Hail Mary

Jean-Luc Godard's "Hail Mary" was met with cries of blasphemy upon its release in the mid '80s. Much like Scorsese's "Last Temptation of Christ," those cries came from those upset that Godard altered Scripture -- his film imagines the virgin birth occurring to a contemporary middle-class French girl -- rather than from those who actually watched his movie. What they would have seen is a film as playful (Gabriel interrupts events via jump-cut to protect Mary) as it is deeply felt. Godard uses the inexplicable, immaculate occasion as a means to investigate chaste relationships between would-be romantic partners. The film emerges as one of his post-60s best because, despite the distancing aesthetics he's come to be known for, he treats the subject, and the 'myth' of the title, in complete earnest.

It's also gorgeous to look at. Godard's incredibly still full-frame compositions -- often tableau-like, viewing bodies in stasis, or doubling as the character's eyes, staring to the skies or to the ground -- are more faithfully reproduced via the disc than they have been through any other home video release. The detail approaches the stunning. If you know Godard, for example, you know that he likes to compose shots around the back of his actors' heads. Here, you can see the hairs on their scalp tremble so slightly; watch them fluctuate along with the wind. It's the best visual representation of the film you're likely to find this side of a 35mm film print.

The extras, as well, offer invaluable context on the film. There's nearly an hour's worth of interviews with Godard collaborators, including lead actress Myriem Roussel. There's an audio commentary with filmmaker Hal Hartley that touches both on "Mary" and "For Ever Mozart" (also released recently by Cohen.) Perhaps most interesting, though, is a 20-minute "video notebook" put together by Godard that details the improvisatory nature of his pre-production process and rehearsal sessions. Like the film, the extra has been available via other means previously. But also like the film, it's never looked quite this good.

Note: Ann-Marie Melville's 27-minute film, "The Book of Mary", is included here as well, fully restored. The short is often placed in front of "Hail Mary," and as such it is not discussed here as an extra, but it's worth noting that it is, indeed, included.

"Hail Mary"
Blu-ray
Cohenfilmcollection.com
$39.95