Netflix Maria is the latest subversive biopic from acclaimed filmmaker Pablo Larraín, exploring the tumultuous life of opera singer Maria Callas. The film revolves around the celebrity's final days before his death, exploring the impact of his work on the world around him and his own psyche. It's a dark and twisted story of fame, ambition, and corruption that certainly doesn't follow the formula when it comes to historical biopics. The film is notably one of Angelina Jolie's best projects, as she delivers a groundbreaking performance in the lead role.
Larrain has a unique style of filmmaking that is totally different from anything that came before him, but There are certainly traces of influence and inspiration to be found in Maria. The film's dark, socially relevant exploration of femininity and success is something often explored in these types of films, telling stories of historical figures whose lives remain painfully current to this day. There are many other great historical biopics that do this well, and some that Larrain almost certainly took inspiration from.
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Frida (2002)
Directed by Julie Taymor
Frida is a powerful drama that revolves around the life and work of Frida Kahlothe Mexican artist who became famous for her introspective self-portraits and landscape paintings. In Taymor's film, she is played by Salma Hayek in a rich, reflective performance that delves deep into the artist's personal struggles and romantic turmoil with her unstable husband.
The most powerful aspect Frida is the examination of the relationship between suffering and creativity, which is also something that is navigated in Maria. The two women are more alike than most would expect, and both Hayek and Jolie deliver strong performances that reflect these sides of their characters.
9
Master (2023)
Directed by Bradley Cooper
Conductor is a historical biopic that explores the works of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, whose extramarital affairs and unwavering ambition led him to destroy his own family in his pursuit of success. The film is directed by Bradley Cooperwho also stars in the title role, and brings Bernstein's complex personality to life in a way that creates a vivid portrait of the figure and uses his artistic talent to construct a powerful message about ambition and success.
Conductor navigates the true story of Leonard Bernstein with a touching loyalty to his craft, educating audiences about his works and experiences while giving the film a more cerebral dimension that can't simply be found on his Wikipedia page. Very similar Maria, the film uses his personal life to comment on much larger issues about art as a whole, the entirety of which Bernstein is just a small microcosm of.
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Marie Antoinette (2006)
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Pablo Larraín's works have often been compared to Sofia Coppola's catalogue, and Marie Antoinette is one of the best examples. The film details the lives of the iconic French royal, using this complex story to present audiences with in-depth commentary on how power and influence can be as destructive as they are attractive.
As MariaCoppola's film is a close examination of one particular woman in history, whose narrative was exemplary of many social issues and complexities that are still very relevant today.
As MariaCoppola's film is a close examination of one particular woman in history, whose narrative was exemplary of many social issues and complexities that are still very relevant today. It's much more than a regular biopicbut rather a drama that simply uses its protagonist as a touchstone for something much more universal and important. It's one of Sofia Coppola's best films, and Kirsten Dunst's lead performance is still revered today.
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Based on Sex (2018)
Directed by Mimi Leder
In essence, Maria is a feminist tale about femininity that explores the idea in the context of its relationship to success and power. Based on sex does something very similar, detailing the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she presses the patriarchal strongholds of the American justice system to combat its gender discrimination.
What's so good about that Based on sex is that despite being a very simple and traditional biopic, it contains a very strong message about the power of perseverance and self-confidence. It's not just a call to arms for gender equality (although it certainly is), but also something much more universal that speaks to everyone. The film also benefits from exceptional cinematography and a fierce performance from Felicity Jones.
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Jackie (2016)
Directed by Pablo Larraín
Although all three films are essentially unconnected, Pablo Larraín's Maria is actually the final film in an unofficial trilogy from the filmmaker – each exploring the revolutionary life of an important woman in history. The first was Jackiewhich retold the story of Jackie Kennedy after her husband's famous assassination. It's a fierce narrative that explores the effects of grief, loss and motherhood.
There are countless biopics about influential women, but Jackie thrives because of her enormous sensitivity and empathy towards the figure and her ability to connect her unique situation to a more universal experience of grief. The film stars Natalie Portman in the lead role, who delivers one of her strongest and most sympathetic performances to date. Jackie was from Larraín most human and moving film at the time of release, but the director has only gotten more talented since then.
5
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Directed by Josie Rourke
Mary Queen of Scots is another historical biopic chronicling the life and trials of the titular Scottish monarch, who is often remembered as one of the most influential royals in British history. The film frames its narrative from the perspective of his relationship with his cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England, detailing their rivalry and using their story as proof that there are two sides to every story.
Rourke's film features two powerful lead performances from Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie like Mary and Elizabeth, respectively, which help give these historical figures much more nuance and detail than most would associate with them. It is a very complex and subjective story that deserves all the credit it receives, both for its historical accuracy and its powerful message.
4
Gucci House (2021)
Directed by Ridley Scott
House of Gucci is a much more stylized and cheerful film than MariaBut in fact the two projects have more in common than meets the eye. Scott's film details the turbulent rise of the Gucci family from the perspective of outsider Patrizia Reggiani, whose involvement in their internal politics leads to an avalanche of betrayal, lies and murder. The story is very fast-paced and fun, in contrast to Larrain's more meditative style. Mariabut ultimately, both are films about women reclaiming their autonomy in the pursuit of success.
House of GucciThe true story is much more complex than the film portrays, but It's still a rollercoaster of a narrative This doesn't take away from the entertainment for a single second. It's one of Ridley Scott's funniest and most self-aware projects in recent years, and despite the mixed reviews it received upon reception, it knows exactly how to draw audiences in with the promise of a freewheeling, good-natured story and leave them with something. much more nuanced.
3
Atonement (2007)
Directed by Joe Wright
While Joe Wright Atonement is a fictional story that is not based on real events like Mariathe two films have a very similar aesthetic that helps create an atmosphere of warmth and romance with much darker themes hidden beneath. The film revolves around two lovers during World War II.played by Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, whose lives are turned upside down when the former's sister tells a devastating lie about their relationship.
Both Maria and Atonement feature some of the most engaging period stories in recent memory, with authentic recreations of their respective eras that are incredibly authentic and moving.
Both Maria and Atonement feature some of the most engaging period stories in recent memory, with authentic recreations of their respective eras that are incredibly authentic and moving. Both are packed with fierce performances that help bring the intricate scripts to life, and the stories are incredibly moving thanks to their delicate writing and subversive themes.
2
The Deceived (2017)
Directed by Sofia Coppola
The deceived is perhaps the firmest example that Larraín's filmography is thematically linked to that of Sofia Coppola, as it shares many similarities with Maria in its presentation of femininity and social expectations. The film revolves around an all-female boarding school. who is visited by a Civil War soldier, whose arrival sparks a wave of jealousy among the girls.
Coppola's film is a powerful statement about the perceived differences between men and women and how these social boundaries can create much more dangerous ideological barriers between us. The deceived It's also one of Sofia Coppola's best-directed films, with bright colors and vibrant images that help make its themes even deeper and more profound.
1
Spencer (2021)
Directed by Pablo Larraín
The second film in Larraín's unofficial trilogy of influential women is Spencerand it is the filmmaker's strongest work to date. The film details Princess Diana's arrival at the royal residence for Christmas, exploring her innate feeling of not belonging in such a cold and unfair environment. It's a very personal and intimate portrait of the pressures of living in the public eye and the self-destructive tendencies such scrutiny can cause.
Spencer is an incredibly powerful and narratively dense filmbut much of its excellence lies in its technical prowess. Claire Mathon's gorgeous cinematography does an excellent job of contrasting Diana's cold, suffocating experience with warm, tactile colors to create a disarming sense of familiarity in the viewer – and Kristen Stewart's lead performance is a fiercely relatable display of Diana's inner suffering. Diana. Despite its mixed audience score of 52% on Rotten Tomatoes, Spencer was a critical success that shares many themes with Maria and presents them in an equally visceral and effective way.