VENICE LIDO, Italy – A radiant Angelina Jolie shepherded “Maria,” her first film in four years, to a red carpet world premiere Thursday night at the Venice International Film Festival.
An intimate, imagined look at a dying Maria Callas, still regarded as the world’s greatest opera singer, “Maria” also rates as the conclusion of Chilean director Pablo Larrain’s so-called diva trilogy.
First was “Jackie” about Jacqueline Kennedy following her husband’s assassination, which won Natalie Portman a Best Actress nomination. Then “Spencer,” about a beleaguered Lady Diana, won Kristen Stewart her Oscar nomination.
Larrain’s study finds Callas shrouded and isolated in her splendid Paris apartment with only her memories and a faithful staff of two.
“I knew of her since I grew up,” Larrain, 48, said at the festival press conference. “The opera world that’s so interesting as a form of art has been largely ignored by cinema. There are exceptions, of course.
“We are making a movie about the greatest voice of history who had a very beautiful and difficult life. We feel that this is a celebration — of the life, the work and the music.
“Of course, you can’t make, or even try to attempt to make a movie like this, without having a good Maria.”
To be able to sing, as Callas does frequently in “Maria,” Jolie spent seven months in preparation. “When you work with Pablo you can’t do anything by half. He demands you do the work and train.”
After that intensive immersion, “My first time singing, my sons were there and locked the door. Everybody here knows I was terribly nervous. Pablo started me in a small room and ended in La Scala. I was frightened to live up to her and I have not sung in public.
“Honestly for me, the bar in this is that I would know if I did good enough for the fans. I felt I didn’t want to do a disservice to this woman.”
Noted screenwriter Steven Knight, “For me I went through an opera phase when I was younger and loved it. What was appealing was listening to Maria.
“The sound an opera singer makes is the best noise a human voice can make. That’s why I think it comes from deep in the soul and why Maria was the best ever.”
“If you watch it again — and I hope you do,” Jolie said to the press, “the pieces (Callas sings) speak about the moments in her life. And it’s not accidental at the end it’s the total sum of these pieces of work that become who she was.
“So yes! This film is opera.”
Just this week Netflix announced they have acquired “Maria” for distribution. Release plans should be revealed soon.