The Life and Legacy of Maria Callas: Inside Pablo Larraín’s Biographical Drama

The life of legendary opera singer Maria Callas has long been a subject of fascination, marked by both unparalleled professional acclaim and a tumultuous personal history. In the 2024 biographical psychological drama Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight, audiences are offered an intimate, albeit compressed, look at the final days of the iconic soprano.

A Portrait of a Legend in Her Final Days

Starring Angelina Jolie as the titular character, the film focuses on the period immediately preceding Callas’s death in 1977 Paris. Rather than a traditional cradle-to-grave biopic, the narrative centers on Callas’s internal struggles, her reflections on a career that defined 20th-century opera, and her desperate desire to regain her vocal prowess.

Director Pablo Larraín, known for his work on Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021), completes his trilogy of iconic 20th-century women with this production. According to screenwriter Steven Knight, the goal was to distill the mythic nature of Callas into a focused, reflective narrative. “I wanted to compress the whole thing into a very significant period of days,” Knight explained, noting that during this time, Callas was deeply concerned with the state of her voice and the relationships that had shaped her life.

Fact and Fiction in the Narrative

While the film is grounded in the reality of Callas’s later years, it employs creative license to explore her psychological state. The script draws upon firsthand accounts from those closest to her, including her butler, Ferruccio, played by Pierfrancesco Favino, and her housekeeper, Bruna, portrayed by Alba Rohrwacher.

The Reality of Her Struggles

• Prescription Drug Use: The film depicts Callas grappling with the abuse of prescription pills. Steven Knight noted that Callas’s reliance on chemicals was tied to her lifelong struggles with weight and the societal context of the 1950s and 60s, a time when the long-term consequences of such substances were less understood.
• The Journalist Conflict: The movie features a tense encounter between Callas and a journalist who threatens to leak a secret recording of a vocal rehearsal. This element reflects the genuine pressures Callas faced from the media, who were often eager to capitalize on her vulnerabilities.
• Hallucinations: To visualize her internal battle, the film introduces a character named Mandrax, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, who serves as a personified manifestation of the sedative drug Callas used.

Reception and Production

Maria is an international co-production involving Italy, Chile, Germany, and the United States. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 29, 2024, where it competed for the Golden Lion. Critics generally responded positively, with particular focus on Angelina Jolie’s performance as the embattled opera star.

Key Takeaways

• Focus: The film is a psychological study of Callas’s final week in Paris rather than a comprehensive biography.
• Cast: The film features an ensemble cast including Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
• Themes: Key themes include the fragility of the human voice, the burden of fame, and the psychological impact of public and private scrutiny.

Conclusion

Maria offers a stylized look at one of the most significant performers of the 20th century. By blending historical detail with psychological drama, the film invites viewers to look past the myth of Maria Callas and witness the human struggle beneath the operatic grandeur. As the final installment in Larraín’s trilogy, it stands as a testament to the director’s interest in the private lives of public figures.