Step aside! Make way for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

Rating: 10/10 (22 June 2006)

What I'd thought would be just another biopic about somebody we all know turned out to be a deeply amazing piece of cinema. "Amadeus" tells the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a series of flashbacks told by the now insane rival composer Salieri (Abraham). As the story begins, we see that Salieri is now troubled by his past and in complete hostility towards Mozart, who was a far more talented musician than Salieri. In an attempt to ridicule Mozart, Salieri finds his music overwhelmingly beautiful and ironically inspirational, bringing out an even stronger rage towards the legend.
Director Milos Forman proved yet again that he is one of the most talented directors. After his seemingly unbeatable masterpiece "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest", Forman creatively finds a way to adapt a fascinating play on to the screen in a flawless manner. The beautiful set design to the incredible make-up and costume design wows the audience and in every way possible makes them feel like they really are in that time period. The camera-work is brilliant, capturing key moments in a vastly visual way.
Although the directing is painfully beautiful, the screenplay is without a doubt the best thing about the movie. Changing between time periods and geniusly keying in scenes together, "Amadeus" goes beyond the expectations of film-making. Most of the scenes are edited so they fit in with the actual music of Mozart, which so wonderfully creates a powerful emotion almost unseen before.
The acting is without a doubt superb. F. Murray Abraham as the psychotic Salieri shines in his Oscar-winning performance. His vision of Salieri's pain and suffering and resistance towards God is painfully depicted in both his portrayal of a jealous, hostile composer and an old psychotic washed out musician. Tom Hulce plays Mozart so brilliantly and so comically that you can't help but keep your eyes on him. His unforgettable laughter helps him join a much memorable list of performances in the history of cinema. Hulce portrays Amadeus creatively, both an immature playboy and a musical genius. He reportedly also had to learn to play the piano as well as Mozart's signature move: playing the piano upside down with his hands crossed. The rest of the cast also shines as they portray almost flawlessly the culture and society in the time of Mozart.
"Amadeus" is a masterpiece. Everything from the screenplay, to the incredible set decoration and costume design is so vastly memorable and genius. The depth of the story is intense, creating a sense of madness and anger. Truly a movie to be seen more than just once, "Amadeus" goes beyond film-making, showing us that movies can be made in the 18th century and still be entertaining.