Hatchet job on Salieri

Rating: 5/10 (26 August 2010)

In a telling scene, after Mozart has performed his genius work to tepid applause, Salieri, self-confessed patron saint of mediocrity, performs his to wild acclaim and receives a medallion from the emperor.
That is rather like this receiving so many Oscars and so much praise.
It is not a bad film, indeed it is often visually stunning, however at well over 3 hours it does flag in many places. The use of quite earthy American accents among the gentry of 18th century Europe is also somewhat grating (although this is what may have endeared it to the academy awards)however the real problem is the script.
The script labours the same point of coarse genius versus pious mediocrity over and over. There is a curiously 20th century lack of deference to one's social betters (such as Mozart's wife constantly and annoyingly always referring to him as "Wolfy").
But this pales by comparison to the hatchet taken to Salieri. The author has taken the real life rivalry and created a fantasy completely removed from history. Salieri had nothing to do Mozart's requiem or indeed Mozart's death. The true history is actually far more interesting than this fabrication.
Salieri as written here, is a one dimensional villain. One almost expects him to be swirling a moustache. Of course this is merely a film, a piece of fiction. But since it deals with real historical characters, it does have a duty not to slander someone unfairly.