The Movie That Made Me Appreciate Mozart

Rating: 9/10 (26 November 2006)

Before I saw this movie, I respected Mozart's genius, but his music wasn't my cup of tea. Beethoven was more to my taste, I tended more toward heavier classics. But this movie moved me to tears, especially at the end when they did Mozart's REQUIEM while he was working on what was to be his last piece of music. Now, I'm a Mozart fiend. This was a great movie. True, there are some historical inaccuracies. Anyone who has studied music history knows that Sallieri did not help Mozart with his Requiem. It was a student of his named Sussmayer. But it does make this story ironic, that the man who was so dedicated to the ruination of Mozart ended up helping him in the end. (I question the historical accuracy of that as well.) I recently bought the director's cut to this movie. Until I saw the director's cut, Sallieri seemed like a more sympathetic character, someone who just couldn't buy a break. Who can't identify with that? But after seeing the director's cut and seeing what I think is an important scene between Sallieri and Mozart's wife, he seemed more like a jerk. You also understand why Frau Mozart was so rude to Sallieri at the end of the movie, whereas before, you see the next to the last scene and you think, "Whoa! Where did this come from?" This was a great movie, for entertainment value only. If you want historical accuracy, watch a documentary or read a biography from the library or something. Because of this movie, I am now a rabid Mozart fan. If the movie can make Mozart converts, then it can't be bad at all.