Only Godard could reimagine the Angel of the Annunciation as a comedy
character. His take on the pregnancy of the Virgin Mary infuriated the
Vatican, and aroused pickets around Europe, but it's hard to see why -
it's an intensely spiritual film, albeit an unconventional one.
Sticking to the outlines of the Bible story, Godard fills Joseph with
doubt and jealous rage, and has Mary alternating between serenity and
tortured struggle with the harshness of the Holy Spirit. The
difficulty of human relationships with the divine is the underlying
theme throughout, illuminated by the central drama, but also
scientific speculation and moments of overwhelming beauty.
