Jean-Luc Godard's

Hail Mary

  • Rendering of protests that took place when Hail Mary premiered at The Roxie in ‘86.
  • Someone, possibly a woman, maybe Mary mother of Jesus, with face out of frame, pulls up a t-shirt revealing a stomach. An unidentified hand appears from the bottom, as if to caress the stomach.
  • A young woman with brunette, shoulder-length hair looks up with an expression of concern. A bright light from an indeterminate source shines in the background.
  • A dead ringer for the youngest Juliette Binoche you've ever seen, this young woman stares to her left, wearing a now familiar expression of deep concern.
  • A young girl jumping up, arms reaching out, on balcony overlooking a lake with a mountain in the background

Denounced by the Pope, banned & boycotted worldwide, and subject to mass protests when it premiered at The Roxie in 1986, this surprisingly serene and lyrical work translates the Virgin Birth into tangible contemporary terms, with Mary as a teenage basketball-playing gas-station attendant who receives the Annunciation by jetliner. Mary is a beautiful yet ordinary teenager who vows to maintain her chastity. Following a warning from an angel, a confused and innocent Mary unexpectedly falls pregnant and is forced to wed her taxi-driving boyfriend Joseph. He, in turn, must love his virgin bride from a distance, revering her without touching her. Forced to face a shocking reality, Mary and Joseph along with their family and friends must struggle to cope as the provocative theme unfolds. Hail Mary is a sensational and bold work from French master director Jean-Luc Godard which touched off an uproar of protest heard around the world.

Written & directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Edited by Anne-Marie Mieville. With Myriem Roussel, Thierry Rode & Juliette Binoche. Switzerland. In French with English subtitles. DCP. 1985. Run Time 79 min.

Preceded by short film
Book Of Mary
Marie, eleven years old, is experiencing difficult times. Her parents will separate. The perception of her universe is profoundly disturbed. This exacting portrait of a child immerses in her books, her music, and her dancing casts a dispassionate yet ultimately touching eye on the girl’s reaction to the new upheaval in her life.

Directed by frequent Godard collaborator, Anne-Marie Mieville (First Name: Carmen). With Bruno Cremer, Aurore Clément & Rebecca Hampton. 1985. DCP 28 mins.

Total Run Time = 107 mins.
Rendering of protests when Hail Mary premiered at The Roxie in ‘86. – Photo: Bill Banning!

Runtime
1h 47m
Year
1985
Director
Jean-Luc Godard
Format
2D Digital
Country
France
Language
French
Categories
Featured