Customer Reviews

Callas: assoluta [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For a year Philippe Kohly set out to accomplish what most filmmakers and opera buffs would shy away from. He took on the daunting task of researching the life and career of La Divina herself - Miss Maria Callas - in order to shed some light on her life. The interviews, home videos and photographs do a good job in giving insight to the personal and professional sides of Callas. However, the editing did not do the film any justice. It is choppy and jumps around leaving very visible seams. When they used sound bites of Callas, the photos and home videos were a nice treat. At other times, it seemed like they ran out of clips and just showed a mannequin spinning around with costumes Callas wore in some of her most famous roles. That's fine once, but after several times, it was a little much. On the whole I enjoyed the film, but I don't think this is the best Callas documentary I have seen.

When I ordered this disc, I was afraid it would prove to be a mixture of material that has been available for years, first on VHS tapes and then on DVDs. But I was delighted to discover that, along with some familiar material, there was enough that was new to me to keep the disc interesting. The picture quality is definitely an improvement over anything that has preceded it. For anyone interested in Callas, I strongly recommend this disc.

Fully agree with E. Puzzo review, and furthermore, nothing that we have not already seen, heard or read.

But if you are an avid collector of Callas related things as I am, then buy it.

It's not a waste by any means, still enjoyable.

Overrated, soprano Maria Callas was a spoiled, haughty woman who rubbed elbow grease with the rich and idiotic. This drudging mock-documentary from director Philippe Kohly is a complete bore. It doesn't do much to cast any revealing information about Callas, who seems to have gone through life with a complaint against everything. There's a few pieces of Paparazzi interviews and camera moments that are out of place. None of them are translated into English. In all, it makes for a monotonous viewing.

Assoluta = absolute; supreme but this mock-documentary is anything but.