Angelina Jolie in Tears During 8-Minute Standing Ovation for ‘Maria’ at Venice

Angelina Jolie captivated Venice on Thursday evening with her portrayal of opera icon Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s film “Maria,” earning an eight-minute standing ovation.

The star shed tears as the audience applauded, marking the event with one of the most emotional standing ovations at Venice since Brendan Fraser’s acclaim for “The Whale” in 2022, which eventually won him the best actor Oscar.

“Maria” is a reunion for Larraín and screenwriter Steven Knight, who previously collaborated on “Spencer,” which also premiered in Venice in 2021. The film tells the tragic, beautiful story of the life of Maria Callas, the world’s most iconic opera singer, by reimagining her final days in 1970s Paris. Just before its premiere, Netflix announced it had acquired U.S. distribution rights for the film.

At a press conference earlier in the day, Jolie shared insights on her preparation for portraying the famous soprano, marking her debut in singing on-screen.

“Everyone here knows how nervous I was,” Jolie admitted about learning to sing opera. “I spent almost seven months training because when you work with Pablo, you can’t do anything halfway. He demands, in the best way, that you fully commit and train.”

“Maria” features an ensemble cast, including Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Stephen Ashfield, and Valeria Golino.

Maria Callas, born in Manhattan to Greek parents, was one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She received her opera training in Greece at the age of 13 and later moved to Italy to pursue her career. Despite her success, Callas faced personal and professional scandals, struggling with near-sightedness that left her almost blind. She also had a notable rivalry with Italian opera singer Renata Tebaldi and had a high-profile affair with Aristotle Onassis, who later married Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, a subject of Larraín’s film “Jackie.”

“Maria Callas, the greatest opera singer of all time, undoubtedly had a unique, beautiful, and tormented life,” Larraín stated in his director’s note. “This film depicts her last days through memories, friends, and most importantly, her singing.”

Callas’ career soared in Venice in 1949 when she was singing the role of Brünnhilde in “Die Walküre.” She was suddenly tasked with stepping in for Margherita Carosio in “I Puritani,” an event that would become legendary.

Michael Scott, the founder of the London Opera Society, remarked on this achievement: “The notion of any singer tackling roles as vocally diverse as Wagner’s Brünnhilde and Bellini’s Elvira in the same career is surprising; attempting them in the same season seemed like folie de grandeur.”

There had been speculation online about whether Jolie would cross paths in Venice with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, who also has a film in the lineup, “Wolfs,” starring George Clooney. However, festival director Alberto Barbera dismissed any rumors, noting in an interview with Vanity Fair that their schedules had been planned to avoid any overlap. Jolie was set to leave after the “Maria” premiere on August 29, while Pitt was due to arrive two days later.

“There is no way that they can cross each other at the Lido,” Barbera confirmed.

Source: Variety, IndieWire