Brilliance born out of stupidity

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2016)

Amadeus is the fictionalized biography of one Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most famous classical composer to ever walk the Earth. It tells the story from the point of Antonio Salieri, a contemporary composer, whose name has been largely lost to history except for those that study musical history.
It's an all-around excellent period drama. The costumes and the visuals are top-notch, the score of course features some of the most recognizable pieces of classical music ever made and the production values in general are without any flaw. So it would be a pretty good film even if there was nothing else to it. But there is. This is one of my favourite character studies ever put to film. The character of Mozart, played by Tom Hulce, is a fascinating one. In this film he's portrayed as a musical savant. A buffoon of a man, endlessly consumed by the vices of drink, flesh and luxury, yet within him play the bells of heaven. The arias of God himself make themselves heard through this wreck of a man. And Salieri, a man who has dedicated his whole life to God as thanks for his musical ability, absolutely despises him because of this. Why Mozart? Why not him? What glory has this man achieved to be worthy of the kind of music he's capable of producing?
And yet, despite all his flaws, despite all the contempt we heap upon him through Salieri, Mozart has redeeming qualities. His passion for music is unparalleled. His ability and sheer skill is without equals. He has flaws, vices, heavy leanings towards sin. And yet, though his music, the world is a brighter place because of him. And that has to count for something.
Amadeus places the story before history. There are many facts which happened quite differently. Yet it is a masterful story. Enchanting, deeply personal, philosophical and, above all else, captivating, it will make you weep for these poor souls captured in the webs of their own mortal failings.