'Je vous salue, Marie'

As the author himself said, Hail Mary is the culmination of a series of his films (Every Man for Himself, Passion, First Name: Carmen) from the early 80s, with which he returned to making films that address personally or intimately human questions (after the political 70s). His "Marie" is truly the culmination, as her individual hesitation and decision-making about the chosen path is the core and climax of the whole film. As a typical copy from the aforementioned series, the film also appears with its rediscovered (self-sufficient) beauty of the cinematic image, which was weakened (especially in the 70s, but of course also in other phases of the author's work) by attempts to find new functional relationships with sound and goals beyond the aesthetic experience in the image. Therefore, there are deliberately kitschy shots of nature, etc. What works less in the film is the side plot of the Czechoslovak emigrant-thinker, which might be intended to contrast with Marie's actions (her humility, hesitation, and sacrificing her sexuality in contrast to the arrogant intellectual with multiple women) or the storyline about creation (of life) in contrast to biblical conception. It is interesting that Godard does not attempt any (atheistic, etc.) updating with the story of the Virgin Mary, let alone one set in the present, but rather respects the spiritual content of the biblical source. (23.08.2014)