This documentary on the talented soprano Maria Callas sheds a fascinating light on her life and career. Drawing liberally on the final performance Callas made before her death, which saw her inhabit the role of Tosca in a Covent Garden production from 1965, this film offers great insight into... [More]

This documentary on the talented soprano Maria Callas sheds a fascinating light on her life and career. Drawing liberally on the final performance Callas made before her death, which saw her inhabit the role of Tosca in a Covent Garden production from 1965, this film offers great insight into why Callas may have decided to quit the stage just before her untimely demise. Her relationship with Greek billionaire Aristoteles Onassis, who left Callas to marry Jackie Kennedy, appears to be the main reason behind her premature retirement, and is discussed here at length. Many of Callas's friends and colleagues also appear, including Grace Bumbry and Placido Domingo, who offer further insight into her life. Ultimately LIVING AND DYING FOR ART AND LOVE is an absorbing portrait of a tortured artists who enlivened the opera world and brought happiness to millions of fans despite struggling to find some joy in her own life. [Less]