NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Matt Wall As agitprop, as other reviews have noted, this one perhaps isn't the kind of Howard Hawks rabble-rouser one would have expected to be produced in the throes of war. It's also notably low-budget, with all the scenes being produced in cramped indoor sets that accommodate very little motion, either among the actors or with the camera.That said, there are some classic Hitch moments within. There's the theme of the double, the double-agent and the duel (and duality) between the two antagonists, one a veteran of Verdun and a prominent defense lawyer, and the other the chief of police and security for Vichy Madagascar. There's the moment when one of the resistance fighters, about to leave for England to join the French Army, is betrayed by his fiancée who either believes this will keep him with her or is getting revenge -- we never know -- slowly, slowly moves towards the phone to drop a dime on him (and our hero), and the phone slowly comes into focus in the foreground. And there's this odd narrative device of having the story told from backstage of a French theater troupe in London -- exactly why the lawyer ended up doing a theatrical performance, after having escaped the Vichy and been a producer of his own propaganda radio broadcasts, is completely unclear, but it may be Hitch's subtle way of using the artifice of the production values to his good advantage. Even if you don't speak French, it's fun picking out the classic rhythms of dialogue and editing pace common to Hitch. Compare, for instance, to the almost contemporaneous 'Lifeboat', which was another completely talky piece of wartime agitprop shot in incredibly close confines (literally so in the latter case). If you can't use the great horizons of the outdoors, use the claustrophobic to generate that sense of dread of being caught that must've been endemic to being part of a secret resistance.I wouldn't seek this out unless you're interested in the social history of propaganda, the French resistance, or unless you're looking for a research paper for film school on Hitch, but given its short running time it is hardly a waste of time.

Michael_Elliott Adventure Malgache (1944) ** (out of 4) The second of two propaganda films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Three actors are getting ready for rehearsals when one of them says he doesn't know how to play the part. Another actor then tells him a story of a man he knew who was running a radio broadcast to beat the Nazis. This was a confusing mess of a film that isn't nearly as good as the previous film Bon Voyage. There's way too much dialogue and it's never clear what the director is trying to do with the material.Bon Voyage (1944) *** 1/2 out of 4) One of two Alfred Hitchcock directed shorts this one dealing with an escaped POW (John Blythe) who tells his Captain how he escaped only to have his Captain drop a bombshell on him. This was a wonderful little film that was a lot better than I expected. As usual, Hitchcock manages to build up some wonderful atmosphere and the "twist" in the story is very nicely done and works without any hitches.

zetes As a major Hitchcock fan, I was excited to get the chance to see this rarely-seen propaganda short that Hitchcock made in England in the French langauge about the French resistance. The results are far below Hitchcock's talents. The film is too dialogue heavy and convoluted. I can just barely tell you what happened in this film, and what I remember now, two minutes after finishing it, will be completely gone within a half an hour. It doesn't work as entertainment, and it certainly doesn't work as propaganda. Perhaps Hitchcock should have studied Eisenstein, who had the capability to churn out propaganda imbued with extraordinary artistry. Aventure Malgache was simply done too quickly and without enough thought. 5/10.

Snow Leopard "Aventure Malgache" is one of two short, French-language features that Alfred Hitchcock made during World War II as a tribute to the French Resistance. It is not as good as the other of these ("Bon Voyage"), but it will certainly be of interest to fans of the great director, and it is also a distinctive look at one of the more unknown aspects of World War II.The film opens in a dressing room, as one of a group of French actors discusses how a character in their upcoming performance reminds him of his experiences on the island of Madagascar when it was taken over by the Axis. The story that he tells in flashback contains some suspense, but the main interest is psychological and historical. There were many on the island who wanted to resist Vichy rule, but they were split into various factions, and their attempts were further complicated by personal rivalries and agendas. While there is not much action, it is interesting as a very different look at World War II than what we are used to seeing in the movies. There are some good Hitchcock touches of humor and mild suspense, and like "Bon Voyage", it is very similar in nature and length to an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".If you are a Hitchcock fan, or if you are fascinated in everything about World War II, you should find "Aventure Malgache" of some interest.