Maria Callas and Biopics

Celine Curtis

The Academy Awards love a dramatic biopic. Over the 96 years of the Oscars, biopic films have been nominated for the Best Picture category 125 times and for the Best Actor and Best Actress categories over 356 times. 

The genre is a never-ending rabbit hole of films, from “The Social Network” to “Bohemian Rhapsody” and more recently, to Pablo Larraín’s “Maria.” Larraín is a connoisseur of the genre, with “Maria” being his final installment in three films that explore the lives of important 20th century women. Larraín’s story is as tragic as it is cinematic, displaying the personal struggles of Greek-American opera-singer Maria Callas for the world to witness. 

In an interview, Larraín stated, “Icons have always been involved in shaping their own legends, but often it ends up going somewhere else where they can’t control it. … There’s a gap, and that gap is the uncontrollable moment, and that’s what you want to look at.” But who gets to tell these people’s stories, and should we even look?

Nevertheless, “Maria,” like many biopics, is an incredible showcase of acting. Angelina Jolie mimics the mannerisms and vocal quality of the real Maria Callas very well, and while I respect her taking 6 months of vocal lessons to be able to sing like La Callas, I find the difference of her voice quite noticeable when her voice is more prominently featured. Nobody will ever sound like Maria Callas—that is what made her voice such a gift. I only wish that the movie showed more of the brilliance of Maria’s career: how she was a master of character through song and attached intention to every note she sang. As a classical singer myself, I would have rather examined the strengths of her career in more depth throughout the film, rather than through a lens of tragedy and downfall. Especially to those outside of the opera world, Maria Callas may not be the most recognizable name.

What I hope most about the film is that the people who see it become curious about the great La Callas’ life and discover a love for her incredible artistry for themselves. As the great diva once said, “The beauty of opera lies not only in the music but in the ability of the performer to breathe life into the character they portray. It is through this transformation that we, as audience members, are transported to another world.”