Amadeus

Rating:
Summary: Sumptuous evocation of a time and place
Review: AMADEUS DIRECTOR'S CUT (1984-2001): Many years after the death of Mozart (Tom Hulce), aged and embittered court composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) relates to a disbelieving priest the story of his obsession with Mozart's musical genius and how it led to jealousy, betrayal, and possibly even murder...

Sumptuous evocation of a time and place, using Mozart's glorious music both to propel the story and underline the emotional dynamics of Peter Shaffer's extraordinary script. Based on his well-received stage play, and completely reworked for the screen, AMADEUS (1984) - and its updated version, reviewed here as AMADEUS DIRECTOR'S CUT, released in 2001 - portrays Mozart's world as a romantic marriage of Royal palaces and candle-lit garrets, populated by eccentric emperors and their devious, toadying lackeys. The composer himself is played by Hulce as a spoiled, egotistical brat who indulges his passion for earthly pleasures with all the enthusiasm he brings to his musical compositions. 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 an unexpected tragedy. A masterpiece.

The director's cut runs 180m 10s (the original theatrical version ran 159m 45s on DVD) and reinstates various bits and pieces which help to clarify a number of crucial plot developments (for example, the antagonism between Salieri and Mozart's wife is fully explained here). Warner's region 1 release is a 2-disc special edition which letterboxes the wide Panavision frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced), and while some have complained that the revamped Dolby 5.1 soundtrack isn't as full-bodied as previous video incarnations, most viewers will be happy enough with the presentation as it stands. English captions and subtitles are provided, and there's an excellent audio commentary with Shaffer and director Milos Forman. The second disc contains an hour-long documentary about the making of the film, but it ends far too abruptly, with virtually nothing about the post-production process or audience reactions to the movie. No word, either, about its success at the Oscars (it won Best Picture and Director, amongst various other accolades), and nothing at all about the restoration of the director's cut. Disappointing, to say the least. A trailer is included.

NB. Incredibly, the MPAA has given the film an R rating for a brief sequence in which a female character bares her breasts to the camera. Surely this kind of sexual squeamishness belongs to the Dark Ages, not the 21st century?! There's nothing here which warrants anything more than a PG-13.

Rating:
Summary: Salieri's struggle between hate and awe is fascinating
Review: I was initially skeptical about this movie, but quickly forgot my worries about historical inaccuracies and any possibly long and boring musical sequences. While the whole movie is clearly focused on Mozart's genius, I soon developed a strong empathy with Abraham's Salieri, feeling a compassion I don't usually feel for any fictional characters. Salieri is constantly tortured by Mozart's superior achievements, odiously hating his rival, and yet, respecting him and admiring his work as if divine, directly dictated by God, since he believes Mozart is God's chosen composer. This struggle has its peak in the simply beautiful 3 minute sequence with Salieri reading the music brought to him by Mozart's wife, mentally hearing every note while standing in hate, envy and awe of his rival's genius, which he understood and loved better than anyone else, and yet, kept reminding him of his own mediocrity as if some sort of God's cruel joke, finally ending with Saliery burning the crucifix while accusing God "<..>Because you are unjust, unfair, unkind". One of the strongest sequences about the human struggle between corrosive envy and absolute admiration I remember watching in movies.

Mozart's unaltered music obviously adds much of the movie's impact, and I'd strongly recommend that you watch this movie on DVD with a good sound system if possible, Dolby 5.1 will be perfect.

While normally not my kind of movie, I had to admit I enjoyed watching it, and soon forgot about all the fiction (or at least apocryphal events) being told about Mozart's life; it was never dull, full of humor and worth the 150 minutes, especially for F. Murray Abraham's wonderful performance, that fully deserves the accolades.

Rating:
Summary: A Joy
Review: This is a joy...

Despite it's flaws it still succeeds and should belong in any modest DVD collection. It's acted well and tries hard to invite the viewer into each real scene. The music (obviously) is beautiful and given it's proper strength, taking over many scenes (as it should)

The flaws are simply matters of taste on my part.

I think it's shot too bright, everything is so incredibly well lit! the whole world of Vienna appears to be an operating room awash in brightness. Only occasionally is any effort made by the director to "set a mood" that brings the lighting down.

Ultimately the film can be enjoyed despite this very well lit version of Vienna.

Secondly and not so importantly:
As young Mozart walks along outside in the bustling streets of down town Vienna skipping through the market place. We are clearly on a movie set. Almost no effort is made to hide that fact. The streets are as though polished and shiny like the floor of a shopping mall. Not a single spec of dirt exists in the cobble stone streets of Vienna.

If you've ever been to Europe instantly this scene becomes almost bothersome thankfully it's very short.

Other than those two issues for me the film is very well done and I really enjoy the DVD for it's music and great characters portrayed in a really fun completely ambitious movie.

Rating:
Summary: A Classical Masterpiece!
Review: How did Mozart die? Was he murdered? Was Antonio Salieri responsible? These questions will never be answered. The great film, Amadeus, does not even try. It presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) as a punk kid, with pink wigs and an annoying high pitch laugh, who comes to Vienna searching for work in music.

It's obvious immediately to Salieri (F. Murray Abraham)that Mozart is a prodigy. However, he is appalled to see what a brat he appears to be. Consequently, he swears to bring Mozart to ruin.

It's a fact that Salieri, later in life in an insane asylum, claimed to have murdered Mozart. Historians are split on whether this claim has any merit. The film, as I stated, does not take a side either way.

The movie is great because the characters are so fresh and fun. Mozart is a real hoot with his laugh and Salieri's intense hatred of him is obvious. I also love Jeffrey Jones as the Emperor (remember his failed attempts to run down Ferris Bueller).

No one will ever know what happened to Mozart. This film shows us a reasonable guess at what his last 10 years were probably like. The music is great, the acting superb, and the film was definitely deserving of its Best Film award. I find it interesting that Abraham and Hulce, after such a great performance in such a highly publicized movie, really have slipped into oblivion. In this film, however, they were golden.

Rating:
Summary: This is the edition to get...
Review: I first saw "Amadeus" around 1984 when it was first released. Besides being a visual and musical masterpiece of film making, it kick-started my life-long love of and appreciation for classical music.

I won't repeat the story synopsis as it's already been thoroughly described both by Amazon.com's critical review and multiple customers here already.

I will say though that this edition, 'The Directors Cut', is a major improvement over the first DVD release. First, (and finally!!), the movie is now a single-side DVD...gone is the annoying 2 sided 'flipper' that the first release was. You can now watch "Amadeus" from start to finish without having to get up and turn it over. For my money, that's reason enough alone to own this new version.

Secondly, 'The Directors Cut' now adds about 20-30 minutes of previously deleted scenes, placed back into where they were originally intended. Personally I find some of the newer stuff enhances the story overall and fills in some details that were left vague in the original theatrical release. I won't give away any details, but there is a new scene between Mozart's wife, Constanza, and Salieri, Mozart's chief musical rival (and secret arch-enemy) early in the movie that puts an whole new perspective of Salieri's twisted and battered psyche.

As for the DVD itself, the picture and sound quality are both exemplary. Included is a second disk with bonus material including interviews and making-of extras.

If you loved the original, you owe it to yourself to pick up this version. If you're new to classical music and Mozart, this is the best place to start.

lr** Jan 30,2003

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Rating:
Summary: Worth The Money
Review: Even though I was in my mid-teens when I saw this movie, the Director's Cut gave this movie more of a unique feel to it. Though I liked the original version, I also like this Cut as well because it shed some more light on the story line. While I am not particularly fond of classical music at all, this movie does have some nice tunes in it along with terrific acting. I would highly recommend it, even to those who don't care much for classical music.

Rating:
Summary: "Taking dictation from God."
Review: I know a lot of people who didn't like this film because they didn't feel it portrayed the historical Mozart or the historical Salieri. And they're right, it didn't. I also know people who say AMADEUS is really more about Salieri than it is about Mozart and, I can see their point as well. But, for me, AMADEUS is something else entirely. I think AMADEUS is the best film ever made regarding the creation of art by a genius.

AMADEUS, adapted by Peter Shaffer from his stage play, is very definitely not a biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and, for that, I'm grateful. I've read several books (among them Maynard Soloman's wonderful MOZART...A LIFE) that do depict the historical Mozart and, in AMADEUS, I wanted to see something a bit different.

AMADEUS focuses on the final ten years of Mozart's life, from 1781-1791 and is told from the point of view of Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Salieri, who is an old man confined to an asylum when the film opens, tells the story in flashbacks. The bulk of AMADEUS takes place in Vienna, where Salieri was Court Composer to Emperor Franz Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones), yet it was filmed in Prague. This has always mystified me a little. I've read that AMADEUS was filmed in Prague because that city still retains the look and feel of the 18th century, but...so does Vienna.

Salieri was, quite definitely, not a bad composer. In fact, when compared with most composers of the time, Salieri was quite good. The only problem was that Salieri constantly compared himself to Mozart (Tom Hulce), who, being a genius, produced music that was divine. In fact, Salieri supposedly said that Mozart composed as though he were "taking dictation from God."

Salieri was a religious man and one who avoided excess of any kind. Indeed, he was almost pious. He was complicated and he was complex and the one thing he loved above all else in life was music. Although many believe Salieri hated Mozart, I think, in reality, it must have been more of a love/hate relationship. Loving music as he did, Salieri couldn't have hated Mozart completely, yet seeing how effortlessly Mozart composed and how carelessly he treated some of his greatest compositions, Salieri couldn't help but be angry at God for conferring such sublime gifts on someone who, in his opinion, was so unworthy and so unappreciative. It had to be God Salieri was angry with because, as the "new kid" at Court, no one really knew the extent of Mozart's gifts except Salieri (Mozart's fame as a "child prodigy" could not extend into adulthood).

Was Mozart really as silly and childish as Hulce portrays him in the film? Probably not quite, but we do know he enjoyed life and that there were times when he didn't take his music, his marriage or much else, for that matter as seriously as he should.

In AMADEUS, Salieri takes every opportunity he can to undermine both Mozart and his music. The film's most poignant scene occurs when Mozart is lying on his deathbed, dictating his own requiem to Salieri. Salieri, of course, plans to steal this composition and claim it as his own, but, in the end, his love for music and his admiration of Mozart win out. In truth, historical fact doesn't confirm that Salieri tried to undermine Mozart at every twist and turn, but I appreciated the artistic license Forman and Shaffer took in creating their characters. It brought us a richer, more complex story than simply sticking to historical facts would have ever done.

Both Ton Hulce and F. Murray Abraham turned in stellar performances in AMADEUS. I think Abraham deserved the Oscar, however, because I believe his was the more difficult role. Salieri was such a tragic figure and Abraham had to portray so many conflicting emotions with understated elegance.

One can't write about AMADEUS without mentioning the score. Forman and Shaffer chose Mozart's compositions carefully, each one emphasizing a particular aspect of the great composer's life. The best utilization of Mozart's music comes when Mozart is dictating his requiem to Salieri. Here, we see what AMADEUS is all about...the creation of art.

Whether you like AMADEUS or not, I think everyone should see it, at least once. It is a modern classic and certainly one of the greatest films ever made. Abraham's portrayal of Salieri alone is worth the price of the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent new version of the film in a great DVD
Review: At first you would not think that an extended cut of this film would be really needed. I liked the original version well enough, but was not a fanatic like some fans of the film I know. With the directors cut I have a greater appreciation of the film. But not just from the extra scenes. Included are a great thirty minute behind the scenes look. That was made for the DVD and not some scraps of stock footage put together. Interviewing the key players of the cast. As well as the director, writer and producer, it tells what ordeals they had to go through to make the film. Including replacing Jennifer Tilly a week before shooting due to a torn ligament. Also why they chose to go with a standard american accents for both Mozart and Constanze wich I had always been curious about. Also you get a great audio commentary by Milos Foreman and Paul Schaffer that is well worth listening to and at times surprisingly funny. The chemistry between the two is really something.

The star attraction of the DVD, however, is the remastered sound. Even on my rinky dink TV it sounded great. As soon as I get a home theatre system, this is the first DVD I'm popping in. And I'm not really a fan of classical music. Also you get to see more of the amazing opera houses (not sets!) in the letterbox format.

This is definitly worth getting, for those who are fans. However I do not think it will change the minds of those who did not like the original version. A must for collectors and a well put together DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Almost flawless motion picture
Review: This directors cut that most people have not appreciated is essential to the story that was presented in the theaters in 1984. It further explaines the sexual fantasy's and alcoholic obsessions of the great composers of that era in europe. To make a comparison, Mozart would be best described as a Babe Ruth of his time, very much of a celebrity since music was considered the ultimate talent of that time the way sports and acting is considered today. Like Babe Ruth he was obsessed with many women and his alcohol, and more importantly, he knew how great he really was.

Rating:
Summary: F. Murray Abraham's Role of a Lifetime -- Amazing Film!
Review: "Amadeus" dares to tell the story of mediocrity, and in the words of the mediocre some astounding truths are told.

Essentially narrated by the aged and suicidal Salieri in a "confession" to a young priest in the "present day" (actually 1823), former musical giant (composer of the "greatest opera yet written" that has been consigned to the ashbin of history) and now a wrinkled has-been, "Amadeus" ponders the plight of an ambitious man (Salieri) confronted by genius that he can never defeat on its own terms. According to "Amadeus," the results of this clash are not pretty.

The film opens spectacularly, with Salieri screaming "Mozart" against a black screen. Soon we see Salieri, blood gushing from his self-slashed throat, being whisked through the streets of Vienna as the city dances and whirls to Mozart's exhilirating Symphony No. 25 in G Minor (don't worry -- you'll recognize it). With an amazing economy, the film, directed by Milos Forman (and adapted Paul Shaffer from his own stage work) establishes a world of wondrous palaces, hyper-elaborate dress, and astounding music. No mere costume drama, "Amadeus" drops the viewer deep into the late 18th century in Vienna, then one of the most powerful cities in Europe and a cultural touchstone for the Western world. This is the city to which all composers flock.

Salieri, with his crabbed hands and scratchy voice, tells of his early years, when he promises his soul to God in return for the ability to make music to honor God. He pledges his industry, his chastity, and his eternal devotion. And, wonder of wonders, his dad (a merchant with no ear for music) dies, choking to death at lunch! So Salieri is free to pursue his love of music, and it appears that God has granted Salieri his wish -- Salieri rises to become Court Composer for Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones).

Well regarded, Salieri has his world turned upside down by the arrival of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce, in an inspired casting coup). Vulgar, impulsive, hedonistic, and supremely talented, Mozart's reputation as a genius has preceded him, but Salieri is horrified to see that Mozart is (almost) as concerned with debauchery as his music. Even more horrifying, Salieri realizes that Mozart is more talented than he -- reading over Mozart's pages, Salieri groans, "It was like he was taking dictation from God."

Why, God, why? Salieri cannot fathom why God would make this creature the vehicle for such talent . . . talent that only Salieri seems to appreciate. Mozart is popular with the masses, but cannot make a big splash with the Court . . . in part because the Emperor, who defines taste for the Court, has no ear for music. When the Emperor yawns during one of Mozart's performances, Mozart is doomed. The Emperor also has some priceless advice for Mozart -- don't use so many notes, becuase the human ear can only hear so many notes before it gets tired!

Driven to despair by the continued genius flowing from Mozart's pen, Salieri rejects God and vows to destroy God's creature. What follows is a descent into madness for both Salieri and Mozart. Without getting overly sentimental, Forman and Shaffer spin a tale of surpassing beauty (Mozart's music) and tragedy (Mozart's death).

Ultimately, Salieri proclaims that he is the champion of mediocrity everywhere. As he is whisked away from the shell-shocked priest, Salieri absolves the various patients in his insane asylum, he also absolves the audience (who cannot help but feel mediocre in the face of Mozart's genius?). In a pitch-perfect note, as the screen dissolves to final black, we again hear Mozart's aggravating, infuriating high-pitched giggle, and we know that it will forever haunt Salieri.

"Amadeus" throws us into the mania of composition for both Mozart and Salieri, the world of court intrigues, and the triumphs and agonies of success and failure for composers. We understand Salieri's torture as his music grows fainter as Mozart's popularity soars -- even after Mozart's death. This is a powerful film with a surprisingly dark theme, but it is required viewing for any fan of classical music.

The soundtrack, by Sir Neville Mariner of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, is astounding, and will have you rushing out to buy Mozart CDs as soon as the movie is over.