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Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) This is an Alfred Hitchcock short film from over 70 years ago and it is actually not one of the director's early works, but he has already enjoyed a pretty prolific career at that point. Still, the films which were considered widely his finest efforts followed later, but "Rebecca" for example was already made back then. It's a black-and-white film that runs for 26 minutes and is mostly a little spy drama, maybe even thriller. There are (cold) war references and this fit in nicely there because obviously, back in 1944, World War II was still going on. However, in terms of the action I have to say I was not particularly well-entertained. And that is also why I cannot recommend it. One final note: The film is in French, so make sure you get subtitles if you want to watch it and don't speak the language.

James Hitchcock "Bon Voyage" was one of two short French language propaganda films made by Alfred Hitchcock for the British Ministry of Information in 1944, the other being "Aventure Malgache". The film depicts the escape of a downed Royal Air Force air gunner through German-occupied France, with the assistance of Resistance fighters. The purpose was presumably to inform French exiles in Britain and America, and those living in territory controlled by the Free French Government, of the work being done, and the sacrifices being made, by their compatriots in the Resistance. The film is very short, at only 26 minutes long, and today is likely to be principally of interest to Hitchcock completists. It does, however, have its points of interest, notably its use of multiple viewpoints of the same events, a technique that looks forward to later films such as Kurosawa's "Rashomon". We see the airman being debriefed by a Free French intelligence officer in London and quickly realise that the intelligence officer knows things about the escape that the young man himself is unaware of, especially that he has been an unwitting pawn in a German scheme for getting information to one of their agents in Britain. Another theme of the film is a warning to the French to be on their guard against the dirty tricks of the Germans and their Vichy French collaborators. "Bon Voyage" was presumably intended principally as a propaganda film rather than as dramatic entertainment; had it been intended as the latter, it would have needed to have been at least three times as long. This is the reason why I have not awarded it a mark out of ten.

ametaphysicalshark One of two French films Hitchcock made, both during WWII, both propaganda efforts (but not the nasty sort), "Bon Voyage" is a 26 minute long espionage thriller with a mostly uninspired script. It's not a lot of fun to sit through and only really worthwhile for Hitchcock fans or completists... His work here is solid but not remarkable in any way, and while the story is reasonably engaging and the acting good it's all a rather uninspiring and lacking affair. The script's probably to blame, as it's no fun at all when it really should be. A bit of a chore to sit through, to be completely honest.5/10

Snow Leopard "Bon Voyage" is a short, French-language film, one of two such features that Alfred Hitchcock made during World War II as a tribute to the French Resistance. It will be of special interest to fans of the great director, but it is also an interesting, exciting story that is worthwhile in its own right.As the story opens, we meet a young Scottish pilot from the RAF who has successfully escaped German-occupied territory with help from the resistance. He is being de-briefed about his experiences by intelligence officials, and he goes back and relates for them (and for the audience) his exciting story. Then, in the second half, the officials take him back through the same events, to reveal some astounding surprises.It is all nicely done in fine Hitchcock fashion. It is very much like a good episode from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", and is about the same length.Hitchcock fans should not miss "Bon Voyage", as there is nothing else quite like it in his movie credits. It is also a good story that should be of at least some interest to anyone interested in World War II films or spy dramas.