Amadeus

Plot synopsis:
The story begins in 1823 as the elderly Salieri attempts suicide by slitting his throat while loudly begging forgiveness for having killed Mozart in 1791. Placed in a lunatic asylum for the act, Salieri is visited by a young priest who seeks to take his confession. Salieri is sullen and uninterested but eventually warms to the priest and launches into a long "confession" about his relationship with Mozart.Salieri's tale goes on through the night and into the next day. He reminisces about his youth, particularly about his devotion to God and his love for music and how he pledges to God to remain celibate as a sacrifice if he can somehow devote his life to music. He describes how his father's plans for him were to go into commerce, but suggests that the sudden death of his father, who choked to death during a meal, was "a miracle" that allowed him to pursue a career in music. In his narrative, he is suddenly an adult joining the 18th century cultural elite in Vienna, the "city of musicians." Salieri begins his career as a devout, God-fearing man who believes his success and talent as a composer are Gods rewards for his piety. He is content as the court composer for Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.Mozart arrives in Vienna with his patron, Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. Salieri secretly observes Mozart at the Archbishop's palace, but they are not properly introduced. Salieri sees that offstage, Mozart is irreverent and lewd. He also first recognizes the immense talent displayed in the adult works of Mozart. In 1781, when Mozart meets the Emperor, Salieri presents Mozart with a "March of Welcome," which he toiled to create. After hearing the march only once, Mozart plays it from memory, critiques it, and effortlessly improvises a variation, transforming Salieri's "trifle" into the "Non più andrai" march from his 1786 opera The Marriage of Figaro.Salieri reels at the notion of God speaking through the childish, petulant Mozart: nevertheless, he regards his music as miraculous. Gradually, Salieris faith is shaken. He believes that God, through Mozart's genius, is cruelly laughing at Salieri's own musical mediocrity. Salieri's struggles with God are intercut with scenes showing Mozart's own trials and tribulations with life in Vienna: pride at the initial reception of his music; anger and disbelief over his subsequent treatment by the Italians of the Emperor's court; happiness with his wife Constanze and his son Karl; and grief at the death of his father Leopold. Mozart becomes more desperate as the family's expenses increase and his commissions decrease. When Salieri learns of Mozart's financial straits, he sees his chance to avenge himself, using "God's Beloved" (the literal meaning of "Amadeus") as the instrument.Salieri hatches a complex plot to gain ultimate victory over Mozart and God. He disguises himself in a mask and costume similar to one he saw Leopold wear at a party, and commissions Mozart to write a requiem mass, giving him a down payment and the promise of an enormous sum upon completion. Mozart begins to write the piece, the Requiem Mass in D minor, unaware of the true identity of his mysterious patron and oblivious of his murderous intentions. Glossing over any details of how he might commit the murder, Salieri dwells on the anticipation of the admiration of his peers and the court, when they applaud the magnificent Requiem, and he claims to be the music's composer. Only Salieri and God would know the truththat Mozart wrote his own requiem mass, and that God could only watch while Salieri finally receives the fame and renown he deserves.Mozart's financial situation worsens and the composing demands of the Requiem and The Magic Flute drive him to the point of exhaustion as he alternates work between the two pieces. Constanze leaves him and takes their son with her. His health worsens and he collapses during the premiere performance of The Magic Flute. Salieri takes the stricken Mozart home and convinces him to work on the Requiem. Mozart dictates while Salieri transcribes throughout the night. When Constanze returns in the morning, she tells Salieri to leave. Constanze locks the manuscript away despite Salieri's objections, but as she goes to wake her husband, Mozart is dead. The Requiem is left unfinished, and Salieri is left powerless as Mozart's body is hauled out of Vienna for burial in a pauper's mass grave.The film ends as Salieri finishes recounting his story to the visibly shaken young priest. Salieri concludes that God killed Mozart rather than allow Salieri to share in even an ounce of his glory, and that he is consigned to be the "patron saint of mediocrity." Salieri absolves the priest of his own mediocrity and blesses his fellow patients as he is taken away in his wheelchair. The last sound heard before the credits roll is Mozart's high-pitched laughter.

Tags: murder, dramatic, flashback, humor, tragedy, historical, sentimental

Review:
So, the rumor that Salieri killed Mozart has been around for almost a couple of centuries though we all know there isn't an iota of veracity in it.That being said, Peter Shaffer's movie adaptation of his own play is still an astounding achievement.
Shaffer clearly understands the difference between stage and film; the story is more elaborate in the movie, and some of the lengthy lines are replaced with more subtle images and close-ups.I'm often surprised to find that people don't get that Amadeus is the story of the fictionalized character, Antonio Salieri, not the real one, who adored Mozart's music but hated everything else about him.
It becomes obvious as we watch that this movie is called Amadeus because that's what Salieri wished to be--God's beloved.The movie might give some viewers who don't know much about Mozart a wrong impression that he was a cad, and it gives incorrect information on some of his music (e.g.; the count in The Marriage of Figaro sings "Contessa perdono" AFTER he learns that the woman dressed in the maid's clothes is his own wife.
The film is complete with an insightful script (courtesy of Mr. Shaffer), magnificent acting, wondrous sets and costume designs, incredible choreography (thanks to Twyla Tharp), and, above all, the glorious music of Mozart himself.The movie of Salieri's life, through which Mozart played an integral part, is told in flashback mode, beginning in around the year 1822.
Salieri's heart filled with such rage, such hatred and such jealousy, that he had vowed to himself to make God an enemy and to kill the young Mozart.As the movie moves along, carrying with it a deep sadness of the human condition, it also celebrates life by giving the audience joyous music, wonderful atmosphere and a general appreciation of humanity for not only eighteenth century Europe, but in any age where music speaks for our emotions.The movie won eight Academy Awards in March of 1985.
Murray Abraham won the best actor statuette; citing probably the only time when Salieri beat out Mozart in anything.The movie itself was shot in Prague where Milos Forman said "(It) is a gem because it's possible to pivot the camera a full three hundred and sixty degrees and never encounter a modern vision." Very few new sets had to be built, as the scenes and buildings they found were quite often apropos to their needs.Amadeus works well on virtually every cinematic plane that exists.
Without his music, Mozart would be lost in time, a fate that the narrator of the story, the composer Salieri, saw as his own.
Only in the final scenes is Mozart's brilliance as a composer truly explored in what amounts to a deconstruction of his final composition - his moving, uncompleted and poignant Requiem mass.Another unintended star in this film are the candle lit sets and theatres of the 18th Century; their operas and drama ooze a magic  that is lacking in the present world and which modern producers might well try to reintroduce; so lovely are these buildings with their flickering lights and theatrical techniques that one is left desperate to to seek out these rare theatres to experience them.This film leaves one breathless from its visual beauty, its magnificent score and the choreography, indeed, of the two together.
The film deals with the last few months of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (Oscar-nominee Tom Hulce) life, told in flashbacks by an old, washed-up musician named Antonio Salieri (Oscar-winner F.
Mozart was, of course, deeper than the character shown in the movie, but no personal life could equal the extent and depth of the musical genius that flowed from this little man.
The sublime, almost over-human performance by Frank Murray Abraham (the Mozart enemy and secret admirer, Salieri) is one of the keys for the movie success, mostly to it's depth.
I fell in love with it.Based on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, played a terrific and hilarious performance by Tom Hulce.
Congrats to Amaudeus for bringing the beauty of classical music into out living rooms.The story is that we start off with an older and more suicidal Salieri who blames himself for Mozart's death.
Just great and a perfectly played out performance by Abraham and Frank.Tom Hulce gives Mozart this crazy and annoying yet nevertheless funny laugh that you can't help but laugh at it every time he does it.
F. Murray Abraham portrays Salieri, a hard working but mediocre composer driven mad by the arrival of a ``natural'' talent, Mozart (played by Tom Hulce) in a highly political environment.
"Amadeus" was a simply remarkable movie which engages in a comprehensive biography of one of the most masterful composers of classical music in the whole history of all creation, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
I went to see it multiple times back in 1984 during its initial release, back when the theater was empty whenever it played and before it was nominated by the Academy.This film is an unusual biography, and I often like to compare it with Ed Wood, since both Ed Wood and Salieri were men who gave everything they had to their respective crafts and came up short.
Murray Abraham as Salieri is flawless, Tom Hulce gives a fleshed-out portrait of Mozart's brilliance and his (according to the film) frivolous personality, and Elizabeth Berridge and the other principal actors put in solid performances too.
Here's a film that makes ancient history seem like yesterday, using the same trick employed by all classic films - solid characterization.It's a shame that so many of these actors never did much else, but maybe that's a blessing in disguise because it allows them to embody their characters without other movie associations getting in the audience's way.I was worried that the extended edition would hurt the film's pacing (most extended editions are a bad idea - the material was cut for a reason!).
It's the movie I compare all others to, including classics like "The Godfather," "Citizen Kane," and "Schindler's List.""Amadeus" has it all - excellent acting, excellent cinematography, excellent costume design, excellent music production, excellent set design, perfect combination of comedy and tragedy, and tons and tons of classic, memorable lines, especially those delivered by Salieri.
The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 18th Century Vienna , told by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum .
I know that "Amadeus" the movie is not exactly his biography, and his relationship with Antonio Salieri, with his father Leopold, with his wife Constanze Weber, with the Emperor Joseph II and with the court musicians in Vienna of 18th century, might not have been exactly like it was shown in the movie, and Mozart himself might not have laughed as Hulce did but I LOVE the movie.
Having read many materials about Mozart and his time, and having listened to the music from his epoch, I have a respect for Salieri and his music which is quite charming.Amadeus - beloved of Gods and taken by them too early because those whom they love die young..
Good Will Hunting managed to make maths exciting, but Amadeus was given the most moving medium of all, Music, by one of the most incredible musicians who ever lived, and they made it more boring than dry paint that's been dry for a very long time.For such a critically acclaimed film I was expecting certain things.
As far as the other acting is concerned the mixture of accents from Shakespearean English to Italian, German and inevitably American never related to the actual nationality of the character was enough for me to hate every performance, if I hear Elizabeth Berridge say Volfey in a German\American accent once more I consider suing for mental aggravation.You want good classical music with a complex story and impressive cinematography then watch 2001 A Space Odyssey.
If you prefer your musical period drama documentaries full of irritating actors, pretty costumes, tedious storylines and bits of opera then do watch this, and if you would prefer to while away your time for three mind numbingly boring hours then check out the directors cut.
I understand a film about grand-scale music and opera's needs to have a unique identity, but I found Tom Hulce's eccentric title role-performance to lack the human touch.Of course, Amadeus isn't strictly about Mozart himself, it deals with his "rivalry" with Italian composer, Antonio Salieri and the various trials and tribulations of Mozart's wish to display his talents to the world and particularly, the Roman Emperor.
It's also worth noting that his character isn't all that likable on paper, but he brings the grounded humanity, especially in his jealousy for Mozart, that's missing from the rest of the film.Another thing Amadeus has going for it is the glorious music used and conducted for the film.
AMADEUS: DIRECTOR'S CUT Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)Sound format: Dolby DigitalMany years after the death of Mozart (Tom Hulce), the aged and embittered court composer Salieri (F.
But the film is anchored by Abraham in an Oscar-winning turn as Mozart's nemesis Salieri, consumed by envy and hatred whilst simultaneously awed by his rival's genius, the genius which Salieri had wished for himself, only to be denied by a mischievous God. The scenes in his asylum cell - where the elder Salieri confesses his 'crime' to a naive priest (Richard Frank) - are a tour de force, played with an intensity that simply burns up the screen.
Beautifully designed and photographed, and bolstered by a magnificent supporting cast (including Jeffrey Jones, Simon Callow and Kenneth McMillan in a role completely excised from the original theatrical print), the movie unfolds like an operatic melodrama which builds to a shattering climax, as the two central characters reach an understanding (of sorts) during the writing of Mozart's 'Requiem', only to be divided forever by unexpected tragedy.
Tom Hulce as Mozart basically ruins the film with his relentless mugging; he was only chosen because of his cackling laugh.The movie has lavish set designs and costumes, but the underlying hatred of Italians makes the film mean-spirited.
Other mistakes include the casting of Lez Berridge, who annoyingly refers to 'Wolfgang Mozart' as "Volfie", her Brooklyn accent in tow-- make that her Coney Island accent.Worth tuning in to see a perfect performance by Murry Abrahum playing the Italian musical genius, Antonio Salieri..
(Forman hasn't always been on target, though, notably with his highly polished but pushy and almost abusive "Goya's Ghosts," which has a similar structure to "Amadeus," building a large world around a true rebel artist.)Anyway, a marvelous movie, a truly lovely experience, beautifully filmed, intensely envisioned, and acted with aplomb (F.
Well, the website sums it up as ' The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback mode by Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.' But the story is as much about Mozart (played by Tom Hulce in a career defining performance) as it is about his jealous counterpart, Salieri (A much deserved Best Actor performance by F.
His reception by his new patron, Emperor Joseph II, disturbs courtier and established composer Antonio Salieri, who becomes consumed with a burning, selfish passion to physically eliminate Mozart, while recognizing the latter's unique musical genius.Aside from adding considerable interest to an otherwise prosaic script, Salieri's confessional narration that guides the film provides the vehicle for a truly phenomenal performance by actor Frank Murray Abraham.
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.
Antonio feels personally responsible for Mozart's early death, and finally - after years of silence - spills his beans.The flashbacks (intercut with scenes of Salieri reciting the story from memory) show us the infantile and juvenile Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played by "Animal House's" Tom Hulce) and his domination of musical composure in Vienna, where he was the subject of jealousy from Salieri, whose lifelong dream was to be half as great as Mozart.The performances are wonderful - Hulce perfectly embodies the Mozart many of us weren't aware existed - the troubled, disrespectful and hyper-active man-child.
(Once you start watching, you're hooked - even though it's three hours long on the Director's Cut, it's over in what feels like less than half that long.) Milos Forman has been responsible for some wonderful films throughout his career (other highlights include "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The People vs.
I'll keep it short as others have covered this travesty adequately, I think.Basically, take one of the most talented composers / musicians to have ever lived, make him come across as a complete bumbling idiot with a very annoying and persistent laugh, and that just about covers the central problems with this film, plot aside.I love much of Mozart's music and have read a biography about him, and as such I got the impression that I'd like him as a person.
When it appears that this gift has been bestowed upon another, Salieri rejects the Lord, and makes it his life's mission to destroy the talented young man through whom God speaks His voice.Tom Hulce, despite also being nominated for Best Actor for his role, is often cited as the one misstep of the film.
The use of a classical musical score  mostly comprised of Mozart's pieces, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner at the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields  is positively perfect for the film, proving that, even though he lived many centuries ago, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is still far better than even the most gifted cinema composers of the twentieth century..
Ironically, he was more a devoted servant of greatness, as history records him being the chief teacher of the one composer whose reputation arguably eclipses even Mozart's, Ludwig van Beethoven.But screenwriter Peter Shaffer doesn't let this get in the way of a great story, and so we have a great movie, and Salieri, a measure of notoriety his own music never brought..
Murray Abraham), a court composer in Vienna, is excited about the arrival of his musical idol since childhood, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce).
After watching Mozart mock him at a party, Salieri decides that he must do away with him somehow and take his revenge on God, who he has since declared his enemy for giving the beautiful gift of music to a vulgar, little man with an annoying laugh.Milos Forman and Petter Shaffer created a masterpiece with Amadeus, a startling portrayal of two different men thrust together.
Catherine Berridge is the actor in the film given the most opportunity to shine thanks to the Director's Cut. Forman looks deeper into the character of Mozart's wife, Constanze and she is given a much more important role than in the theatrical version and there is even bigger reason as to why she is shocked to see Salieri in Mozart's room at the time of his death.
Great credit to the director (Forman), actors (especially Abraham, one of very few actors to deserve his Best Actor Oscar outright for the performance given), the city of Prague for recreating Vienna so beautifully, to Sir Neville Marriner for the best soundtrack of all time, and to Schaffer for a script that tells a powerful story in such a spellbinding fashion, artfully weaving fact and the fictions of Salieri.Put simply, Amadeus will always be among my top 3 movies of all time, with good reason.
I wasn't a big fan of classical music (still not!) - but I was definitely taken back with this movie.The movie focuses (for the most part) on Salieri - who desires musical greatness (with the help of god) and is maddened by the "lack of effort" that fellow composer Mozart exerts while creating heavenly, divine music.This movie is just fantastic - even though I don't like classical music - this film doesn't isolate people like me...
F. Murray Abraham is positively brilliant as the bitter, envious Antonio Salieri, a mediocrity whose jealousy of the musical talent he believes god has bestowed upon Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce), thereby forsaking him, leads him into a descent of pure hatred and murderous conspiracy..
Emperor Joseph hears about Mozart (Tom Hulce), a musical prodigy that composed and wrote his own operas as young as four years of age.
The pieces that are played just add to the greatness and make it irrestible to look away or take in the music.Mozart was directed by Milos Forman who directed the Oscar winner One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and later to go on to The People Vs. Larry Flynt, two Oscar wins and one nomination for Best Director.
Mozart on his deathbead dictating music to Salieri is the best moment I have watched in any movie, period.
Completely fictionalized film about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart the great composer.
This is a spectacular film showcasing the brief life of one of the world's most renowned musical genius's;"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" (Tom Hulce).
The story is told in flashback by one of the emperor's musical directors; Antonio Salieri (played to perfection by F.Murray Abraham).
Dat Laugh Tho. Amadeus is probably the most exciting film about classical music and Mozart ever.
Murray Abraham's Salieri in his admiration for Mozart and his genius, although my admiration was geared towards Milos Forman's outstanding direction and not on the actual composer himself.
A true masterpiece.The story follows the apocryphal legend that Antonio Salieri was responsible for the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart out of jealousy over the latter's music.
The character studies of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and Antonio Salieri (F.
3. Amadeus is a film about Mozart's life while in Vienna.
Salieri was not actually jealous of Mozart and he was famous at the time in composing his music.
Milos Forman's adaptation of Peter Shaffer's award winning stage play of the life and ultimate downfall of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and his difficult relationship with arch rival Antonio Salieri (F.