Free Le Grand Voyage Essay Example

Ismael Ferroukhi gives us a tale of Reda (Nicolas Cazale) a young man from France who must chauffeur his Muslim Father on a pilgrimage journey. This was just before a few weeks to Reda's college exam. The relationship between Reda and his father is based on the clash of cultures and faith. As they embark on their pilgrimage journey to Mecca, a clear difference between the two in terms of commitment to Islam is seen. Reda portrays pensive sadness in their journey and he has nothing in common with his father. He reluctantly agreed to take the pilgrimage journey with his father. His father is committed to Islam while Reda shows little commitment to Islam. This is evident from the fact that Reda is obsessed with his girlfriend who is not a Muslim. Throughout the journey, there are limited interactions between the two highlighting a divide. Reda's non-religious nature and his father's conservative nature portray a cultural clash between the two.
The father, a devoted Muslim, embarks on a pilgrimage to Mecca. This is one way he practices his religion. Additionally, unlike Reda, his father undertakes the pilgrimage to Mecca as a way of spiritual purification. The father is not in a hurry to reach Mecca. He chose to travel by car as a way of mentally preparing to perform the pilgrimage upon reaching Mecca. The father reforms spirituality as he confronts obstacles in their journey. Moreover, the father disapproves of Reda's indifference as far as Islam is concerned. The father also refuses to speak French and chooses to speak Arabic. At the end of the movie, it is evident that he is fluent in French. Another way Reda's father expressed his religion is in his regular prayer sessions, unlike Reda.
Before the pilgrimage, there is a clear evolution of Reda's level of understanding. His level of understanding is characterized by a secular identity. It is evident that Reda is less familiar with his religion. This fact proved when the father assured Reda's older brother, that Reda needs a lot of Islam teachings. Reda and his father were at loggerheads in most of the times throughout the journey. The film portrays a clear contrast between Reda and his father when Reda had a one night stand with a girl from a bar. This brought about limited interactions and many quarrels.
Hajj has impacted significantly on Reda. From the film's final scenes, Reda returns to France as a changed person. Despite Reda's father dying in the last scenes, Reda is seen giving an almsgiving before boarding a taxi. Earlier in the movie, his father tried to give alms to a beggar and it sparked a disagreement between Reda and him because they were short of cash. This gesture shows that Reda is a changed man and the hajj has impacted positively to him. It is a gesture of respect and acceptance of Islam by Reda.
Challenges in maintaining an Islamic identity in a secular Western context arises from cultural indifferences. There is a clear contrast in some of the Western and Islamic cultural aspects. For instance, the way of dressing is significantly different. After the French government prohibited the wearing of Islamic clothing such as the Islamic veil, scholars concluded that secularism culture possesses a great challenge in maintaining an Islamic context. Additionally, secularism in the Western context has caused most of the young people to engage in unacceptable habits such as using drugs. This fact has influenced young Muslims, especially boys, as depicted by Reda in the film Le Grand Voyage who gets intoxicated and engages in immorality with a dancer.