THE PLOT THUS FAR
One of the most controversial films of all time by one of the world’s most provocative directors. Hail Mary is Jean-Luc Godard’s retelling of the story of the virgin birth, transposed to modern day and filled with the mundane aspects of any teenage girl’s life. Punctuated by beautiful cinematography and a lush score, it is a surprisingly heartfelt and reverential film by a master filmmaker. The short; The Book of Mary was originally released with the feature as a companion piece. Directed by long-time Godard collaborator Anne-Marie Miéville, it tells the story of the break-up of a marriage as seen through the eyes of the couples young daughter.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Hail Mary” is a film that was talked up a great deal before I got to see it. What I ended up seeing was one of Godard’s crudest film with over-acting on par with a Charles Band production. The fact that the Pope got involved in the ballyhoo around the movie feels pretty undeserved. Taking the gospel and placing it in the context of the modern poor shouldn’t be offensive. Some say that it was placing this new virgin Mary in so many full frontal nudity shots. I just feel that it’s a different breed of literary canon nerds arguing over contextual changes.
Godard rumbles through this movie like a badger on speed. It’s ugly at points, while reveling in the vulgarity of what’s being presented. Vulgarity in the common sense, not in the popping boners sense. If you can pop a boner while watching this, then I’ve got a few inkblots for you to examine. The score is almost too majestic and orchestral at times. It throws off the general aesthetic and turns this film into another schizo example of Godard’s 1980s output.
The Blu-Ray comes with a short film, featurettes that were previously unavailable in the United States, trailers, commentary and much more! The A/V Quality is pretty sharp for a foreign independent movie. The 1080p transfer is the best that I’ve seen the film look. The LPCM 2.0 track is slightly lossy, but it almost benefits a film like this. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to serious film fans.
RELEASE DATE: 01/07/2014