MARIA BY CALLAS – Review

Maria Callas. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

In many ways, American-born soprano Maria Callas’ life was operatic, with plenty of triumph and tragedy. Early in MARIA BY CALLAS, we see Maria Callas being interviewed by television host David Frost, as she describes her life being divided into two parts, a professional self she calls Callas and a personal self she calls Maria. Maria Callas was a fabulously famous opera star and icon of the mid-20th century who embodied the word diva, and also an intriguing international celebrity avidly covered by tabloid media. MARIA BY CALLAS allows the singer herself to set the record straight on personal and professional gossip.

Maria Callas was the most acclaimed soprano of her time but she was nothing like the stereotype of an opera singer – you know, the heavy woman in elaborate costume standing stiffly while singing. Tall, slim, with large eyes and strong regal features, Callas moved and emoted as she sang, in that golden voice that needed no amplification. Her performance style, stage presence and glorious voice brought her legions of fans. But Callas also was a jet-set celebrity, famously linked with Greek millionaire Aristotle Onassis, who left Callas to marry Jackie Kennedy and then returned to her after the marriage broke up.

Director Tom Volf’s MARIA BY CALLAS offers a personal view of the legendary singer, more an introductory sampling of her work and life than a definitive, exhaustive biography. MARIA BY CALLAS captures a sense of the time period, as well as letting the singer tell us about her life and her work in her own words. For fans who know her work well, the best parts of this film are the performance segments, which are plentiful.

With her large eyes, strong features and tall slim figure, Maria Callas looked the part of a diva, as well as having the golden voice and technical skills to thrill audiences. In MARIA BY CALLAS, the singer herself speaks about her life and career in a series of interviews, supplemented with performance footage, adoring fans speaking about her, and news coverage of this celebrated star whose fame transcended the world of opera. Anyone even a little curious about this icon of her era should enjoy this warm, well-made film, as will opera fans.

This enjoyable documentary skips both the usual narration and talking head expert interviews to let the singer tells us directly about herself, with only a couple of title cards to set the stage. This very intimate approach is effective, drawing us into her world in a warm manner.

One need not be an opera fan to enjoy this documentary but it holds particular delights for those who are. Opera is bold, melodramatic and demands big, beautiful voices that need no amplification, and Callas had the goods. Not only did she have the voice and training, she brought acting skills to her singing, enhancing the vocal fireworks by “selling the song” dramatically, instead of just standing and singing as some opera singers do. The film features archival clips of Callas singing some of the most famous arias from “Carmen,” “Madame Butterfly,” “La Traviata,” and others. The performance footage is presented in an unusual way, as if we are peering through the back of a movie projector, seeing the black-edged square of the individual frame, as well as portions of the frames above and below and the sprocket holes or sound strip running along side. The result is an unexpected image that keeps you focused on the singing itself. Other archival footage dispenses with that technique, allowing us to concentrate on Callas remarkable acting skills as she sang.

MARIA BY CALLAS gives us home movies, news footage, and plenty of interviews. Callas talks about growing up in New York as part of a Greek-American family, her mother’s drive to make her daughter an opera star, her own work ethic and commitment to her career at the cost of a family life. She talks about her failed early marriage, her never-fulfilled longing for children, and about her famous long-running affair with Aristotle Onassis.

Callas was as famous in her era as a jet-set celebrity as a opera star. While adoring opera fans lined up for hours to get tickets to her performances, others eagerly snapped up tabloid papers to read about her love life or tales of temperamental behavior. Callas herself explains the latter as more a consequence of her exacting professional standards in her work than moodiness or temper. The film also delves into lesser known details of her life, such as her dabbling in film acting.

MARIA BY CALLAS paints a warm, touching portrait of the legendary Maria Callas, as a person as well as offering a sampling of her work and an overview of her career. This delightful film should please her fans as well as offer a warm introduction to non-fans. MARIA BY CALLAS opens Friday, November 30, at Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars