Maria (2024)

Film Review: Maria (2024) – A Haunting Portrait of a Legend in Her Final Days

Maria (2024), directed by the visionary Pablo Larraín, is a poignant biographical psychological drama that delves into the complex and turbulent final days of opera legend Maria Callas. With a masterful performance by Angelina Jolie in the titular role, the film offers an intimate exploration of Callas’s life as she confronts her past, her relationships, and the reality of her deteriorating health. Set against the backdrop of Paris in 1977, Maria is a meditative look at an artist grappling with the weight of her legacy in the final moments of her life.

Plot Summary

The film begins on September 16, 1977, with the discovery of Maria Callas’s death in her Paris apartment. The story then unfolds over the seven days leading up to this tragic moment, providing a window into the opera singer’s final days. Once a global sensation, Maria is now living in seclusion, haunted by memories of her past.

While preparing for an interview with a television crew, Maria, under the influence of Mandrax (a sedative), begins to hallucinate a young filmmaker named “Mandrax” (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who guides her through the tumultuous events of her life. As the hallucinations take hold, Maria reflects on her love affair with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer), her strained relationship with her mother, and the sacrifices she made for her art.

Despite the advice of her loyal butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino), Maria continues to overuse the drug, which causes her health to deteriorate. At the same time, she meets with conductor Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield) in an attempt to revive her career, only to realize that her once-perfect voice has begun to falter. As the days go on, Maria’s memories become more vivid, recalling her childhood and the pressures of fame that led to the eventual downfall of her personal life.

In the end, Maria finds peace within herself, singing one final, triumphant aria. The next morning, Ferruccio and Bruna, her housemaid, discover her lifeless body, marking the end of a tumultuous and tragic chapter in the life of one of opera’s greatest voices.

A Lyrical and Emotional Retrospective

The film opens on September 16, 1977, with the discovery of Maria Callas’s death in her Paris apartment. However, it is the seven days preceding this event that form the heart of the story. In these final days, Callas, having been out of the public eye for years due to her declining health, attempts a return to the stage, attempting to reclaim the brilliance of her past. Despite advice from her loyal butler, Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino), to seek medical help, Maria continues to rely on Mandrax, a sedative that exacerbates her already fragile state. The drug leads her into vivid hallucinations, causing her to revisit painful memories from her past—her rise to fame, her volatile relationship with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer), and her complicated relationship with her family.

The hallucinations, embodied in the form of a young filmmaker named “Mandrax” (Kodi Smit-McPhee), serve as a narrative device that blurs the lines between reality and memory. As Maria reflects on her love affair with Onassis, her childhood trauma, and the pressures of being a public figure, we witness the unraveling of a woman at odds with both her inner self and the world around her. Maria’s intense, introspective journey culminates in a profound realization about the sacrifices she made for her art and her ultimate need for peace.

Angelina Jolie’s Tour de Force Performance

At the center of Maria is Angelina Jolie’s riveting portrayal of Maria Callas. With grace and vulnerability, Jolie brings depth to a role that requires not only vocal prowess but a nuanced emotional range. She captures the complexity of Callas—a woman whose legendary voice made her a global sensation, yet whose personal life was marked by loneliness, sacrifice, and unfulfilled love. Jolie’s performance is the emotional anchor of the film, conveying Callas’s pain, resilience, and quiet strength as she contemplates the life she led and the legacy she leaves behind.

Supporting Cast and Cinematic Craft

Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher offer exceptional support as Ferruccio, Maria’s loyal butler, and Bruna, her devoted housemaid. Their performances ground the film in a sense of loyalty and devotion, providing a stark contrast to Maria’s tumultuous emotional state. Kodi Smit-McPhee’s portrayal of Mandrax, the hallucinated filmmaker, adds an ethereal and unsettling dimension to the narrative, subtly guiding Maria through her memories and moments of self-realization.

Larraín, known for his subtle yet powerful direction, captures the quiet, internal struggles of his characters with precision. The film’s cinematography is nothing short of stunning, with its soft lighting and intimate close-ups conveying the delicate nature of Maria’s emotional journey. The striking visual aesthetic of the film, with its hauntingly beautiful scenes of Paris and the sterile environment of Maria’s apartment, enhances the overall tone of solitude and reflection.

A Poignant Tribute to a Cultural Icon

Maria is more than just a biographical account of a famous opera singer’s life—it is a meditation on the cost of fame, the fragility of the human spirit, and the passage of time. Larraín’s direction ensures that the audience is not merely a passive observer of history but is instead invited to reflect on the emotional complexity of Callas’s life. Through the lens of Maria, we see a woman who, despite achieving the highest of artistic triumphs, ultimately finds herself searching for peace and reconciliation.

The film’s themes of love, loss, and artistic identity resonate on a universal level, making it accessible to both opera enthusiasts and those unfamiliar with Callas’s legacy. It is a film that honors Maria Callas not only as an artist but as a woman—a woman whose voice reverberated across the world but whose inner voice was often drowned out by the demands of fame and the heartbreak of unrequited love.

Why You Should Watch Maria (2024)

Maria stands as a testament to the power of storytelling and the art of performance. Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of Maria Callas is a tour de force, and Pablo Larraín’s direction ensures that the film resonates long after the credits roll. The film has garnered praise for its emotional depth, its elegant narrative structure, and its beautiful cinematography. If you are a fan of biographical dramas, particularly those that explore the human condition through the lens of an iconic figure, Maria is an essential watch.