After years in the public eye, the most celebrated and enigmatic opera singer of the 20th century withdraws to her Paris apartment, grappling with the memories and regrets that defined her tumultuous life. A film by Pablo Larraín, starring Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Stephen Ashfield, Valeria Golino, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Maria Callas is widely recognized as one of the most significant opera singers of the 20th century. Her career, though relatively brief, was marked by extraordinary talent and dramatic flair that left a lasting impact on the world of opera and beyond.

Maria’s early life was tumultuous, particularly due to her strained relationship with her mother Litsa (Lydia Koniordou), who had hoped for a son instead of a daughter. After her parents’ separation, she moved to Athens with her mother and sister. Litsa pressured Maria and her sister Yakinthi into singing for money from a very young age, effectively forcing them into public performances as a means of survival.

In 1937, Maria auditioned for the Athens Conservatory, but she was not accepted. her mother enrolled her in the Greek National Conservatoire, where she studied under Maria Trivella, who recognized Callas’s exceptional talent and agreed to waive her tuition fees entirely.

The Athens Conservatoire (Ωδείον Αθηνών) is the oldest educational institution for the performing arts in modern Greece, founded in 1871 by the Music and Drama Association. It has played a crucial role in the development of music education in Greece, initially offering limited instruction on instruments like the violin and flute, before expanding its curriculum to include modern Western European instruments and music theory under the direction of Georgios Nazos in 1881.

In 1939, she attempted to audition again for the Athens Conservatory and faced initial rejection. However, the renowned soprano Elvira de Hidalgo intervened on her behalf, advocating for her admission and also waiving tuition costs. This support allowed Callas to enroll as a student at the conservatory, where she would receive formal training that significantly shaped her future career.

Elvira de Hidalgo was a prominent Spanish coloratura soprano and later a respected vocal teacher. De Hidalgo made her operatic debut at the age of 16 at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, where she performed the role of Rosina in The Barber of Seville, a character that would become closely associated with her throughout her career. She enjoyed significant success in major opera houses around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and La Scala in Milan. Her performances were characterized by a bright timbre and exceptional agility, particularly suited for coloratura roles.

During the World War II in 1940, the family faced extreme poverty in occupied Greece. Litsa encouraged young Maria (Aggelina Papadopoulou) and young Yakinthi (Erophilie Panagiotarea) to sing for German soldiers in exchange for money.

Maria Callas made her professional debut in February 1941 at the Greek National Opera, where she performed a small role as Beatrice in Franz von Suppé’s Boccaccio 16. In 1942, She secured her first major role as Tosca in Puccini’s opera Tosca, which further established her presence in the opera world.

Callas’s vocal technique was characterized by her remarkable agility and emotional depth. She excelled particularly in the bel canto repertoire, showcasing a wide range of vocal colors and dramatic interpretations. Her performances at prestigious venues like La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York captivated audiences and critics alike23. Callas’s ability to convey deep emotion through her singing set a new standard for opera performance, merging technical prowess with a profound interpretative skill that resonated with listeners.

Throughout her career, Maria Callas performed approximately 539 operas throughout her career which spanned from her debut in 1942 until her last stage performance at Carnegie Hall on 5 March 1974. During this period, she took on more than 40 different roles, becoming renowned for her powerful interpretations and dramatic presence. Her most frequently performed roles included Violetta in La Traviata and Norma, among others.

Maria Callas experienced a decline in her voice starting in her mid-thirties, attributed to various factors. She claimed to have lost strength in her diaphragm, which affected her vocal performance. Theories surrounding her vocal decline include hormonal changes from early menopause, significant weight loss, and the strain of taking on demanding roles too early in her career.

In 1957, while still married to Giovanni Battista Meneghini (Alessandro Bressanello), Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) met Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer) at a party hosted by Elsa Maxwell. The gathering celebrated Callas’s performance in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena. When Onassis invited Callas and her husband to cruise from Monte Carlo to Greece aboard his yacht, she accepted. His charisma and immense wealth captivated Callas, and their ensuing affair became one of the most talked-about romances of the era.

Giovanni Battista Meneghini was an Italian entrepreneur and industrialist. Meneghini met Maria Callas in 1947 when she was performing in La Gioconda at the Verona Arena. At that time, Callas was just beginning her career, and Meneghini, who was significantly older, became enamored with her talent. He proposed a “six-month agreement” where he would support her financially while she focused on her singing career. This arrangement quickly turned into a romantic relationship, and they married in 1949.

In November 1959, Callas left her husband Meneghini to live with Onassis, he introduced her to Mandrax, which was initially prescribed to help manage her autoimmune symptoms. Her relationship with Onassis ended in 1968 when he left her for Jacqueline Kennedy.

Mandrax is a highly addictive sedative drug, primarily composed of methaqualone, which belongs to the quinazolinone class. Initially synthesized in India in 1951, methaqualone was developed as a potential anti-malarial medication but later gained popularity as a sedative and sleep aid. It was widely prescribed in the 1960s and 1970s for treating insomnia and anxiety, marketed under various brand names, including Mandrax, which combined methaqualone with diphenhydramine, an antihistamine.

After her last performance in 1974, Callas retreats from public life and becomes increasingly reclusive. She moves to Paris where she lives in her apartment with her butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and her housekeeper Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher).

Callas received financial support from Aristotle Onassis, who covered her living expenses, including hiring a butler and a housemaid. Callas also had significant earnings from her concerts and recordings, which contributed to her luxurious lifestyle.

During her final years, Callas experiences hallucinations as her reliance on drugs increases over time. Ferruccio becomes concerned about her drug abuse and arranges for a doctor to visit her. When Bruna tells her about the appointment, Callas dismisses it, claiming she is too busy because a television crew is coming to interview her.

Later, a man named Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee) arrives with his cameraman (Kay Madsen) to interview her. The interviewer’s name, Mandrax, is the same as the drug she uses, suggesting he is not real, as neither Bruna nor Ferruccio can see Mandrax or his cameraman.

During the interview about her past, Callas asks Mandrax to accompany her for a walk. As they pass Place du Trocadéro, a male ensemble appears and slowly approaches her while singing Coro di Zingari, a chorus from Act 2, Scene 1 of Giuseppe Verdi’s 1853 opera “Il trovatore.”

Coro di Zingari, also known as the Anvil Chorus, is a famous chorus from Giuseppe Verdi’s 1853 opera Il trovatore. It portrays Spanish Gypsies at dawn, celebrating their labor as they strike anvils, which is reflected in its English name. The piece is also commonly known by its opening words, “Vedi! Le fosche notturne spoglie,” which translates to “See! The dark night is shedding its cloak.”

Callas meets Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield) at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées where he works as her vocal coach, helping her regain confidence after her vocal decline. Callas tells Tate that she sang for Bruna this morning and that Bruna thought she was magnificent. However, Tate doubts whether Bruna is qualified to judge her singing, and he insists that Callas should perform so he can assess her himself. Callas begins singing “O mio babbino caro,” a soprano aria from Giacomo Puccini’s 1918 opera “Gianni Schicchi,” but stumbles halfway through the performance. Tate tells her that was just Maria singing, not La Callas. Upset by his comment, Callas leaves.

Jeffrey Tate was a distinguished English conductor known for his significant contributions to classical music. Tate was recognized for his interpretations of German repertoire and conducted numerous operas and orchestras worldwide. He recorded extensively, including notable works by Mozart and Mahler. Tate worked with Callas as a vocal coach during the later years of her life, particularly in preparation for a potential concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra in late 1976. Their rehearsals took place at the Champs-Élysées theater, where Callas was reportedly working on pieces like “Habanera” from Carmen and Beethoven’s aria “Ah! Perfido”.

MARIA is a biographical psychological drama film directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín, with a screenplay by Steven Knight based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas and true events. The film centers on the final week of Callas’s life before her death on 16 September 1977.

Angelina Jolie delivers a magnificent performance, embodying the spirit of Maria Callas, one of the greatest opera singers and most celebrated figures in history.

I love how the filmmaker chose to reimagine Callas’s final days, depicting her as she navigates in and out of hallucinations that blur the lines between reality and her imagination. This approach makes her feel like a relatable human being rather than an elusive diva.

Every frame is beautifully crafted, like a moving painting that transports us to 1970s Paris, accompanied by a stunning selection of Callas’s most famous arias, offering a glimpse into her illustrious career and personal life.

MARIA premiered at Biennale di Venezia on 29 August 2024. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 27 November. It is scheduled to be released theatrically in Italy on 1 January 2025, and in France on 5 February.

Warner Classics released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the movie MARIA on 29 November 2024, which includes archival recordings of Maria Callas and the original music composed for the film.