Ambitious and Contradictory

Rating: 6/10 (9 June 2003)

'Amadeus' is arguably one of the most ambitious films of the 1980s. It presents a popularized account of the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart following his arrival in Vienna from Brno, at the age of 17. His reception by his new patron, Emperor Joseph II, disturbs courtier and established composer Antonio Salieri, who becomes consumed with a burning, selfish passion to physically eliminate Mozart, while recognizing the latter's unique musical genius.
Aside from adding considerable interest to an otherwise prosaic script, Salieri's confessional narration that guides the film provides the vehicle for a truly phenomenal performance by actor Frank Murray Abraham. Milos Forman's thorough direction augments Abraham's superb theatrical delivery, and is in turn amplified by the outstanding soundtrack furnished by Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
Inevitably, most of the remaining protagonists fade miserably in comparison to Abraham, including the overacting Tom Hulce, as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Elizabeth Berridge, as Constanze Mozart -both complete with distinct Yankee and Texan accents respectively. This latter aspect is arguably symptomatic of a deeper flaw in the film, which subscribes to a somewhat Americanized version of W.A. Mozart's character, overstressing the composer's historically unfounded maverick and nonconformist traits. There is also little -if any- historical evidence of any schemes by Salieri against W.A. Mozart. Indeed, the film's commitment to historical accuracy appears to be exhausted at a number of pictorial shots of Vienna and the striking facial resemblance of actor Jeffrey Jones to Emperor Joseph II.
Yet, the film's daring illustration of the many negative sides of Mozart's character, including his artistic arrogance and his self-destructive womanizing, is commendable, as is its achievement to popularize the music of one of the icons of Western musical tradition. Overall a satisfactory result, 6.4 out of 10.