Mozart's Music And The Production Values Earn This Photo-Play A Ten; The Screenplay, Not So Much.

Rating: 10/10 (21 September 2016)

This is a review of the 160 minute theatrical cut of the film.
Contains some spoilers.
Based on Sir Peter Shaffer's Tony-Award winning play Amadeus, which is
a fictionalized version of the life of one of the greatest composers
who ever lived, the theatrical release of the photo-play is excellent
in terms of the beautiful music and the exquisite production values.
The acting is good, particularly from Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham and
Elizabeth Berridge. The opera scenes were very well filmed, and to add
an air of authenticity, the entire production was done in Prague and
the opera scenes were shot at the actual opera house where Mozart's
operas were performed. The only bit that was out of place, in my
opinion, was the parody of Mozart's operas that Schikander did. It was
just vile, along with a scene earlier in the film where Mozart engages
in something that should take place in the bedroom betwixt a married
(ie. straight) couple. The latter is fortunately brief, while the
former is unnecessarily lengthy. But the theatrical cut is better, in
my opinion, as I shall explain at length in the following paragraph.
However, the screenplay fabricates a lot of things about Mozart's life
(whilst getting some of them correct). I think that the theatrical cut
is better because it does not include a nude scene, which is one of the
major historical errors. Salieri leaving in the theatrical cut was more
consistent with his characterization in the film rather than making him
out to be a lecher (which came out of nowhere in the Director's Cut).
In addition, Mozart never fornicated with Salieri's pupil; it was quite
the opposite in real life. Another major blunder is Mozart saying that
he did not like either Bach or Handel when in fact, Mozart studied with
Johann Christian Bach, and also re-arranged and conducted several of
Handel's works including the oratorio Messiah.
I do not recommend the Director's Cut; while it does add a few
interesting scenes, they do not advance the plot in any way, and the
nude scene is completely gratuitous, in my opinion. Stick with the two
hour, forty minute theatrical cut.
The Theatrical Version is rated PG for crude humor throughout, and some
language, and brief sexuality. The Director's Cut is rated R for crude
humor throughout, and some language, and brief sexuality/nudity.