I am a vulgar man! But I assure you, my music is not. (Amadeus (DVD))

Member Name: mmintfresh

Product:	Amadeus (DVD)
Date:	28/08/02 (185 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Performances, Plot, Costumes

Disadvantages: Not everyone will want to see it

Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) is a first class music lover. He longs to be a great composer and wants to be God’s chosen composer. However his father is standing in his way. Salieri longs to be like Mozart, a boy younger than him who is a talented and gifted musician and wrote his first opera at twelve. He learned his skill entirely from his father Leopold (Roy Dotrice). When Salieri’s father dies he sees it as God allowing him to achieve his dream. He moves to Vienna and becomes the Court Composer. One day ends up at a mini concert at which Mozart is performing. Salieri hears Mozart’s music and thinks that this is God’s chosen composer. Eager to see God’s chosen one he hides in Mozart’s room. He is however shocked by what he sees. Mozart (Tom Hulce) is nothing like he expected. He first sees him chasing his fiancé Constance (Elizabeth Berridge) around in a childish and immature manner. He then sees that Mozart swears and says other vulgar things and has a very high pitched and silly laugh. He also sees that he is late for his performance then is rude to royalty. Salieri is filled with bitterness and envy. He thinks that God is laughing at him and cannot see why he has chosen, Mozart who Salieri affection ally calls the creature.

He is later enraged even more when Mozart criticises his work and sleeps with the woman Salieri loves. Mozart is commissioned to write a national opera but sets it in a brothel. The Emperor (Jeffery Jones) yawns (a kiss of death in the opera world) in the middle of the opera and feels it has too many notes in it. The opera bombs not because it is bad but because it is new and interesting and a pure work of genius, however only Salieri can see this. Salieri continues to compose and although he is commercially successful he can never be as good as Mozart. Mozart starts to get into great debt and when he is approached by a strange hooded man to write a requiem he agrees. Little does he kno
w it is fact Salieri who is not only getting Mozart to write his funeral music but Salieri is going to claim it as his own.

I would have never ever watched this film usually. I hate period set films and am not exactly classical music’s biggest fan, the only reason I got it was because it was buy one get one free in HMV so I brought The Pledge and got this one as well. I wasn’t exactly thrilled by it’s long running time but watched it anyway and was surprised that not only wasn’t this film boring but I actually enjoyed it.

There are many amiable qualities to this film firstly the plot. The film itself isn’t really about Mozart but his rival Salieri. It focuses on Salieri’s pain and jealousy. The one thing he ever wanted was to write good music and when he realises this he is hurt, he is hurt because he feels that this is God making a joke of him. This is accentuated because Mozart is a silly man who doesn’t care for God at all. The basic element that drives the plot is Salieri’s jealousy. Even though Salieri is commercially successful and Mozart isn’t this does nothing to soot the pain. Salieri knows that Mozart’s work is brilliant because he has an excellent ear for music, a curse in his condition. If Salieri and Mozart were directors Salieri would direct blockbusters, they are successful but they aren’t original and are only good for entertainment, but that’s it. Mozart would be the independent director, his films wouldn’t do so well but they are original and you never grow bored of them. I also liked the way it was told in flashbacks by Salieri, not only did it allow you to see what Salieri was thinking and get too know his character, but it also reminded you what the results of Salieri’s actions was, they left him a crazy nobody and Mozart a renowned musician.

Another fantastic thing about the film was the characters. Salieri was the villain but not you
r typical bad guy, he was tragic, in his own way and feels sorry that he killed Mozart (even though he probably didn‘t) because he deprived the world and himself of some of the worlds greatest music. Beautifully portrayed in Mozart’s last scenes when Salieri is desperately egging the dying man on as he dictates his music because he recognise that the piece he is writing is a masterpiece and wand’s it finished before he dies. Mozart is an extremely likable and funny character. F. Murray Abraham is fantastic as Salieri and captures the elements of his character well. He makes the audience hate him but also feel sympathy for him and won a well deserved Oscar. People say that this film was wrong to show Mozart as a fool, but I think it was the right thing to do. Not only does it greaten Salieri’s pain it shows how great Mozart’s music was, if it came from someone like that. Tom Hulce puts in the other great performance of the film. Hulce makes Mozart a brat but doesn’t make him repulsive. He is likable as Mozart and the audience grow to like him, making the his death all that more sorrowful. He was nominated for an Oscar but was beaten by his co-star.

The direction is excellent in this film. Milos Forman has done a great job and won the best director Oscar. He makes the film interesting and engrossing and has also made it visually stunning. The light of the film (which is all natural) gives the film an aged feel. He has created a period film that would appeal to everyone and that is not stuck in the time it is set. Peter Shaffer's writing (he adapted the screenplay from his stage play) also makes the film wonderful and has created some great dialogue and also made the film funny and dramatic (and gained another Oscar for the film).The set design and costume also have to be mentioned. There is some truly lavish setting and beautiful costumes. They have also added in a little device in Mozart’s attire, it is always di
fferent and bright especially his wigs which are completely different, sometimes they are spiky and even pink. Some of the opera costumes are jaw dropping and the opera making the operas truly magical and again winning a deserved Oscar for Theodor Pistek (II). Of course you cannot write a review about Amadeus without mentioning the music, which is Mozart’s work and is wonderful to hear and makes the film that bit better to watch.

I would recommend this film to everyone because it is one of the big Oscar winners (nominated for 11 and won 8) that is amazingly enjoyable and a great film to watch.

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