Maria Callas: A Final Performance

The 2024 biographical psychological drama film Maria was written by Steven Knight and directed by Pablo Larraín. The film was co-produced internationally by the United States, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Award-winning actors like Haluk Bilginer and Angelina Jolie appear in the movie.

One of the stars of this movie is Angelina Jolie as the opera singer Maria Callas. This famous actress was born on 4 June 1975, she started acting when she was just a child, her first screen debut was alongside her father in Lookin’ to Get Out. Her career began when she acted in Cyborg 2, then she got her first leading role in Hackers. Jolie then decided she wanted to act and enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, where she trained for two years and appeared in several stage productions.

Another well-known actor also took part in this production, Haluk Bilginer. Nihat Haluk Bilginer is a Turkish actor who was born on 5 June 1954. In 1977, he graduated from the Ankara State Conservatory, before going to England where he graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He landed his first role in the long running UK soap opera EastEnders. In 1987, Bilginer traveled to İstanbul to film the TV series Gecenin Öteki Yüzü (The Other Side of the Night).

Altyazi.net, 21 April 2025

The movie takes place in 1977 Paris, the movie tells us about the retired opera legend Maria Callas who struggles with declining health and addiction to Mandrax, leading to vivid hallucinations, including an imagined TV interview. As she reflects on her past, she attempts a comeback with conductor Jeffrey Tate. After confronting her reality, Maria finds peace. She delivers one final, moving performance before dying alone in her apartment.

In October 2023, filming started in Budapest. Other filming sites included Pyrgos and Katakolo in Greece, Paris, and Milan. Larraín collaborated with production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas on the visual idea, which helped blend the strange musical moments with the style of the 1940s to 1970s.

The creators of the movie claim that no new fur was used for Jolie's outfits, which are based on Callas' original outfit. They also consulted animal rights organizations like PETA about the historic fur items used in the movie, which came from Massimo Cantini Parrini's archive collection.

Jolie trained as an opera singer for seven months in preparation for the part. Initially, she was extremely nervous and unsure of her singing skills; according to her vocal instructor Eric Vetro, Jolie once started crying. Vetro had her take a series of classes taught by Callas herself in order to mimic her singing style. Lori Stinson, an opera singer, also gave Jolie advice. An estimated 90 to 95 percent of Callas' original recordings were used for the sequences set during her prime, while Jolie lip-synced to the songs. But in the last section of the movie, Jolie's singing takes center stage.

“Maria” captures the final days of opera legend Maria Callas, exploring her struggles with health and addiction. With standout performances, it ends on a poignant note as she finds peace before her death.

Edited By: Ömer Gökce, Yağmur Ece Nisanoğlu