transcendent performance

Rating: Null/10 (25 September 2002)

I consider Amadeus to be one of the 2 or 3 best movies I've ever seen for a variety of reasons. The direction and cinematography are flawless, the script is brilliant (seemingly never wasting a word, with every scene moving crisply), and the casting is extraordinary (note the excellent performances by Elizabeth Berridge, the priest who takes Salieri's confession, and of course Tom Hulce). However, for me, what sets Amadeus apart from many other very good movies is the incredible performance of F. Murray Abraham. I can think of a number of great individual performances (Brando in "On the Waterfront", Paccino in "Godfather I & II", Di Nero in "Raging Bull", Nicholson in "Chinatown", off the top of my head), but none that moved me as much as the Salieri Abraham created. The emotion, and wit he imbued the character with are just amazing. I don't wish to spoil anyone's experience with specifics but the creation of a man who, I feel, has an ocean of bitterness covering up his genuine guilt and desire for repentance is something to see. Often we get to see emotions like rage, desperation, and love portraid brilliantly in films. Rarely do we get such a showcase for the far more subtle feelings (frustration, pettiness, repression, etc.) that Abraham so deftly displays. The blackness of Salieri's soul is not the normal kind of evil that movies throw at us to the point of exhaustion, but, when revealed, it is no less chilling to the audience (or to his confessor, who's facial expressions in one particular scene of revelation are also masterful). There are a lot of people responsible for this fantastic film, but what keeps me coming back is the desire to see Abraham's once in a lifetime performance again and again.