How Did Angelina Jolie Move Her Film Maria’s Director Pablo Larraín To Tear? Actress Says She Was ‘Burning Herself’

As an ardent fan of biopics and opera, I am absolutely thrilled by the upcoming film about Maria Callas, starring none other than Angelina Jolie. The unique approach taken by director Pablo Larraín, using a non-linear narrative structure to bring out the ghosts of Callas’ past, is truly captivating.


Angelina Jolie stars as the main character in an upcoming movie about opera singer Maria Callas’s troubled life. While the film isn’t a horror story, Jolie and director Pablo Larraín give it an unusual, haunting quality. Instead of following a traditional timeline, the movie highlights the spectral remnants of the musician’s past using an unconventional narrative style.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director shared insights into his collaboration with Jolie and expressed surprise at her unwavering commitment. He commenced by acknowledging her remarkable focus and skill in portraying the character, even on days that were a mix of intense happiness and deep sorrow.

In a moment that truly surprised him, it was when Angelina Jolie, the actress playing Maleficent, wasn’t on screen during a take, yet seemed to be embodying her character off-camera. “Angelina was present for filming,” he explained. “Both of us were out of frame, but it was incredibly powerful. I believe this experience significantly influenced our subsequent work.

As he explained, Jolie’s strong inclination to shape her character’s emotions fundamentally “altered” the overall process, enabling her to embody Callas’ spirit more authentically. Certain moments in the film demanded that the actress sing live with intensity and feeling, while also conveying her character’s sorrow.

Larraín acknowledged that combining demands and emotions was extremely challenging, but Jolie’s performance left him speechless. “I was utterly amazed,” he reminisced. “Watching her give such a passionate performance to the point where I believe it brings the movie to a climactic, almost operatic end,” the director expressed further.

During production of the last movie in the biopic trilogy with an unexpected twist (following Jackie from 2016 and Spencer in 2021), Larraín was eager to uncover a striking detail from Callas’s personal history. Immersed in over ten books about the late musician, he diligently researched her life for something truly captivating.

While many biopics have focused on her career descent leading up to her 1977 heart attack in Paris, director Larraín found untapped aspects of her life to portray. He crafted an intricate movie centered around the fall of a cultural icon and her self-expression through her voice, which earned her the title La Divina (The Divine One).

In the 1970s, Maria Callas – renowned as the world’s greatest opera singer – spends her final days in Paris, grappling with her identity and life. This is a brief overview of the storyline. The biopic titled “Maria” will be released on November 27th.

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2024-11-12 23:07