You'll think, you'll laugh, you'll cry - and you'll learn something, too

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2006)

Very, very few movies have all their pieces - acting, photography, plot, music, etc - come together in a more powerful way than they do in this film. Salieri is magnificent; the camera captures every subtle gesture while still taking in the staging of each delightful scene; the story is fascinating, and made only more dramatic by the exquisitely-performed soundtrack, featuring music by Herr Mozart himself and a few other contemporary pieces (played by St Martins-In-The-Fields, it fills three CDs and is worth every penny).
Even my friends who do not enjoy classical music had to admit that this was a very well-done period piece. It poses an interesting philosophical dilemma, a hero-villain for whom we cannot help but feel empathetic, and gives us a glimpse into the fascinating politics, power, and music of the Classical Age.
One word of advice: Do NOT see the Director's Cut. Several key scenes were added and changed that, I found, made a tremendous difference to my evaluation of the main characters and events in the film.