Hail Mary (film)

Infobox Film
name =Hail Mary


image_size =
caption =
director =Jean-Luc Godard
producer =
writer =Jean-Luc Godard
narrator =
starring =Myriem Roussel
Thierry Rode
Philippe Lacoste
Manon Andersen
Malachi Jara Kohan
Juliette Binoche

music =
cinematography =Jacques Firmann and Jean-Bernard Menoud
editing =Anne-Marie Miéville
distributor =Sara Films
released =1985
runtime =USA: 107 minutes; Australia: 105 minutes
country =France
Switzerland
UK
language =French
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id =0089366

"Hail Mary" ( _fr. Je vous salue, Marie) is a 1985 French film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The film is a modern retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Plot

The movie tells of the "Virgin Mary", Marie (Myriem Roussel), who works at a Swiss gas station. She plays basketball for a local team, claims to be a virgin and maintains a chaste relationship with her boyfriend Joseph (Thierry Rode), who is a taxi cab driver. When a passing stranger named Uncle Gabriel (Phillippe Lacoste) informs Marie that she will become pregnant despite remaining chaste, she is at first shocked and confused. In time, Joseph's anger subsides, and the expectant couple marries. They raise their son, Jesus (Malachi Jara Kohan), who eventually leaves his family to pursue "his father's business." Meanwhile Marie explores her sexuality, seeking to link her individual body and spirit.

Reception

Hail Mary, which contains many scenes of full frontal nudity, offended some Christians. [http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews25/hail_mary.htm Je vous salue, Marie] Spiral (Retrieved 24 February, 2008)] Pope John Paul II criticized the film saying that it "deeply wounds the religious sentiments of believers." [ [http://www.slate.com/id/2150743 The Last Great Godard Film] Slate (Retrieved 24 February, 2008)] Protestors showed up at some theaters on opening night. [ [http://www.moria.co.nz/fantasy/hailmary.htm HAIL MARY] Moria (Retrieved 24 February, 2008)] Hail Mary also receive poor reviews, including a review in the "New York Times" that caricaturized the film as being neither provocative nor entertaining. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E5D61339F934A35753C1A963948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 FILM FESTIVAL; GODARD'S 'HAIL MARY'] New York Times (Retrieved 24 February, 2008)] At the Cannes Film Festival a man unhappy with the film threw a shaving cream pie into Godard’s face, making international news. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F5091FFC3E5F0C728DDDAC0894DD484D81 GODARD HAS A BAD DAY IN CANNES...AND TRIES TO WITHDRAW 'HAIL MARY' IN ITALY] New York Times (Retrieved 24 February, 2008)] Under heavy criticism Godard attempted to withdraw the film from Italy, but his distributor was unable to do so. Despite the initial heavy criticism, the film has also been praised for its beautiful camera shots.

Notes

External links

*imdb title|id=0089366|title=Hail Mary
*rotten-tomatoes|id=hail_mary|title=Hail Mary