Angelia Jolie is “La Divina.”
The Hollywood star arrived in Venice on Thursday to walk the red carpet at the world premiere of Maryin which she transforms into the greatest opera singer in history, Maria Callas. Directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain, the film tells the beautiful but tragic story of Callas’ last days in Paris in the 1970s. Netflix has acquired the film Mary for the USA before its premiere in Venice.
“There is something special about people like Maria Callas, but also Angelina Jolie – these women have a physical presence on stage, in front of the camera or just in a room, and you feel the enormous humanity they exude,” Larrain said in a press statement in Venice. “For Angie, being Maria Callas and carrying this burden was no problem, because she already has it.”
When asked how she most identified with Callas, Jolie initially dodged the question: “Well, there’s a lot I’m not going to say in this room that you probably know or suspect,” she said, before noting: “The way I dealt with her was, which may be a surprise, probably the part of her that is extremely gentle and there’s no room in the world for her to be as gentle as she really was – as emotionally open as she really was… I share her vulnerability more than anything.”
Jolie prepared for the role for around seven months. Larrain said his star’s preparation went through several phases. First, she worked with opera singers and coaches to master the posture, breathing and movement of a professional singer – as well as Callas’ accent. According to the production, Jolie practiced singing a series of Italian operas or arias, with coaches recording her voice and breathing to ensure she had mastered the melodies and pitches.
Much of the singing heard in the film is from Maria Callas in her prime, mixed with light elements of Jolie’s singing. The work also required an enormous amount of courage and vulnerability from the actress, according to Larrain, as she often had to sing extremely demanding operatic pieces without instrumentation in front of up to 500 extras and staff.
Jolie described the process of learning to sing opera as “therapy that I didn’t know I needed.”
“I had no idea how much I was holding back and not letting out,” she explained in a press statement. “So the challenge was not the technical one, but an emotional experience, finding my voice, being in my body, expressing myself. You have to give every single part of yourself.”
Jolie said her research and rehearsal work benefited from the fact that the real Callas worked as an opera singing teacher and there are recordings of her lectures.
“I was very lucky because the best path I could take was that I was taught by Maria,” Jolie explained. “When she started her work, she said the first thing you do – she called it straitjacket – is not to think about how you feel or what you want. You just try to understand the music and the composer’s intention. And you are disciplined, you do the work exactly as it is intended, and you practice and practice. So I did that. Then she said, and the last thing is that you don’t allow your personal and emotional sides to come out until you are ready. And then I was lucky to be with Pablo, who protected me. So when I was able to do that, I allowed those emotions and was able to try to do something I had never done before.”
Jolie said she wasn’t a big opera fan in the past – “I was more of a punk. I loved all music, but I probably listened to The Clash more than most” – but as she got older and suffered personal tragedies, her appreciation for classical music and opera grew.
“I believe that if your life is fulfilled, if you have felt a certain level of despair, pain or love at a certain point in time, then there are only certain sounds that can correspond to that feeling,” she said.
At the press conference in Venice, Jolie acknowledged further parallels between herself and the late opera star, admitting that her recent absence from the spotlight caused many to Mary as her return to star filmmaking.
“I’ve had to be home with my family more these past few years, and during this time I’ve become more grateful to have the opportunity to just be an artist, to play and be around all of you – just be in this creative world. She added, “I’m grateful to be able to be an artist in any way.”
She added: “I am grateful to be able to be an artist in any way.”
Larrain, Jolie and the rest of the Mary The cast will walk the red carpet in Venice on Thursday night for the film’s world premiere. The actress’ many fans received good news on Wednesday when Netflix acquired the US streaming rights to the film on the opening night of the Venice Film Festival. The streamer has not yet announced a release date for Mary However, it is expected to be a contender for awards season.
In his official directorial statement about the project, Larrain said: “Maria Callas, the greatest opera singer of all time, undoubtedly had a unique, beautiful and painful life. This is the story of her final days, a celebration portrayed through memories, friends and, most importantly, her singing.”
