canal dig up a vast array of new and archival extra features for this 4K disc. We have excellent new interviews with the likes of Kim Newman and Neil Sinyard going toe-to-toe with expansive archival interviews with John Huston as well as two very good and informative audio commentaries to enjoy after the main feature. 

• Audio Commentary with Angela Allen and Ian Christie
• Audio Commentary with Jack Cardiff
• Sir John Woolf on the Making of The African Queen (4:43) Audio played over various poster stills like an audio commentary
• Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen (HD 59:20)
• Video Interview with Co-Screenwriter Peter Viertel (HD 17:42)
• 2010 NFT Q&A With Angelica Huston and Angela Allen (30:52) Played over press stills like an audio commentary 
• 1981 NFT / Guardian Interview with John Huston (1:45:16) Played over the film like an audio commentary 
• Video Interview with Kim Newman (HD 18:46)
• Video Interview with Neil Sinyard (HD 15:55)
• Lux Radio Theater Adaptation from 1952 with Humphrey Bogart and Greer Garson (59:23)
• Behind the Scenes Still Gallery
• Original Theatrical Trailer (SD 2:42)

The African Queen is a true old-school classic Hollywood adventure film. Featuring two titans of the screen, Bogart would win his only Oscar while Hepburn would be nominated but understandably bested by Vivian Leigh for A Streetcar Named Desire. I grew up watching this film countless times on tape and it’s always held prime real estate in my collection. Now I need to make a little more room on the shelf for Studio Canal’s new 4K UHD release. While I might not be a fan of some of the yellow push peppered throughout, I can honestly say this 2160p transfer easily tops the visual clarity of the 2010 Blu-ray. With a clean audio track and hours of excellent worthwhile bonus features there's nothing left to say but call this disc Highly Recommended