Directed by:
Miloš FormanCinematography:
Miroslav OndříčekCast:
F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice, Simon Callow, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay, Kenneth McMillan, Kenny Baker (more)VOD (3)
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In a lavish 18th century parlor in Austria, an elderly man is found, by his servant, with his throat slashed. The wound is self-inflicted, and the man is the little-known composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), contemporary and adversary of the now-famed, but once reviled, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). Later, from his cell in an insane asylum, Salieri tells a priest (Herman Meckler) the story of his association with Mozart, confessing that he actually killed the brilliantly gifted but troubled young man. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
It can essentially be said that the filming of Amadeus by Western production had a similar significance for Prague in the first half of the 80s as the production of The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand two decades later. Amadeus is not only a psychological study of the fateful clash of an exceptionally gifted individual with an average-thinking environment, but also the beauty of Prague's palaces, costumes from Barrandov film studio's collection, and the excellent work of Barrandov studio employees. After years of isolation from normalization, the Czech film world intersected with the world. Witnesses recall the atmosphere during filming in superlatives. Music also played a significant role in the film. With Mozart's help, Forman was able to convey to today's audience the experience of top classical music and the process of creating a musical work. A film about classical music and its creators, which is not intended for a narrowly defined group of viewers, is an art in and of itself. Forman lived up to his reputation as a creator of great human dramas, showing us heroes with controversial natures. As mentioned multiple times, the story is not based on historical facts. If anyone from Mozart's circle contributed to his tragic end, it was his young wife, a person perhaps even less responsible than the great creator himself. Overall impression: 95%.
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I finally watched this much-praised film, and I can only say that it's praised entirely rightly. Hulce and Abraham created beautiful, vivid characters and presented the dramatic story in a way that will simply captivate you. The set design is magnificent, and even if you're not a fan of opera, seeing only fragments of it will still leave you thrilled, just as seeing how a relatively unknown actor back then managed to portray a genius. You'll believe in him the entire time.
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If this were Mozart's biography, Amadeus would have failed, but Forman was interested in something quite different from a historically based picture from the life of a genius. His Amadeus is a riveting story of a conflict of exceptionalism and mediocrity, the perfect typology of such a conflict, which unfortunately always takes place in a similar way, regardless of time and place. Tom Hulce's performance is one of the greatest acting performances that has ever taken place before my eyes, but acting generally works in Amadeus as in few other films. A huge compliment goes out to Forman for the perfect connection between music and storylines, the scenes with the conducting Amadeus are magnificent, not to mention the "Requiem", which Mozart dictates in a fever to the incomprehensive Salieri (Confutatis Maledictis... that scene always fills me with a lot of emotion!). This is a moment that fulfills the meaning of the word "drama". The new director’s version may slow the film down a bit, but at least the character Constance deserved more space. Miloš Forman – a brilliant composer of form and content!
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An incredibly impressive film about a genius whom God favored, but the world did not. About mediocrity that couldn't accept its place. About an emperor with no ear for music. About Amadeus, Salieri, Constanza. Thanks to the extended version, Amadeus is truly a well-crafted and timeless piece of work. Watching it in its entirety is a bit tiring and takes away your energy for the rest of the day, but it is definitely worth it to the audience right to the very last minute.
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The clash of genius and mediocrity in a thrilling narrative whirlwind of emotions. Forman's film is sometimes accused of historical inaccuracies, but unfairly so. Amadeus is not a biopic, but a film about the clash of two different worlds – the world of gifted talent and the world of stubborn striving – and about the toll that an incredibly gifted man must pay to be "the one on top". Tom Hulce overacts quite a bit as Mozart, but I can't imagine any other actor in the role, and F.M. Abraham as Salieri is simply stunning, it's a shame he didn't get any other big roles. It's no wonder that sales of Mozart records increased by 50 percent in the U.S. after the film's premiere. Summary: Well deserved 8 Oscars and in my opinion, Forman’s best film.
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