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Maria by Callas: In Her Own Words Reviews
Not having known much about Callas, I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary, which was refreshingly free of the usual head-shot interviews and overdone narration. She was so much more beautiful, warm, witty and wise than I had imagined! There is just enough background info to convey her fascinating life, and the narration is a professional reading of Maria's own words through her letters, diaries and memoirs. Some of the performance clips are somewhat grainy, but there are enough complete arias here that convey her incredible talent, regardless of how you feel about opera. You can't help but get goosebumps listening to her Bellini, Norma -- "Casta Diva" around 16:00 (also on youtube, with subtitles). Only criticism: the use of subtitles would have greatly enhanced appreciation of the singing and the emotions conveyed.
This is not really a documentary. There is no narrator or text explaining Callas' life. It is full performances of songs by her, interspersed with old interviews with her and a couple of other people. If you already know her life and work, or you just want to hear her performances, this is just fine. If you want to really understand her life and times, this is going to leave a lot of blank.
Wanted to see more of the heart break Onasis caused by marrying the widow. Jolie not right for part needed a Greek figure fell asleep rewinded.
3 & 1/4 stars. WHAT a voice!! Revealing documentary of a famous opera star, Maria Callas. She had a difficult life from childhood onward. Her wish to be a wife & mother was common in women her age. I felt sad that she died so young. This was a little longer than it had to be.
interesting documentary with great music.
Fascinado de conocer a Callas y perdidamente enamorado de MarÃa...
As the DVD cover says,"A dazzling documentary. This is what a star is made of." Callas' life is told in her own words: interviews, letters & diaries. You don't have to be an opera lover not to enjoy this unique documentary.
I think this movie is mostly for the fanatics; I would have appreciated a little more background in order to enjoy the information, images, and beautiful music that was presented.
I'm a professional musician and an opera lover, and I learned a lot. Highly recommended. It's not a movie. It's a documentary. The editing could have been a bit cleaner, but the clips are very old. I have a different perception of her now. She's not the difficult diva that many think she was.
I felt that I knew the person a little better. Wonderfully made film, great music! Good story.
Very interesting documentary about La Divina Maria Callas, with unseen videos, letters, and excerpts from her personal diary. A must see for all the Opera lovers. The young director Tom Volf really did a great job.
A superb Oscar worthy documentary about the fascinating life and glorious art of one of the world's greatest opera stars. Do not miss this masterpiece, whether or not you follow opera.
Inline image As a kid the only thing I knew about opera was what I learned in music appreciation in high school and that was "Carmen" and "Madame Butterfly". I, also, went on a school trip to the 'Old Met' plus let's not forget Mario Lanza as Caruso or Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy. In the 1950s I was very much into theatre, both musicals and plays, plus concerts, pop and Bernstein, movies, television was becoming very popular and the name Maria Callas started to appear in papers, magazines, interview shows on television but mainly became known as a prima donna first in a good way than as a sneer. She was a married woman having an affair with a Greek millionaire who would eventually leave her for Jackie Kennedy after the United States President died. In "Maria by Callas" Maria Callas tells her story in her words, pictures, events and we hear her voice at its best, though recordings 50-60 years ago weren't as clear as they are today. We see her being mobbed by fans, the press, notable people like Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother, Elizabeth Taylor, Bridgette Bardot, interviewed by Edward R. Murrow, David Frost and Barbara Walters. She talks about how and why performances were missed and how, as a woman, she had to choose between her career and having a family, her feuds with her mother and the Met Opera director Rudolph Bing. Whether playing the Diva or the rejected lover the main things that stand out about Maria Callas are her wide, open black eyes, thin body and, yes, that glorious voice. I won't pretend I know bel canto technique from a soaring soprano or other voices but I can be moved and I was by many of the arias she sings in this documentary. "Maria by Callas" presents a woman, a singer, many of us may have only known by the headlines or a gay icon but who deservedly was called 'the' female opera singer of the twentieth century. It also makes me realize what I missed not seeing her perform on stage.
Disclaimer: I really dislike opera. I was hoping for less singing and more story but even the story mostly put me to sleep and the singing was painful to my ears.
A real gem for fans of the famed diva, with many fine performance sequences that show her off in her best light. As for the rest of the film, however, the insights are not as abundant or as in-depth as one would hope for, frequently repeating ground covered multiple times in different segments. The film also seems to rely on a plethora of airport arrival shots in different cities, which, if you've seen one, you probably don't need to see the same basic footage over and over again. Overall, while it's true I enjoyed this release, I nevertheless came away from it wanting more than what it actually delivers.
The movie gives a slightly nteresting look of a true diva of the late 1950's and early 1960s. Her singing is sometimes beautiful ans sometimes shrill. A huge part of the movie is film clips of her getting in and out of cars in front of a fawning media. This gets very tedious.
An honest, intimate reading on the second chapter of the life of an amazing Artist. Great job of the director Tom Volf. Amazing footage never released before. A beautiful movie even if you don’t like opera.