Hepburn plays Rose, a spinster who is helping her Reverend brother out at a mission in Africa. It's the onset of World War I and the local village is burnt down by German soldiers and the villagers either flee or are captured by the German army. This drives the reverend brother insane and to his death.
Bogart plays Charlie, a local ship's captain who delivers the mail. He takes Rose on board his ship t escape down river in order to sit the war out in safety. Rose has other plans. Learning that Charlie has explosives on board, she hatches a plot to destroy a German ship which is patrolling a lake down the wild river.
The adventure tale takes a back seat to the developing relationship with these polar opposites and their effect on each other. Once Rose experiences going down the white water rapids for the first time, her cool exterior begins to vanish. "I never dreamed that any mere physical experience could be so stimulating!" Indeed. He too changes. After he gets drunk one night and gives her what for, she pours all his gin away into the river. The sober Charlie is also seemingly seduced by Rose. As her looks become more dishevelled, he shaves and somewhere in the middle they meet and fall in love.
It is great chemistry between the two leads. Both big veteran stars and do not outshine each other, though it was Bogart who won his only Oscar for his performance. The repartee is at it's best when they are at each others throats.
Shot on location in Africa, the camera has plenty to point at as well as it's stars. The ship steaming down the rapid river and the sights from the riverbank all add to the sumptuous feast created by the sparkling script.
Definitely one to watch. Great adventure, witty riposte and not an ounce of sentimentality.
Damned waste of good gin!
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