Le Grand Voyage Review

Recently, I watched a film called Le Grand Voyage which I had picked at random from the local video store – it turned out to be an interesting and thought provoking road movie about a father and son.

The father (Mohamed Majd) is deeply religious and insists that his agnostic son Reda (Nicolas Cazalé) accompany him from France on a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, a journey that is essential for all people of the Muslim faith who are able, at least once during their lifetime.

The storyline is fairly simple but I found myself captivated by the on-screen relationship between father and son; both with entirely different views of the world but brought together by their goal – Mecca. As the two travel over differing terrains through the European mainland, all the way to Middle East, the viewer is shown the contrasting ways of life in neighbouring countries.

Along the way, the pair meet a couple of interesting characters – firstly the spooky elderly woman who appears from nowhere and who travels in their car without speaking, and later, a Turkish man who befriends them and shows them the sights and sounds of Istanbul.

Towards the end, the film manages to convey the great sense of unity of the thousands of people arriving in Mecca from all over the world, with striking cinematography and some real footage. The acting is excellent throughout and at times very moving, and challenges the negative preconceptions that many people have of the Muslim faith.

One of the best films I have seen in the last couple of years.