Callas: Assoluta

Philippe Kohly's documentary, originally broadcast on French television, will appeal to fans of famed Greek soprano Maria Callas. Incorporating an astonishing mix of rare newsreel footage, television interviews, photographs, and recordings (including her first known radio appearance, as a teenager at a 1935 talent competition), the film traces Callas' remarkable journey from an unhappy New York childhood, through her maturing as a singer in Greece during World War II, to her unprecedented popularity and controversial status as the reigning diva of 1950s and ‘60s opera. Through sheer force of personality and a voice that many believe to be the finest of the past century, Callas reinvented the concept of the opera star as a sex symbol and made the medium accessible through her uncommon glamour and an intense, bold acting style. Callas: Assoluta captures the gossipy aspects of Callas' well-publicized personal life—particularly her affair with Aristotle Onassis—in a surprisingly tasteful manner. Although one could quibble with Kohly's penchant for filling the screen with shots of empty theaters, landmark streets, and elaborate theatrical gowns, this loving tribute to the ultimate divina of the opera world is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)