When Angelina Jolie publicly announced in June that her lead role in the movie “Cleopatra” would mark the conclusion of her acting career, the public was generally hesitant to believe the news. However, she recently confirmed in an interview for Du Jour magazine that she would retire from acting in order to pursue her ambitions as a filmmaker. She revealed that she had never felt comfortable in front of the camera and that she no longer plans to be the center of attention in the movies that she will direct.
“To me, it seems strange that [Jolie] is suddenly backing out and claiming that she has been shy of the camera after all her years of being an actress,” Stephanie Cha (11) said. “Frankly, I’m not sure how she’ll be as a director, but her wealth of experience as an actress should play into her success. I’m personally very fond of Angelina Jolie, as is everyone else, not only because of her roles in movies like ‘Beowulf’ but also because she dubbed humorous movies such as ‘Kung Fu Panda’.”
According to The Guardian, Angelia Jolie initiated her career as a director immediately after her retirement through the film “Unbroken,” which was initially released on Nov. 17. “Unbroken” is based on a true story, featuring a US Airman who spent 47 days at sea after his plane crashed during World War II. Jolie found the story a triumph of the human spirit regarding the search for faith and forgiveness.
“In a sense, Angelina Jolie is a brand,” said John Arthars, English teacher and former director and producer. “Her [so-called] retirement is a change in the brand, and I think this is a clever thing to do. She has paid her dues and made so many movies to prove herself—she is a great model for girls and an [outstanding] example of strong womanhood for boys as well. Because I can predict that she is going to be very careful about scripts and the cast especially at the beginning of her career, it is likely that she continues her career successfully.”
Although Jolie previously stated that she does not enjoy being in front of the camera, she ironically revealed her third project, “By the Sea,” which stars Jolie herself and Brad Pitt. This movie, both written and directed by Angelina Jolie, focuses on a couple that tries to save their marriage by going on vacation. Filming and making “By the Sea” has been a struggle and a challenge for both Jolie and Pitt because the last time they collaborated was 2005 in the movie “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” since which the two have developed different acting styles.
“I really looking forward to ‘By the Sea’ because I think Jolie and Pitt’s unique relationship will be highlighted by this movie,” Alice Rhim (11) said. “Even though the movie is fictional and the characters are not representative of Jolie and Pitt, it is true that they have gone through adversities and struggles throughout their marriage, which helps them portray such conflicts better. I loved their collaboration in the movie ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith; their chemistry was superb and since then, I feel like they have become the iconic couple of this century. Because it’s easy to predict that ‘By the Sea’ will be a big hit, I don’t think Jolie’s retirement will be permanent.”
Infographic by Hareem Kim (11)