Angelina Jolie astounds as Maria Callas, mastering opera singing for Larraín’s latest film—her performance garners Oscar buzz, blending personal dedication with Callas’s legendary artistry and emotional depth.
Angelina Jolie’s Unlikely Opera Success
The kicker? Angelina Jolie nails it. We’re talking potential best-actress-nomination good. Her performance had sleepy journalists clapping at a morning screening. At the later press conference, reporters acted more like fans, packing the room. Two female journalists from different countries stood up, admitting they cried multiple times during the film. One even teared up just talking about crying. (Jolie seemed moved too, touching her heart and whispering, “Thank you.”)
Oscar Buzz and Larraín’s Winning Streak
Oscar buzz was inevitable for this film, the third in Larraín’s acclaimed trilogy about powerful women after “Jackie” and “Spencer.” So far, he’s batting 1000, getting best-actress nods for his leads: Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy and Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. Funnily enough, when Portman lost in 2017, it was to Emma Stone, another non-singer who sang in “La La Land.” Maybe Larraín plus singing is the winning combo!
A Reporter’s Bold Question
One Boston Herald reporter even asked Jolie if she’d brought her supporting-actress Oscar for “Girl, Interrupted” to Venice “to maybe find a buddy next March.” (Jolie gracefully dodged, saying she was more worried about not “disappointing” Callas and opera fans.)
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The film opens with a slow pan through a lavish Paris flat, ending on a grim scene reminiscent of the tragic operas Callas loved. A white sheet covers a still figure. The screen text reads Sept. 16, 1977.
Creating Callas’s Final Week
Larraín, who grew up attending operas in Santiago, Chile, and writer Steven Knight set the film in Callas’s final week. She died at 53 from a heart attack while dependent on Mandrax (quaaludes). The film will eventually be on Netflix, though no date has been set.
“About 90% of the operas she sang end in death on stage,” Larraín said at a press event. “Steve and I talked a lot about this: How can we make a film where the main character slowly becomes the sum of tragedies she sang? We chose celebration. We didn’t want a dark movie about a sad situation. It’s more about a woman who spent her life singing for others, caring for others, worrying about her relationships, and now she’s ready to care for herself and find her path.”
Life in Isolated Luxury
Callas lived in isolated luxury with her devoted housekeeper Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) and protective butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino). Ferruccio constantly moved her grand piano to her preferred window and tried to monitor her pill use, which he seemed to know was killing her. (Ferruccio is still alive and remains loyal, refusing to sell his story or talk to the press about Callas.)
Angelina Jolie’s Transformation into Callas
But Jolie’s Callas doesn’t seem defeated. She’s still elegant in tailored suits, with her big Greek curls and huge glasses (she was nearly blind on stage due to severe myopia). Most importantly, she’s trying to sing again, despite her last public performance years ago being mocked.
A Complex Love Story
A TV reporter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) follows her, as does her complicated love, Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer). She left her husband for Onassis two years before he left her for Jackie Kennedy. (Both are Mandrax-induced visions.)
Jolie embraced the role, knowing she’d need to learn opera singing. Her approach reminded her of young actors who eagerly agree to new skills for roles and figure out the details later.
Training for the Role
“I was incredibly anxious,” she shared at the press event. “I trained for nearly seven months because working with Pablo demands full commitment.” Larraín believed Jolie could capture Callas’s charisma and relate to her fame pressures, but he wanted more than lip-syncing. He planned close-ups of Jolie as Callas and felt it would seem fake if she didn’t know how opera singing felt, even if the film’s sounds weren’t entirely hers.
“It’s not right when actors just try to look correct, hit notes, and sync their mouths without truly experiencing it,” Larrain explains in the film’s notes.
Mastering Opera Techniques
Jolie worked on posture, breathing, and movement and learned Italian, as opera singers do. She listened constantly to Callas teaching others, helping her nail the accent and understand Callas’s focus on technique before emotion. The film’s audio mixes Jolie and Callas. Prime Callas moments are mostly Callas with a bit of Jolie, while rawer parts significantly feature more Jolie as her voice weakens.
Jolie recalled her first singing attempt at the press event: “I was so nervous. My sons helped lock the door, making sure no one else came in, and I was shaky.”
Building Confidence
Angelina Jolie had to sing in front of people, on massive stages, with extras and onlookers in Paris. But she grew more confident. “Pablo kindly started me in a small room and ended at ‘La Scala,'” she said. “He gave me time to grow. But I was scared to live up to her, having never sung in public.”
Mirroring Callas’s Journey
Jolie’s journey mirrors Callas’s struggles and triumphs. Both women faced intense scrutiny and pressure in their careers, pushing themselves to excel in challenging environments. Jolie’s dedication to learning opera for the role echoes Callas’s lifelong commitment to her craft.
A Glimpse of the Real Callas
The film showcases Callas’s talent, vulnerability, and determination. It portrays her as a complex woman who gave everything to her art and her audience, often at great personal cost. Through Jolie’s performance, viewers glimpse the real person behind the legendary voice.
A Unique Auditory Experience
By blending Angelina Jolie’s and Callas’s voices, the film creates a unique auditory experience. This technique allows the audience to connect with the actress’s interpretation and the original artist’s power. It’s a testament to the film’s commitment to authenticity and artistic expression.
Jolie also had to capture Callas’s everyday life. To get into character, she said, “I sat with her glasses, Greek hairstyle, and robe, thinking about her alone in the kitchen with Bruna and Ferruccio. I tried to understand that person and let that human side come through.”
Reflecting on Callas’s Legacy
“It’s quite sad,” Jolie noted. “Her final public attempt at singing was met with harsh criticism. The critics were unfair. She was trying her best and still had talent, but she was older and not at her peak. They were unkind. I wonder if she died knowing she was appreciated and loved. I fear she may have passed feeling lonely and hurt.”
A Therapeutic Role
Since parting ways with Brad Pitt in 2016, they’ve been caught up in financial and custody battles. She hinted that the role offered a welcome break. “To be honest, it was therapy I didn’t know I needed,” she said in the press notes. When asked how she related to Callas, she replied, “There’s a lot I won’t discuss here.”
The Emotional Depth of Opera
Mastering the technical aspects of singing and portraying Callas wasn’t the challenge; it was tapping into the deep emotions opera demands. “When you’ve experienced intense feelings – despair, pain, love – only certain sounds can match that depth,” she explained. “The power of opera’s sound is unmatched. It’s the only way to express that level of emotion.”
While not going into specifics, her meaning was clear. “I’ve needed to be home more with my family lately,” she added. “During this time, I’ve grown more thankful for the chance to simply be an artist, to perform, and to be among all of you.”
Source:
Jada Yuan (30 August 30, 2024). Angelina Jolie soars into the Oscar race with Venice film ‘Maria. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/08/29/angelina-jolie-maria-callas-venice/.
Header Photo
Angelina Jolie at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, August 29, 2024
Photo credit: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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