Rocked by Amadeus!

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2009)

While not completely historically accurate, "Amadeus", gives a glimpse into the life and death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The story is told in first person by Antonio Salieri, a popular court composer for the Emperor of the Austrian/ Hungarian Empire at the time. Salieri begins his story as a confession to the death of Mozart to a local priest many years after the fact.
Salieri, portrayed by F. Murray Abroham, recalls his initial meeting of Mozart and how he could not believe that someone of such great musical genius could be so immature. A man of God, Salieri, could not believe that the God would make his chosen child such an ignorant buffoon. The plot thickens as jealousy enrages inside of Salieri for Mozart's incredible talents, and his inability to match them.
I believe the acting by both the lead roles in this film were top notch. Tom Hulce and F. Murry Abroham did an excellent job portraying men that no living generation ever new. The comic relief added to keep the film light I think was an ingenious move, Mozart's laugh, while no one really knows what it sounded like, kept the movie light and not as dramatic as it could have been. The music in this film I think just added to the film, I not only enjoyed the fact that they used actual Mozart compositions, but also that they used the perfect selections at the best points in the film. When the movie was dark and somber they chose a piece that reflected the same, when the film was light and playful the music reflected the mood.
While I enjoyed the acting of both leading roles, I believe that Tom Hulce should have at least attempted a German accent as that is where Mozart was from. An American accent only made the movie seem less realistic. While the film's historically inaccuracies added to the drama of this film I would have enjoyed a little bit more accurate portrayal of Mozart's life. He had four children, in the movie they only depict that he had one. Also, Salieri in his own was extremely famous for his time, as was probably more famous than Mozart, at the time. The jealously that is described on screen was most likely never present. Overall, this film is a must see. While most people know the name Mozart, not many know the tragic, short life he lived. This movie does a fantastic job at portraying what kind of man Wolfgang Mozart was and what a musical genius he still is. I would defiantly give this movie 10 stars, the captivating acting in this film by Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abroham make up for the minor historical inaccuracies.