I went to see the bio pic, Maria by Callas over the weekend. The film is a cool idea, utilizing film and TV footage along with a few personal letters and diary entries to explore the life of the legendary diva, Maria Callas.
Overall, it was an interesting picture. I learned some things about the great singer I did not know (personal details about her relationships and also details about her journey.) And, yet, there are big pieces of the story that were left out. For example, we never learn how she got into La Scala or what her journey was from school to professional singing. We never learn how she met or decided to marry her husband. He was just suddenly there in the pictures. There are other gaps like this and the viewer is left to infer the how and the why of Callas’s life.
On the upside, there is some amazing footage of Callas performing around the world. She truly was amazing and if you’re an opera fan, she’s simply lovely to see and to listen to.
Is this the best of the bio pics? No. But, it’s an interesting idea and concept and worth watching if your a Callas fan.