Maria (2024)

Maria Callas was a brilliantly talented, tempestuous and iconic singer, a true diva. Her distinctive soprano voice spanned three octaves and could bring audiences to tears. But did Pablo Larrain’s 2024 film, starring Angelina Jolie as ‘La Divina’ do her justice?  For our discussion group, the answer was a massive no. 

Maria, which had a focus on Callas’ last week alive, was for one member of the group, “awful, disrespectful and ludicrous.”  Worst of all, it felt like Callas was victimised, in the manner of the spiteful archive newsreels about her cancelled concerts.  The underwhelming script conveyed an upsetting lack of compassion for such a remarkable performer.  The music was even worse.

A member of the group who had seen Callas perform in London had found the experience “electric,” even from way up in ‘the gods’.  The script failed to touch on Callas’s ability to mesmerise an audience.  The BBC4 documentary Callas By Callas was recommended for doing a far better job.

We wondered if Angelina Jolie was the right person for the role – was it a vanity project? Lady Gaga or Madonna could have ‘smashed it’ as they would have projected more vivaciousness, energy and pure genius. Some of the group wanted more of a focus on Callas’ tough time growing up.

Some of us were interested in the theme of a woman betrayed and taken advantage of.  Indeed, Callas’s powerful expressive voice conveyed deep pain and suffering. “She sang pain,” was a memorable comment.

We talked about the challenges that creative people can face when they age and lose what brings them joy and purpose. We felt Judy Garland had similar pressures in her life.  A singer can be so exposed in performance, giving their heart and soul and they need to be nurtured and given support. We talked a little about how singers’ voices can be overworked too young and the poignancy of Callas’ loss of vocal power.

The opulent but oppressive settings were enjoyed, even though they may not have been accurate. An omelette making scene seemed to have the sizzle coming from a different place than the pan. Appropriate as we panned most of the film.

Two dogs crying at the end must have appealed to the well-behaved canine in the audience. It doggedly sat through a film that could have been much, much better.

Anne