March 29, 2024
Chicago 12, Melborne City, USA
Movie Reviews

Le Grand Voyage and the Spirituality

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In the movie, ‘le grand voyage’, the relationship of the father and son characterizing a perspective of attaining pilgrimage. Father is so inclined towards Islamic practices that he fosters his son to drive him to the holy place. There is the clear non-commitment as appeared from the son since he was not willing to go with a father.

The whole journey was flare up, and son got in furious due to the confronted hurdles of the trip. Pilgrim is the primary step of Muslims identity, and through the devotion and belief, many Muslims of the world perform it. However, when son saw the thousands of people with the same faith as his father, he got overwhelmed, and this was necessary to change his thoughts.

The Movie Le Grand Voyage

“Le Grand Voyage” is a film directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi, released in 2004. The movie follows the journey of a father and son from France to Mecca, which serves as their spiritual pilgrimage.

The story revolves around the character of Reda, a young Frenchman of Moroccan descent, who is preparing to take his father on a long trip to Mecca for the Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage. Reda’s father, who is a traditional and devout Muslim, insists on traveling by road in an old Peugeot 504 instead of flying. Reluctantly, Reda agrees to accompany his father on this challenging journey.

Throughout the film, the father and son confront cultural differences, language barriers, and personal conflicts while traveling across various countries, including France, Italy, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The journey becomes a transformative experience for both characters as they grapple with their beliefs, reconcile their differences, and deepen their understanding of each other.

“Le Grand Voyage” is known for its exploration of themes such as family, tradition, identity, and spirituality. It offers insights into the complexities of the father-son relationship, cultural clashes, and the significance of the Hajj pilgrimage in Islam.

The Spiritual Obligations

The father in the le grand voyage is habitual to practice Islam in the form of different obligations and practices. It is an extraordinary film in which the son lives in the south of France and drives across seven states to reach Mecca.

Many obstacles they came across along their way are a test that how man pass through and devout him as faith and struggle. Father practices religion in a comprehending manner that his son does not have even a clue about that why is this battle for, while he practices a full faith.

Le Grand Voyage
Le Grand Voyage-The Spiritual Journey

Le grand voyage depicts lack of understanding in the son and father communication, values and belief because they live in a different place and never had intimacy regarding beliefs and faith.

Along the voyage, there are many obstacles, unpleasant experience, many different people and father’s punctuality of offering prayers these entire made son in furious. In the end, he felt him the outsider when they arrived at Macca and found all the people providing same practice as his father.

He saw them as involved in a spiritual adventure and felt overwhelmed.

The impact of Hajj on Reda was immense. He found thousands of people doing the same practice as his father does. This has overcome Reda being different from them and the practicing Muslims.

He was different from them in his approach and all the beliefs and values. This made him think that how spiritual practices make them modified internally. It is also important to say that he would not leave without any feeling of religion because he felt overwhelmed by these religious activities.

The le grand voyage sheds light on the Muslim piety and explains the nature of Muslims being kind.

Thought-Provoking Narrative by the Movie

  1. Cultural Identity: The film delves into the complexities of cultural identity, particularly the challenges faced by individuals who straddle multiple cultures. Reda, the protagonist, is a Frenchman of Moroccan descent, and he grapples with the tension between his Western upbringing and his father’s traditional Islamic values. The journey forces him to confront his cultural heritage and reconcile his dual identity.
  2. Father-Son Relationship: The relationship between Reda and his father is a central theme in the film. Initially, there is a noticeable generation gap and communication barrier between them. However, as they embark on the arduous journey together, they are compelled to confront their differences, develop a deeper understanding of each other, and ultimately find common ground. The pilgrimage becomes an opportunity for emotional growth and reconciliation between father and son.
  3. Spirituality and Faith: “Le Grand Voyage” explores the themes of spirituality and faith, particularly within the context of the Hajj pilgrimage. The journey to Mecca serves as a transformative experience for both characters, as they confront the significance of their faith, engage in religious rituals, and grapple with the spiritual aspects of their journey. The film examines the power of religious devotion to bring about personal growth and introspection.
  4. Cultural Clashes and Unity: The film also touches upon the clash between different cultures and belief systems encountered during the journey. Reda and his father face various challenges, including language barriers, unfamiliar customs, and cultural differences, as they travel through multiple countries. However, “Le Grand Voyage” also emphasizes the potential for unity and understanding that can arise from bridging these differences and finding common humanity.
  5. Self-Discovery and Personal Growth: Through the physical and emotional challenges faced during the journey, both Reda and his father undergo personal growth and self-discovery. The pilgrimage acts as a catalyst for self-reflection, questioning of one’s beliefs, and reevaluation of priorities. The characters confront their fears, biases, and preconceptions, leading to personal transformation and a deeper understanding of themselves.

Bottom Line:

With a secular and western context, it becomes impossible and quite hard to maintain the Muslim identity. It is to make them believe and understand the Islamic concepts and identity that how beliefs and values makes humanity foundations while the western approach is different.

To convey the real picture of Islam, difficulties often arise because secular people usually do not believe in values and beliefs and Islamic practices. People who believe and those who do not believe got separate. This culture tends to be varying in different regions.