The overuse of the word “iconic” has rendered it practically meaningless, but if it ever applied to a public figure it would be opera star Maria Callas. Director Pablo Larrain, having focused on two other notable women of the 20th century (Jacqueline Kennedy and Lady Diana Spencer) has now turned his attention to the diva whose life in the public eye was as infamous as her talent. With the gifted screenwriter Steven Knight as his partner, Larrain sought an actress who could be convincing both onstage and off and found her in Angelina Jolie.
Everything we read and hear about Callas seems to be larger than life, from her performances—preserved in recordings—to her high-profile love affairs. This biographical drama focuses on her later years when she knew, better than any of her critics, that her voice was no longer the glorious instrument it once had been. She became a recluse in her vast Parisian apartment and fended off well-meaning fans who only wanted to pay her a compliment.
To play the opera star in her declining years requires a woman of a certain age who commands immediate and absolute attention. Angelina Jolie captures the many facets of the melancholy star: glamorous, mercurial, infuriating at times yet heartbreakingly vulnerable. It is a singular and remarkable showcase.
I am in no position to judge the veracity of Knight’s screenplay. Callas was a living legend and accounts of her life vary wildly. I am willing to give the film the benefit of the doubt because it seems credible. The star’s devoted servants (deftly played by Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher) try to protect her from the slings and arrows of the outside world—and her own follies. Their attempts to create a cocoon are only fitfully successful, and Callas treats them shabbily at times, but they remain loyal.
Haluk Bilginer’s portrayal of Aristotle Onassis is outsized but that, too, suits his reputation and does nothing to erode the film’s standing as a life portrait.
I always tell my students, “Never get your history from the movies.” If this biopic piques a moviegoer’s interest in Maria Callas there are many ways to learn about her and listen to her glorious voice. Maria and Jolie’s persuasive performance may well light that fuse of curiosity.