Featured Audience Ratings

• Thomas B

  
  By bouts hilariously witty, nerve-wrackingly tense and profoundly moving, all the while beautifully shot and thoughtfully put together. An astounding achievement. Full review later.

• Adriel Denzel L

  
  Fantastic! Every second is a delight of visuals, brilliant production value, exalting character and of course, the wonders of great music, a whole new way to experience the music. People should do more movies like this. The story is well and crafty, it has great evocative power. I… More
  Fantastic! Every second is a delight of visuals, brilliant production value, exalting character and of course, the wonders of great music, a whole new way to experience the music. People should do more movies like this. The story is well and crafty, it has great evocative power. I haven't seen a movie quite a well as this one.

• Josh M

  
  Amadeus is one of the most entertaining biographies put on screen, and possibly the best one about a musician ever. It is also the most effective transplanting of a stage play to screen (in the pantheon with Grease or Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) It's about Mozart… More
  Amadeus is one of the most entertaining biographies put on screen, and possibly the best one about a musician ever. It is also the most effective transplanting of a stage play to screen (in the pantheon with Grease or Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) It's about Mozart (Tom Hulce), but he's actually a very substantial supporting player to murderously jealous forgotten composer Antonio Salieri -the actual lead role (deserving best Actor Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham), Eclectic director Milos Forman deftly handles the intimate and emotional scenes as well as the big sweeping, sumptuous epic Viennese scenes. The supporting performances are all wonderful, memorable and indelible, and I've seen this movie many times. Many viewers have complained about the American accents, especially those of Mozart, his spunky wife Costanze (the underrated Elizabeth Berridge, who acts her heart and soul in this role, flat American accent aside), Emperor Franz Josef (the stellar character actor Jeffery Jones), Mozart's grumpy controlling dad Leopold (Ray Dotrice) and Abraham himself. I say poppycock (I never actually say poppycock), why should original German speaking characters only speak with British accents? Perhaps more of an issue is that there is a weird mix of American and British accents among Viennese people. The art direction and wardrobe is both lush and believably grungy, and Vienna, (Prague on location) feels like a real place where people live, both nobles and peasants. From a production point of view, this is as good as it gets. I recommend the director's cut, there are huge story holes in the original studio version. Numerous story points are vague and unexplained in the official release, especially the coercive sexual relationship between Salieri and Costanze, which is only vaguely hinted at in the shorter version. Both versions are long, and the director's cut is longer, but you've got more than three hours to burn, right? The director's cut also has even more of Wolfgang's music, which is the only soundtrack, and the cues are expertly chosen and conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. On the down side, the film is not historically accurate at all, and it's unlikely that Salieri 'killed' Mozart out of envy, though apparently he boasted of it in his confused senile final days. Playwright Peter Shaffer had some burning point to make about art, jealousy and desire, and the randomness of god in choosing his 'servant' but these points are more the driving force behind the play than the movie. It feels like he's setting up a 'straw man' in Salieri to make his thesis. To me, the theme is not that important. The character study in the movie is richer and stronger than the play. Some of the scheming of Salieri doesn't really make much sense, and Mozart seems too smart to be such a sap in reacting to the scheming. It's also really long. That aside, pop it in your Blu Ray player and crank up the symphonic delights on your surround sound.

• Alexander D

  
  Had W.A. Mozart been just a film character who was created from the mind of a filmmaker, AMADEUS would have been a fantastic, deep character analysis. As he is an actual historical figure, this film is practically the opposite: a fictionalized biography that runs far too long for… More
  Had W.A. Mozart been just a film character who was created from the mind of a filmmaker, AMADEUS would have been a fantastic, deep character analysis. As he is an actual historical figure, this film is practically the opposite: a fictionalized biography that runs far too long for what it is. One who is seeking purely entertainment will find every minute (there are 160 of them) of this film endearing, intriguing, and worthwhile. Contrarily, one who is seeking information on the musician would have a better bet simply searching Mozart on Wikipedia, unless he or she is fine with running the risk of absorbing events that never actually happened in history. In short, you decide. Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-AN

• Dan S

  
  A thematically rich masterpiece loaded with sadness and depression over rising star Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) who met his demise at too young an age, aided by a bitter rival (F. Murray Abraham) who has the balls to act like he is his friend throughout his rise and fall. When… More
  A thematically rich masterpiece loaded with sadness and depression over rising star Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) who met his demise at too young an age, aided by a bitter rival (F. Murray Abraham) who has the balls to act like he is his friend throughout his rise and fall. When a movie features two terrific lead performances (you could make a case Abraham and Hulce should have been the first duo to share the "Best Actor" Oscar - as both are magnificent), an excellent soundtrack, astounding makeup, and captures a piece in history so thoroughly, it is easy to be enthralled no matter what the running time. This is just a spellbinding epic about revenge and betrayal put against a scrumptious backdrop and hair-raising sets. An overall wonderful movie, and a must-see for anyone that treasures the art of music.

• Aditya G

  
  The "Man", The "Music", The "Madness", The "Murder"(?), The "Motion Picture".....so goes the tagline....but we can add some more....the "Miracle", "Mozart" and last but not the least, "Milos" Forman! The… More
  The "Man", The "Music", The "Madness", The "Murder"(?), The "Motion Picture".....so goes the tagline....but we can add some more....the "Miracle", "Mozart" and last but not the least, "Milos" Forman! The man behind "Amadeus" goes all out in his attempt to "motion picture"-ise Peter Shaffer's play of the same name. The result is one of the most ambitious and dazzling period dramas, built on a grand scale...but is it as magnificent as it has been made out to be?! Well...almost! Told through a series of flashbacks, (and shifting occasionally to the present) narrated by an old and decrepit Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), "Amadeus" tells the highly fictionalized story of 18th Century famous Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and his supposed "rival" who loathed him... Antonio Salieri himself. Both great musicians of the time, yet, Mozart being Mozart seemed to outdo Salieri, one of the greatest composers of the time, making more conspicuous, Salieri's so-called (often by himself) "mediocrity"! Salieri, the court composer lived in his own sweet shell of ignorance about talent around him. Enter Mozart and things changed for Salieri as Mozart began to get in the good books of the Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones) with his clearly superior command on music and his ability to create "magical" notes...just like that! Salieri despised Mozart from the first sight of him! After all, who could imagine the great Mozart having a very dirty mind and an outrageously vulgar tongue and a highly annoying "obscene giggle", as Salieri puts it! And if that's not all..this is a man who is highly immodest and vain about his own music. He has absolutely no regard for other composers and thinks and even admits out loud that he is the greatest! So thus it begins, the battle of the musicians, with Salieri admitting to be the "bad guy" in the entire state of affairs...how he wished to God that Mozart would vanish...out of Vienna..best, even back to Salzburg, his hometown! Salieri tries all the low-down schemes his evil mind could think of to hinder Mozart's progress and try and put him down. The entire film chronicles these crafty ways of Salieri, his gradual loss of faith in God, for he believes, Mozart is literally "Amadeus", "the beloved of God", sent down by God himself to make Salieri aware of his "lack" of talent! And then there are the ups and downs in Mozart's life, his bloated ego, his alcoholism and his eventual demise....and amidst all this, is the miracle that is music! That's right, music is one of the important aspects of this picture, since music drives many of the scenes in the film (apparently there are longer Opera sequences in "The Director's Cut" which I have seen). Mozart wrote some of the finest music on this planet and it shows in this film, with almost all of the music used being originally composed by Mozart. Of course for the film it was performed by Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. It is rather exhilarating to see and listen to the operas performed to the music of Mozart in this picture; the passion and the sheer spirit of it further elevated by the characters of Mozart and Salieri as they conduct these operas. The background score is not far behind, with some tremendous melodies being used in some key portions of the film that make the scenes come alive! And then there is the acting! While the supporting actors are there and they do a decent job, this review will restrict itself to the two key players. Tom Hulce, who plays Mozart, brings a kind of despicable quality to his character...and hell, it does take talent to make the audience loathe you at one stage with some very impish demeanor and then throw in surprises and make the audience want to reach out to you and embrace you! Tom Hulce scores big time with his extraordinary display of a multi-dimensional character, a passionate and gifted musician, ultimately let down by his own vanity! [img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v061k34wKHg/Tf9bAsHpP-I/AAAAAAAAB3M/jAbMYdhkfdo/abraham-amadeus-7.jpg[/img] And there is F. Murray Abraham, who is almost unrecognizable in his older avatar as Salieri in the scenes in the present in which he narrates the "tragic" story of his life to the priest, Father Vogler (Richard Frank)....And my goodness, how long has it been since I've seen a performance like that! What sheer grace to the performance, what an arresting screen presence and what outstanding theatrics...words are not enough to describe this larger than life performance that won Abraham the much coveted Academy Award! Just watching him mouth those cleverly written lines of dialog with his exuberantly passionate acting on display keep your eyes glued to the screen! What makes it even more commendable is how different the younger Salieri and his older self look and behave...adding so much depth to his character..but don't be fooled...it is the same actor indeed! This is a performance that has to be seen to be believed! Which finally brings us to the film itself! Now I am the kind of man who is usually not in favour of screenwriters/filmmakers using artistic license and taking cinematic liberties with true stories featuring real life characters from history. But normally a few minor changes here and there are still acceptable. With "Amadeus", they transform everything into almost 80% fiction, which is a big disappointment! I mean, just because you want to make an interesting story with some "bite" which will pull the audiences in, you can't turn all the characters on their heads. The film shows that Salieri despised Mozart, whereas some evidence in the form of written letters suggests they shared a friendly relationship and Salieri didn't really hate Mozart. As a matter of fact he was in awe of him and admired him a lot. As for Mozart's behavioral traits, there is almost no evidence suggesting that he behaved like a clumsy idiot that he has been portrayed in the film! Just watch the film and you will be shocked to see that a much revered musician like Mozart would act and talk like an absolute clown with an atrocious sense of humour, ultimately rendering the character unrealistic! Why would you really look up to this man, an arrogant, vain musician, even if he makes some Godly music? I mean, you couldn't stand the man...hell, I don't blame Salieri! This of course leads to some comic relief throughout the film in the form of some other characters acting like buffoons, including Mozart's mother-in-law and even the Emperor says "well..there it is" and walks away even after this mother-in-law character faints on stage! That said, the film succeeds in all other technical aspects, including cinematography, editing, great sets and costumes, attention to detail and the whole lavish spectacle that this motion picture is! Full points for capturing that era, that atmosphere, that Vienna..there is no question about it. Narrative-wise the pacing somewhat falters with the long opera scenes in the second half. But if you like the music and aren't averse to watching lengthy operas, you wouldn't feel the slack in pace. But at the pinnacle of this whole venture, is the lead actor, F. Murray Abraham and the magic he performs on screen and holds us, the audience, spellbound with his mesmerizing Antonio Salieri act! I will mention this again....this is a performance that has to be seen to be believed! And if you just want one reason to watch "Amadeus", F. Murray Abraham is a reason big enough, because ultimately, in this case, the performance is much bigger than the film itself! Rating: 8.5/10

• Spencer S

  
  For a three hour (yes, it's that long) film, none of it dragged, all of it was entertaining, and there was minimal exaggeration to its greatness. With the luxuriousness of a period piece many liberties can be taken, and Amadeus is no exception. From the vibrant costuming and… More
  For a three hour (yes, it's that long) film, none of it dragged, all of it was entertaining, and there was minimal exaggeration to its greatness. With the luxuriousness of a period piece many liberties can be taken, and Amadeus is no exception. From the vibrant costuming and ornate sets to the tension and atmosphere of the subject matter, there was little to be desired in the way of a biopic. Instead we are faced with a packed movie about two distinct personalities, one prudent yet disturbed, another fickle and yet genius in a way no one can attain. Besides having to have an inert appreciation of classical music or at least the art form, you must not take this too seriously, else you won't lose yourself in the plot and intrigue. The film focuses on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a childish composer brought to Vienna from Salzburg in order to comprise a German opera, which morphs into a bitter battle with the court's composer, Salieri, though mostly this rages in Salieri's own mind. Much emphasis is placed on Salieri's anger and torment at God, who granted him a wish to become a great composer, but did not give him the born talent of Mozart, who is brash and whose laugh is as annoying as his antics. Once Salieri places a secret vendetta against the composer in order to plot his death it becomes quite interesting. Instead of traditional merits of murder he breaks his younger colleague down until he takes ill, demons eating away at the last remnant of his soul. This literal takedown of all that Mozart is makes for great cinema, the psychological implications drawing you in as the ending becomes as poignant as any masterpiece should be. In the end, Salieri could kill a voice, but not silence an orchestra, a beautiful admission though crazed, the setting ripe for that assessment. There are flaws and it isn't a very polished story, but you could never say you didn't enjoy it.

• Jay H

  
  Rarely is a movie made that is as sublimely watchable as this one. The film grabs hold of you two minutes in and doesn't let go until two and a half hours later when it releases you from the trance, leaving you dazzled by what you've just seen and shocked that the film… More
  Rarely is a movie made that is as sublimely watchable as this one. The film grabs hold of you two minutes in and doesn't let go until two and a half hours later when it releases you from the trance, leaving you dazzled by what you've just seen and shocked that the film lasted that long. Virtually flawless, the film features striking performances from F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce, who each let the viewer into their character's complex emotions and thoughts. This film is genius. This film is a classic.

• Cindy I

  
  This film never fails to blow me a way, no matter how many times I've seen it. From the first scene where Salieri is found in his home, having slashed his own throat, it just grabs me and never lets go. The whole production is fabulous -- costumes, sets, the whole shebang -- and… More
  This film never fails to blow me a way, no matter how many times I've seen it. From the first scene where Salieri is found in his home, having slashed his own throat, it just grabs me and never lets go. The whole production is fabulous -- costumes, sets, the whole shebang -- and the score is all Mozart all the time, of course. The performance of Tom Hulce as Mozart is impressive, but it's F. Murray Abraham who is the true star here. He justly won an Oscar for his portrayal of alleged rival Antonio Salieri., and is right up there as one of my all-time favorite performances. The only reason this doesn't get 5 stars with me is I felt that Elizabeth Berridge's performance Mozart's wife Costanza was a weak link and kinda brought things down a little. Otherwise, a feast for the eyes and ears. Who cares if it isn't historically accurate?

• Jameson W

  
  Perfect! This film is one of the best films that I have ever seen. Magnificent in ever way a film can....the acting, cinematography, story, emotion, music, pace, direction. This film is a masterpiece; I cannot believe I waited so long to watch it. F. Murray Abraham delivers one of… More
  Perfect! This film is one of the best films that I have ever seen. Magnificent in ever way a film can....the acting, cinematography, story, emotion, music, pace, direction. This film is a masterpiece; I cannot believe I waited so long to watch it. F. Murray Abraham delivers one of the best male performances that I have seen. He steals every scene as Salieri. Even while he sits in his chair as an old man, he still gives a huge level of emotion. I truly was touched by his performance. Tom Hulce as Mozart also gives a very strong performance. Both actors received Oscar nominations for Best Actor, but only Mr. Abraham took home the coveted award, as he gives one of the best male performances ever. The cinematography, art direction, costumes, makeup, etc. were unbeleivable. Each scene is real to the proper time period. So much needs to be said about this film, but there are no words to describe this masterpiece. It's one of those films that you have to experience for yourself. It's perfect and one of the best of all time. I absolutely recommend it!

• Carlos M

  
  A sublime masterpiece that has to be fully appreciated in its three-hour director's cut. A powerful film that is not only impeccably directed, with a wonderful art direction and an oustanding cinematography, it also boasts one unforgettable performance by F. Murray Abraham, who… More
  A sublime masterpiece that has to be fully appreciated in its three-hour director's cut. A powerful film that is not only impeccably directed, with a wonderful art direction and an oustanding cinematography, it also boasts one unforgettable performance by F. Murray Abraham, who totally steals the show as the envious composer Antonio Salieri.

• Jeff "

  
  Amadeus is one of the greatest films you will ever see. Milos Foreman delivers a film like no other.A tremendous tour de force, Amadeus chronicles the life of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the subsequent jealous rage by rival composer Antonio Salieri. This film is rich with… More
  Amadeus is one of the greatest films you will ever see. Milos Foreman delivers a film like no other.A tremendous tour de force, Amadeus chronicles the life of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the subsequent jealous rage by rival composer Antonio Salieri. This film is rich with talent, and everyone here displays tremendous skills on screen. Tom Hulche performance as Amadeus Mozart is impressive, his performance stole the show. Hulce portrays Mozart with comic wit and style. One of the best part of the film is watching F Murray Abraham in the character of Antonio Salieri as he constantly tries to outdo Mozart and he secretly plans the murder of Mozart. Amadeus is an exquisite piece of cinema that should be cherished as it is a very brilliant film. Milos Foreman who also also directed One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest delivers yet another astounding piece of cinema. Amadeus is a film that belongs on the shelf of the greatest films ever made.

• xGary X

  
  The life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as seen through the eyes of envious court composer Antonio Salieri is brought to sumptuous life by Milos Forman in this deservedly multi-Oscar winning adaptation of Peter Schaeffer's play. Tom Hulce is not the first name that springs to mind… More
  The life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as seen through the eyes of envious court composer Antonio Salieri is brought to sumptuous life by Milos Forman in this deservedly multi-Oscar winning adaptation of Peter Schaeffer's play. Tom Hulce is not the first name that springs to mind when thinking of the great composer, but his exuberant performance shows Mozart as a passionate and above all human man with an overflowing confidence in his work and abilities. The centrepiece of the film however is a stunning performance by F. Murray Abraham as his bitter "rival" who sees the man's amazing talent as a slight on his own modest works by god himself. A fine supporting cast and lavish costumery bring the Vienna of the time to believable life and the use of some of the greatest pieces of music ever composed cleverly shows Mozart's prolific skill, his internal turmoil and conflicting pressures that eventually lead to his death. Schaeffer takes some liberties with the facts of his life, but this kind of artistic license makes for the kind of fascinating drama and wonderful characterisation that reaches far beyond the life of one man. It does falter very slightly towards the end as it misses Hulce's larger than life persona after Mozart falls ill, but it's one of those films that shows that the Academy CAN get it right from time to time.

• familiar s

  
  The description in the video below reflects my review for this movie. <object width="450" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yog8qXhQR2U&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param… More
  The description in the video below reflects my review for this movie. <object width="450" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yog8qXhQR2U&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yog8qXhQR2U&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

• Lady D

  
  A much recommended film by my Flixster friends and a worthy one at that. Firstly a wonderful performance by F. Murray Abraham, who was great throughout, also a good performance by Tom Hulce, who gave a quirky performance as the title character. I'm not sure how true these… More
  A much recommended film by my Flixster friends and a worthy one at that. Firstly a wonderful performance by F. Murray Abraham, who was great throughout, also a good performance by Tom Hulce, who gave a quirky performance as the title character. I'm not sure how true these events were, but they were very entertaining and gave a certain surprise to the presumed nature of Mozart. Tantrums, childlike behaviour and every inch the genius, this was surely the making of a legend, who would believe today that he'd been a struggling artist. From the concerts to the operas, the composing of the music and the very art put into this film, on a production level, it really was quite something and for an almost 3 hour film, this was a continual piece of entertainment.

• Morgan S

  
  One of my Favortie movies of all time!!! EVERYONE in this movie is fantastic. major probs go to Tom Hulce (of course!! he is wonderful) F. Murray Abraham and also to Elizabeth Berridge. I dont really know what it is about her character but simply the way she shows how much she really… More
  One of my Favortie movies of all time!!! EVERYONE in this movie is fantastic. major probs go to Tom Hulce (of course!! he is wonderful) F. Murray Abraham and also to Elizabeth Berridge. I dont really know what it is about her character but simply the way she shows how much she really cared for "Wolfy" was really touching. Jeffery Jones was very enjoyable as well. If you enjoy Mozart or any other classical music (Mozart happens to be my personal favorite) see this movie...not only is it enjoyable to what the performances and listen to the music but this movie truley is a work of art and does every thing a movie should make you do. Laugh, Cry, and most importantly FEEL for the characters. If you havent seen this movie yet you are really missing out.

• danny d

  
  can be accused of being a tad overlong, but all in all this is a phenomenal film. the music and opera scenes are the real draw, but the entire film is engaging and delightful. the film had a decidingly 80's feel but this doesnt detract at all from what is easily one of the best… More
  can be accused of being a tad overlong, but all in all this is a phenomenal film. the music and opera scenes are the real draw, but the entire film is engaging and delightful. the film had a decidingly 80's feel but this doesnt detract at all from what is easily one of the best films of the entire decade.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Amadeus. The man. The music. The magic. The madness. The murder. The mystery. The motion picture."</i> The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback mode by Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum. <center><font… More
  <i>"Amadeus. The man. The music. The magic. The madness. The murder. The mystery. The motion picture."</i> The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback mode by Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum. <center><font size=+2 face="Verdana"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> "Amadeus" is based on the play of the same name by Peter Shaffer. It portrays a fictionalized account of the life of famous classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, emphasizing an intense rivalry between him and composer Antonio Salieri. The film creates a great sense of period with lavish sets and elegant costumes. Tom Hulce leads the cast as Mozart with great energy and he creates a memorable character. Mozart is portrayed as a man whose vices and juvenile conduct are only exceeded by his genius in creating music. My favorite performance of the film, however, is F. Murray Abraham's skillful performance as Mozart's rival, Antonio Salieri. He convincingly creates a Salieri that narrates the story as a conniving and bitter man, but manages to elicit sympathy when he laments that he can never be as prolific or well-known as Mozart. There are excellent supporting performances in the film, too, including Elizabeth Berridge as Mozart's patient wife Constanze and Jeffrey Jones as Emperor Joseph II with a matter-of-fact manner. The rivalry between Mozart and Salieri is well-developed and the film never becomes tiresome despite its length. In addition to the characterizations, the film appropriately includes dazzling segments of classical music and representations of staged operas. The end narration of Salieri is very well-written and touching. Truly F. Murray Abraham's Salieri is a champion for mediocrity.

• Tim S

  
  A powerful film, I'd love to see the Director's Cut.

• Luke B

  
  A grand sumptuous tale of jealousy and talent. Abraham, though not particularly sympathetic does create an empathetic lead. He's the man who tires so hard to achieve what comes so naturally to a much younger composer. He blames God at every turn, never taking responsibility for… More
  A grand sumptuous tale of jealousy and talent. Abraham, though not particularly sympathetic does create an empathetic lead. He's the man who tires so hard to achieve what comes so naturally to a much younger composer. He blames God at every turn, never taking responsibility for his actions leading himself to the suicide attempt that opens the film. Hulce is particularly incredible in this film. According to Abraham we should hate him, but it is plain to see he is a justifiably arrogant young man whominsults others with his talent. His touch up of one of Salieri's simple marches is painful not just for Salieri but also for us as Mozart is blissfully unaware of the pain he causes. The music needless to say is fantastic, discarding the need for any original accompaniments. The visuals are also extravagant, showing in full cinematic swing the glory of Mozart's operas. Amadeus is a fine achievement, even though the directors cut I watched could have done with a few cuts to heighten the tension in the final moments.

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