Inspired

Rating: 8/10 (20 September 2012)

IMDb Top 250: 82
After you've seen a few, biopic can become fairly repetitive. They show a scene or two about the topic's childhood, the show a few moments that craft the subject's character, show the breakthrough, optional fall from grace, and death. The film is linear, well made and wins some Oscars..
But here's Amadeus, a film that could've easily dropped the more interesting aspects of the play and done a linear narrative. But it keeps the perspective of Salieri, long after the action takes place, in the asylum. That adds a whole layer to the film. Also, not having the camera follows Mozart's every move shows that even in his prime, a composer isn't the center of the world.
Amadeus is an impossibly lavish film: like the similarly timed- Barry Lyndon, costumes and makeup are luscious, and the sets and decorations are grand. The opera scenes are incredible. Visually and technically, the film is marvellous.
Then we get into the characters. The film focuses on the one-sided clash between jealous Salieri and childish Mozart. It makes the film more interesting than simply showing Mozart's life. I found the clash relateable: there's always someone who's better than you at anything, though they may not be the eccentric Mozart is.
I found it wrong that everyone speaks in a plain English accent, while making reference to "our language, German". Also the film runs long, longer than it could have. And lastly, I don't know what to get out of it. The end is quite nihilistic. Mediocrity. You lose. But they can't spoil one of the best biographical films ever. 8.3/10