Hail Mary

Jean-Luc Godard has made several provocative films over the years, but none more so than this 1985 recasting of the Annunciation and Immaculate Conception in modern terms. Condemned as blasphemous by the Catholic Church, the film was also praised by others—including some Christians. But judged as cinema rather than theology, it's not very engaging viewing. Even if you admire Godard's humanizing of Mary and Joseph by depicting her as an ordinary, basketball-playing teen and him as a confused taxi driver, you're likely to be infuriated by the picture's solemn, pretentious dialogue, turgid pacing, chaotic construction (complete with pointless title cards and outdoor shots that interrupt scenes randomly), and fractured music score (which goes on and off like a malfunctioning radio). Hail Mary also features a good deal of female nudity, which hardly seems designed to titillate, so comes across as more extraneous than gratuitous. To be sure, there are some exquisite images in Godard's film, but the best part of this DVD release is actually one of the bonuses: The Book of Mary, a short by Godard's long-time colleague Anne-Marie Mieville that's traditionally shown with Hail Mary. It's a subtle, acutely observed portrait of a divorce from the perspective of the couple's bright young daughter, and though formally rather clinical, packs a cumulative emotional impact that Godard's film, for all the controversy, doesn't match. Also included on the disc is an informative featurette “Notes on Hail Mary” offering context on the film. Ultimately, Hail Mary was a cultural phenomenon of the ‘80s (New Yorker Video, who deserves big kudos for sheer marketing chutzpah, put a negative quote on the DVD jacket cover—from Pope John Paul II!). Therefore, those with serious cinema, pop culture, or religion sections—not to mention plain old devotees of Godard—will want to add. (F. Swietek)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—Jan. 14, 2014—Cohen, 110 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD $29.98, Blu-ray: $39.98—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1985's Hail Mary sports a fine transfer and LPCM 2.0 sound. Extras include audio commentary by filmmaker Hal Hartley and Museum of the Moving Image Chief Curator David Schwartz, the 1986 companion short “The Book of Mary,” director Jean-Luc Godard's video notebook (23 min.), interviews—with assistant director Pierre Rissient (19 min.), star Myriem Roussel (17 min.), and writer Antoine de Baecque (14 min.)—trailers, and a booklet featuring essays by film critic David Sterritt and Boston University lecturer Charles Warren. Bottom line: a nice-looking Blu-ray debut for this once controversial but ultimately disappointing film by Godard.]