Classical For Dummies

Rating: Null/10 (1 March 2011)

"Amadeus" is an insulting, juvenile, historically-inaccurate comedy sketch stretched to two and-a-half hours. It does not reveal the true character of Mozart or shed light on his musical brilliance- it does not even try. The movie plays like a practical joke, a humorous hypothetical on what might have been, but almost certainly wasn't.
First, our story is told through the eyes of rival composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), who is little more than a narrator/stooge for the audience to laugh at while identifying with the rogue genius of Mozart. This is the movie's first stunt, and it only gets more manipulative from there. We are introduced to Mozart as a skirt-chasing, irreverent, giggling idiot, while of course the men in authority and powdered wigs stand around looking shocked at his behavior. Outrageous...
This is a cheat that director Milos Forman has been using for years: the misunderstood, irresponsible genius who is always bucking the system and stirring up controversy, but whose actions are justified by his sex drive and/or having one woman that loves him. Adultery and a steady girlfriend do not make up for being a jackass, but Forman applied the same formula here as he did in "Man On The Moon" and "The People Vs. Larry Flynt." It still doesn't work.
Tom Hulce's portrayal of Mozart as a giggling manchild- to assure the audience he wasn't as dry or stodgy as we might imagine- backfires completely. He's so over-the-top ridiculous I wound up having less respect for Mozart AFTER the movie than I did before. Of course, the Mozart portrayed in the film has little or nothing to do with the actual man.
Mozart was not- by any account- a childlike fool, nor did he write perfect manuscripts of music already composed in his head. Mozart and Salieri- who might have experienced a natural rivalry- were known to be good friends, and Salieri had no part in Mozart's death from natural causes. But then "Amadeus" seems to lose some of its spark without a bad-guy antagonist whose only goal is the destruction of our hero.
Finally, while I can't hold awards against a film, I cannot for the life of me understand why F. Murray Abraham- the film's lead actor- was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category, and the fact that this film won both Best Picture and Best Director is a scandal. Don't waste your time on "Amadeus." Listen to some of Mozart's timeless music and you will know everything about the man there is to know.
GRADE: D