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Preview Plot: F. Murray Abraham earned a Best Actor Oscar for his imperious performance as Antonio Salieri, a mediocre composer whose churlish young rival, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce), wins immortality with...( read more read more... )

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Recent Reviews

  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    May 14, 2008
    On the one hand, you have great directing from Forman and a top-notch acting performance from Abraham. On the other hand you have a performance by Tom Hulce as Mozart that is not bad, but will definitely take you aback with its moments of goofiness. On the third hand, you have the girl who plays his wife, who while... gifted in her own way(s), turns in a middling effort. Overall this a fun movie to watch, and the opera scenes are fantastic--apparently many were filmed in the original locations that Mozart debuted his works.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    May 9, 2008
    Amazing performances all round and the music fits in so well. Saleri is deliciously wicked and tormented
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    May 8, 2008
    AMADEUS (1984)
    directed by Milos Forman
    starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge

    «His funeral! Imagine it, the cathedral, all Vienna sitting there, his coffin, Mozart's little coffin in the middle, and then, in that silence, music! A divine music bursts out over them all. A great mass of death! Requiem mass for Wolfgang Mozart, composed by his devoted friend, Antonio Salieri! Oh what sublimity, what depth, what passion in the music! Salieri has been touched by God at last. And God is forced to listen! Powerless, powerless to stop it! I, for once in the end, laughing at him! The only thing that worried me was the actual killing. How does one do that? Hmmm? How does one kill a man? It's one thing to dream about it; very different when, when you, when you have to do it with your own hands.»

    Amadeus is a Latin name that can be translate to «beloved of God», its a name Mozart often used as a pen name cause he was actually baptized Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, Theophilus being close to the Greek name Theophilos, which has the same meaning as Amadeus. Milos Forman's film, based on Peter Schaffer's play, may use Amadeus as its title but the film really is more about Antonio Salieri, another composer who lived in Vienna at the same time as Mozart, but the tilte very much makes sense for this historically innacurate biographical picture. While Schaffer based his idea on some possible facts, it is more an excuse to work on the theme of rivalry with characters everyone knows.

    Antonio Salieri is Emperor Joseph II's court composer. He worked hard to go there, he offered his chastity to God to receive his talent and prays every day the Lord makes to make sure his abilities will stay with him. He hear Mozart is coming to Vienna and is looking forward to see who that man is but his disappointment is obvious when he realizes Mozart is a childish vulgar conceited self-righteous genius. Mozart has gotten the gift from God that Salieri wanted for himself. He prays for justice and fairness but Salieri is a sinner, his envy, his jealousy and his vanity make him undeserving of such a gift.

    The film begins with the old Salieri trying to commit sucide.

    «Mozart! Mozart, forgive your assassin! I confess, I killed you...»

    Salieri is then taken to a mental hospital where he tells his story to a priest. He explains how Mozart's talent drove him mad but at the same time his absolute fascination for the man's work, which he couldnt deny was an absolute beauty. The film basically shows how Salieri was torn up between his love for Mozart's music and his jealousy. A two-faced man he was, in prescence of the composer he would offer him his help and compliment his work, with genuity, but would conspire against him when he was trying to bring something new. Salieri was simply afraid to realize all the commitments he made to God were worthless cause that litte man and his funny wigs would always be better than him. Salieri's confidence dropped and considered himself mediocre simply because he couldnt do what Mozart did, when in fact, Salieri was quite talented himself.

    «I heard the music of true forgiveness filling the theater, conferring on all who sat there, perfect absolution. God was singing through this little man to all the world, unstoppable, making my defeat more bitter with every passing bar.»

    Those only elements in the film, not necessarly in real life, cause apparently, even if there might have been a real rivalry between the composers, they had respect for each other and that rivalry was ultimately sane, just like the one with see in any fields of life.

    The costumes in the film are amazing, the sets are huge, the period replica is simply impressive. The opera scenes are memorable and what can I say about the music, its simply marvellous. Im not even a fan of opera, it actually bugs me, but in this film, it just seems so beautiful, it makes me want to buy tickets. Im not particularly passionate about classical music but in this film it feels like it really is something that comes from God. There is something grotesque about the film though, Mozart's annmoying laugh, the way they eat food, those ridiculous wigs or Emperor Joseph II's ignorance about anything. It seems as if they were looking at that era with a contempted look but at the same time they seem to be fascinated by it, kind of the same way Salieri looks at Mozart in the film.

    Other than rivalry the film touches other interesting themes such as guilt and that comes with both the old Salieri who thinks he has killed a messenger of God in Mozart, but also Mozart who didnt go back his father after his instistence, who ultimately died. That becomes something major when Salieri exploits it to extort Mozart's talent, which ended up killing up because of a poisonned obssession created by Salieri's envious character.

    F. Murray Abraham is amazing as Salieri. He brings a lot of subtlety to the character, his body language, his eyes, his smiles, it's definately a terrific performance and he did deserve the praise and the Awards that he got from it. Tom Hulce as Mozart showed a lot of potential, I actually wonder why he didnt become a bigger star after that film. He portrays the genius madness of his character with such depth its just fascinating, even if sometimes it almost seems like he is overdoing it. The rest of the cast is not to be mention really, cause its basically two one-man shows in one film. Except maybe Elizabeth Berridge, who plays Mozart's wife with the right amount of innocence that part needed. While Im at it, Jeffrey Jones, mostly known as Ferris Bueller's principale, as the Emperor Joseph II, nails his part perfectly and really does look as ignorant as his character.

    Amadeus is fictious work on one of the greatest classical composer to ever live, but it maintains some hidden truth. Its an amazing character study which is wonderfully directed by Milos Forman who understands his characters and film his story as if it was a true epic. With great cinematography, terrific editing, wonderful acting, powerful direction, indepth writting, Amadeus is what I consider a masterpiece and definately one of the best films I have ever seen.

    «All I wanted was to sing to God. He gave me that longing... and then made me mute. Why? Tell me that. If He didn't want me to praise him with music, why implant the desire? Like a lust in my body! And then deny me the talent?»

    Salieri is done telling his story, a man comes him and take him, pushing his chair in the middle of those people affected by madness. Salieri is one of them, maybe it was all just a delusion and it didnt really happen that way, maybe he didnt kill Mozart, maybe it really was just like it was in real life.

    «Mediocrities everywhere... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you all.»

  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    May 7, 2008
    Unbelievably good. Wonderful acting and superb music. Yes, it may be nearly 3 hours long, but its 3 great hours.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    May 6, 2008
    A really good and well made movie with a lot of passion. But the disrespecting laughter was uncalled for

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Comments

  • urapoptart2
    greatest musical film ever created
    posted 27 days ago
  • bluecrystaldragonfly
    I loved this movie "uoy evol i tub" I loved that part ha ha ha haaa
    posted 261 days ago
  • sighsoffire121
    This is definately my favorite movie, and every time I watch it, at the end, when F Abraham Murry is doing the whole, "I will speak for you. i speak for all minorities..."
    I just laugh out loud in awe, because it is such masterful acting!
    Truly awesome.
    posted 337 days ago
  • bammargeraVOJcKy
    This movie was very good. It was a sucessful drama, comedy and a murder. I never would have thought that Mozart was this way. By that I mean I never would think that this great composer would be a person to drink all day and party all night. And all the girls....what a DOG. I found it funny watching Salieri...he was a jeleous man.. And OMG that laugh was awesome....I loved it. There wasnt a moment that i didn't think was good.
    posted 350 days ago
  • briggsa
    This is easily my favorite movie in the whole world and nothing will EVER compare.
    posted 373 days ago
  • fuzzymoon1900
    Mozart:Ha ha ha~!
    posted 446 days ago
  • pasculli
    It's my favourite film! I watch it over and over everytime I go home after being away. I've even watched it in French! Nothing can beat this...
    posted 609 days ago

Details

  • Rated: (PG)
  • Directed by: Milos Forman
  • Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts
  • Released: September 6, 1984
  • DVD Released: December 16, 1997

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