Pros And Cons of Amadeus

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 2017)

Pros 1. F. Murray Abraham more than deserved his Best Actor Oscar for his unforgettable performance as Salieri. He makes Salieri's frustrations and jealousy completely believable and relatable even for people like me who have never been interested in becoming a professional musician. Tom Hulce, in my opinion, would certainly have won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar if he hadn't unwisely been submitted in the Best Actor category. The decision to make Mozart silly and fancy-free was controversial but makes him more relatable and understandable.
2. The entire supporting cast is great. Even Elizabeth Berridge, who is usually the Amadeus cast member who gets the most flack, does a great job as Stanzi. She shows Stanzi as a woman who gives Mozart when he needs, whether he needs a friend or a kick in the rear. I especially liked all the court members like the Emperor, Chamberlain Von Strack, Count Orsini-Rosenberg and Kappelmeister Bonno as they struggle with Mozart, a music force clearly after their time. Also worth noting is Karl-Heinz Teuber's hilarious appearance as the wig salesman.
3. It's no wonder this film won Art Direction & Costume Design Oscars. The set design and outfits never fail to impress. This was the first big Oscar hit to win for Best Makeup and with the gorgeous old Salieri makeup, it's not hard to see why. The makeup doesn't look fake at all.
4. It goes without saying that a movie about Mozart has awesome music. It's not hard to understand why Salieri thinks Mozart has divine music talents.
5. This movie has no shortage of funny parts: Salieri falling out of a kid's bed, Mozart giggling sheepishly to Katerina Cavaleri when it's revealed he's engaged, the Emperor mocking Mozart's fixation on love, etc.
6. The movie does have a happy ending: Mozart dies tragically young but will live forever in his music and as for Salieri: he fought the God and the God won.
7. Best Line Salieri: (referring to Mozart's Serenade For Winds) On the page it looked nothing. The beginning simple, almost comic. Just a pulse: bassoons, trumpets. Like a rusty squeezebox. Then: high above it: an oboe. A single note standing there unwavering... until a clarinet took it over and sweetened it to a phrase of such delight. This was no composition by a performing monkey. This was a piece i'd never heard. Such longing, such unfulfillable longing.
What's wrong with Amadeus? Not a dang thing!