This is Huston in laissez-faire mode as a group of men with an ulterior motive to milk the riches of Africa meets unexpected obstacles in the form of a British couple, as the film explores human temptations of greed, lust and pride.
Twisting and turning, Huston’s feature debut works excellently as an old-school mystery drama, setting some groundwork for Hollywood noir to flourish in the ’40s.
Huston’s Venice Silver Lion-winning costume drama focuses much more on disabled French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec than the infamous Paris nightclub that he frequently visits in this ruminative take on love and loneliness.
Save for the decent performances by Humphrey Bogart (his only Oscar win) and Katharine Hepburn, this journey-through-a-hostile-river adventure could have been more meandering than usual.
Eternality Tan 