MovieChat Forums > Callas Forever (2002) Discussion > Callas + Onassis

Callas + Onassis

posted 17 years ago by daquinofamily
7 replies | jump to latest

In the review it states that Callas and Onassis were married and divorced...they were never married, thus could never be divorced. In fact, Callas was devastated that Onassis married Jackie Kennedy. That fact was a major part of her downward spiral. She always thought or felt he should have married her. Onassis abused Callas spiritually and emotionally. All the things it seems he "fell in love" with her for were the things he would taunt and put her down about. Love is certainly blind. She was a great artist and certainly didn't need that dried up little toad to challenger her self esteem. He had Napoleon's complex to the max. Ah, how the mighty have fallen.

[–] blanche-2 17 years ago

Right. The sad thing is that after he was married to Jackie, he realized he had made a mistake and came back to Maria...and she took him back. She had the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old due to her mother favoring her sister, growing up fat, etc. He was horrible to her. He broke her emotionally and spiritually as you say. People can be cold-hearted about it and say it was her own fault, but in those days, people didn't go to therapy and get put onto medications as they do today. She was a beautiful, gifted woman who thought that a career would give her the love she never received - and it didn't. If you've ever seen the photo of her taking her bow as Norma and looking over at Aristotle in the box - she's absolutely radiant, she's on top of the world. She's in love and enjoying her life for the first time. It breaks your heart.

[–] grJubei 13 years ago

Could you please link that photo?

[–] blanche-2 13 years ago

I don't have it - it's in the biography by Arianna - well, it's Huffington now, she used to go by another name. Or you could look in google images.

[–] eagle79-1 12 years ago

Let's not forget that, just like in real life, there are more dimensions to this story than "she met Onassis, fell in love with him, he chose to marry Jackie, broke Callas heart". Before Onassis, Maria married the man who fell in love with HER when she hadn't yet turned into a swan & managed her career, while helping to take her to the next level: Giovanni Battista Meneghini. According to the Onassis biography written by the London Sunday Times team in the late 70s, once Callas met the super-powerful millionaire - and also already married -tycoon, she started "seeing" him behind Meneghini's back & then broke the news to him that she was "in love" with Ari. I don't mean to pass judgement on her, only the gods of Olympus know how intricate this situation must've really been (& I even could agree that Ari & her might've been more compatible). I just want to remind you that Maria wasn't an ingenue at love, she might've broken a heart (or two?) herself.

Long live the Diva!

;)

[–] blanche-2 12 years ago

you are right. However, I do believe that she was madly in love with Ari, and I don't believe he treated her very well. Obviously there was something there because Ari started seeing her again behind Jackie's back. I think Callas was emotionally immature and lost herself in him. She took him back, she had an abortion for him, in a way she acted like an 18-year-old. You really couldn't blame her -- while she might have broken a heart or two, I don't think she had a lot of experience in that department. She got more confidence once she lost weight. I have to admit I just found the transcript of her talking with John Ardoin at the end of Ariana's book absolutely heartbreaking. So no matter what, Ari did break her heart.

[–] eagle79-1 12 years ago

Thanks for mentioning the transcript on Ariana's book. I haven't read that biography (which i've seen got very good reviews) & now that has got me pumped up to add it to my reading queue.

;)

[–] blanche-2 12 years ago

it's incredibly excellent and also very sad