Angelina Jolie was chosen to play the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in the movie “Maria.” Preparing for this role was a significant journey for her. When an actor is given a role, they often need to do much more than just memorize lines. For Jolie, playing Maria Callas meant truly understanding who Callas was, not just on stage but as a person.
How Did Angelina Jolie Fully Immerse Herself in Maria Callas’s Life and Emotions?
Jolie began by learning everything she could about Maria Callas. Callas was not just an opera singer; she was a woman with deep emotions, a complex life, and a lot of pain. To truly play Callas, Jolie had to step into her shoes, so to speak. This meant Jolie spent a lot of time studying Callas’s life. She watched videos of her performances, listened to her music, and read about her struggles.
Callas was known for her extraordinary voice, but she also had many personal challenges, including feeling very lonely and isolated, especially in the last week of her life, which the movie focuses on.
For Jolie, this role was not just about acting but about connecting with Callas on a deep emotional level. Jolie said that she felt honored to get to know Callas in this way, even if only through playing her. It was like Jolie made a new friend in Callas, someone she grew to care for very much. This connection helped Jolie to bring a genuine portrayal to the screen, allowing her to feel what Callas might have felt during those difficult times.
Preparing for the role involved more than just studying. Jolie also had to feel what it was like to be Maria Callas, to understand her pain, her loneliness, and her passion for music. It was a process that required Jolie to immerse herself completely into Callas’s world, experiencing, in her way, the deep emotions that Callas felt during her life. This approach to preparation allowed Jolie to portray Maria Callas in a way that was authentic and respectful, showing both her strength as an artist and her vulnerabilities as a person. You may also read Angelina Jolie visit the New York City location, and Angelina Jolie Becomes Opera Singer Maria.
What Makes “Maria” Different from Other Biopics?
“Maria” is a movie that tells the story of Maria Callas, but it does so in a way that is different from many other biographical films, or biopics. Most biopics try to tell the whole life story of a famous person, showing how they became well-known, what challenges they faced, and what they accomplished. However, “Maria,” directed by Pablo Larraín, focuses on just one very specific and very difficult time in Callas’s life: the last week before she passed away.
During this final week, Maria Callas was not performing on stage or receiving applause from adoring fans. Instead, she was living in Paris, feeling very alone and struggling with her health and the loss of her incredible voice, which had been the most important part of her identity. The movie doesn’t show her many triumphs or her successful career. Instead, it takes a closer look at the end of her life when she was dealing with feelings of sadness, isolation, and despair.
This focus on such a small but significant part of Callas’s life makes “Maria” different from other films. It’s not a celebration of her successes but rather an intimate exploration of her struggles. The director, Pablo Larraín, is known for making movies that look at the lives of famous women in a deep and thoughtful way. For example, he directed “Jackie,” a film about Jackie Kennedy, and “Spencer,” about Princess Diana. Both of these movies also explored the personal challenges of these women during difficult times in their lives. Also read Angelina Jolie and rapper Akala are not romantically involved, Angelina Jolie is Proud of her 19-year-old daughter Zahara, and Angelina Jolie’s Son Pax ‘Stable’ Following Bike Accident.
Was Angelina Jolie’s Red Carpet Look a Tribute to Maria Callas?
As Angelina Jolie walked onto the red carpet, everyone was watching her. She wore a beautiful champagne-colored dress made just for her by designer Tamara Ralph. The dress, along with a fur stole, reminded people of the old Hollywood style, which was elegant and glamorous. This look was a tribute to Maria Callas, the famous opera singer Jolie was there to represent. Callas was not only known for her amazing voice but also for her classy style, and Jolie’s outfit honored that timeless grace.
The dress was more than just a fashion choice; it showed how much Jolie connected with the character of Maria Callas. Like Callas, Jolie is admired for her talent and beauty, but she has also faced many personal challenges. Jolie’s appearance at the festival reminded everyone that, just like Callas, she knows what it’s like to be admired by the public while dealing with private struggles.
How Did Pablo Larraín’s Vision Influence Jolie’s Performance?
Pablo Larraín, the director of “Maria,” played a very important role in shaping how Angelina Jolie portrayed Maria Callas. A director’s vision is crucial in making a movie, and Larraín is known for his ability to tell the stories of complex, real-life women with great sensitivity and insight. Larraín has a special way of looking at the lives of famous women who have faced great challenges, and he brings this perspective to “Maria.”
Larraín’s previous films, like “Jackie” and “Spencer,” showed how he could capture the emotions and inner struggles of women like Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana during very tough times in their lives. His approach is not just about showing what these women did, but also about understanding how they felt and what they went through emotionally. This style of storytelling resonated deeply with Angelina Jolie as she prepared to play Maria Callas.
Working with Larraín, Jolie was able to explore Callas’s character in a very deep way. Larraín’s direction helped Jolie focus on the emotions and experiences that were central to Callas’s life, especially during her final days. Larraín and Jolie shared a similar understanding of what the film needed to convey—a portrayal of Callas that was honest, empathetic, and deeply human.
This collaboration between Larraín and Jolie resulted in a performance that captures not just the surface details of Maria Callas’s life but also the deeper, more complex feelings she experienced. Jolie has said that Larraín’s vision allowed her to fully explore Callas’s inner world, bringing out a performance that is both haunting and compassionate. Thanks to Larraín’s guidance, Jolie was able to connect with the role on a profound level, ensuring that her portrayal of Callas was not just convincing, but also deeply moving for audiences.
How Does Maria Differ from Traditional Biopics?
Maria, directed by the acclaimed Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín, is not a typical biographical film. Instead of tracing Callas’s life from her rise to fame, the film focuses on the final week of her life, a period marked by isolation and despair. Set in Paris in 1977, the film explores the emotional and psychological turmoil that Callas experienced as her once-powerful voice began to fade and her world became increasingly lonely. Larraín is no stranger to telling the stories of famous women.
His previous films, Jackie and Spencer, which depicted the lives of Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana respectively, were both critically acclaimed and earned their lead actresses Oscar nominations. With Maria, Larraín continues his exploration of the inner lives of iconic women, delving into the complex emotions that defined Callas’s final days.
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