The man who chose God vs. the man whom God chose

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 1998)

A centuries-old Calvinist theory of pre-destination underlies Amadeus: a composer (Salieri) who dedicates his life and work to God becomes envious when he sees his efforts to please God met with indifference and scorn because God chose another (Mozart) as his musical incarnation. Salieri is perplexed beyond sanity that, in contrast with his own saintly lifestyle, the Chosen One is a vulgar runt who tells filthy jokes, plays around with women, and giggles like a hyena. Enraged and humilated when he recognizes that his hard work falls far short of Mozart's effortless superiority, he decides to strike back at God by trying to destroy his loved one.
Most of the music is Mozart's own, performed by major league musicians, and it is a rare thrill to encounter such music, so well performed, in a movie. But you don't need to like classical music to enjoy this picture, which contains high drama, profound character study, comedy and tragedy, and is a Thanksgiving feast for the eyes as well as the ears with its lush backgrounds and 18th-century costumes. A masterwork of a film, without weakness anywhere. Name any department: music, acting, direction, costumes, cinematography, and only one word applies to any of them: "10".