Condemed by the Pope and banned across Europe and the US, Jean-Luc Godard's notorious retelling of the birth of Christ is the great French director's most daring cinematic work.

In Godard's contemporary twist on the story of the Virgin, the Virgin Mary is a Swiss gas station employee, and Joseph her tax-driving boyfriend. Mary is a beautiful yet ordinary teenager who plays basketball; but who vows to maintain her chastity. Following a warning from an avuncular angel, a confused Mary unexpectedly falls pregnant and is forced to wed her besotted Joseph. He in turn must love his virgin bride from a distance, revering her without touching her.

Hail Mary's lush cinematography captures "ravishing shots of pure luminosity" (All Movie Guide), while the haunting score - with music from Bach, Dvorak and John Coltrane - highlights the richness and poignancy of Godard's controversial classic.