Maria

The film Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín, defies the expectations it creates in its audience. Contrary to what one might anticipate, it is not a biographical film about an opera singer but rather a psychological exploration of the loneliness of a woman who happens to be an opera singer and has turned to a kind of emotional masochism and self-destruction.

If you approach Maria expecting a biographical film that narrates the life story of an opera singer, you will likely be disappointed. By the end of the film, not only do you not truly know Maria, but the film deliberately leaves you with ambiguities. Questions arise about why she enters a relationship with a wealthy man, why she has a child with him, why she loses weight, and even about her relationships with her two servants. This intentional lack of clarity led me to turn to Wikipedia after watching the film, hoping to find answers about Maria's life.

The film begins with Maria's death and ends with her death, creating a closed cycle in which we accompany her during her final days. Through two distinct layers-black-and-white imagery depicting scenes from her past, and low-quality color footage showing fragments of her life-we witness a woman in the throes of a midlife crisis at fifty-three, succumbing to self-destruction. While the film intentionally leaves gaps in Maria's story, there are subtle hints that contribute to understanding the characters. For instance, Onassis's reference to Hermes from Greek mythology, and his claim that he himself is Hermes, helps the viewer grasp his character. Hermes, after all, was a trickster and a mediator between mortals and the gods of Olympus.

Overall, Maria excels in direction, atmosphere, and lighting, effectively conveying the sense of loneliness experienced by its protagonist. However, if your goal is to learn about Maria the opera singer through this film, it is unlikely to offer much insight.