Amadeus

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie in Every Way
Review: I watched this film in a humanities class and enjoyed it thoroughly. Although there are gaping historical accuracies, it is truer to life than certain other productions in the same genre (e.g., Immortal Beloved). The acting is superb; Abraham plays the part of the aging, frustrated mediocrity very convincingly, and the character of Mozart is also very good (although I am not so familiar with the actor). Indeed, everyone in the movie, from the main characters to the NDs, is very convincing. Visual factors, such as set design and lighting, are flawless. The score, as one might expect, is collected from Mozart's great works. Although classical music in modern movies sometimes backfires, it is executed perfectly here, and the effect is very nice. I have no noteworthy qualms about this movie, neither with the execution nor with the design.

Rating:
Summary: Amadeus
Review: The acting in this film is superb. The story is wonderful, and it gives some education. I could watch this over and over and not ge bored. Classical music lovers will enjoy very much. Its really great for everyone. So grab a bag of popcorn and ENJOY.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, OK DVD
Review: I love this movie! It is a great portrait of Mozart, and has incredible performances by Abraham and Hulce. The DVD has a few extras, mostly on-screen reading about the film and the characters. There is not an additional footage or documentary. It is a two-sided DVD, and for some reason the movie is split between both sides! It is so annoying to have to flip the DVD in the middle of the film. If you like this movie, it is worth owning. If you are looking for a feature-packed DVD, keep looking.

Rating:
Summary: The redux of Amadeus is coming soon
Review: Indeed Wing J. Flanagan, reviewer from Orlando, Florida is right on. My 5 stars are for the film [a new DVD is yet to come!] Amadeus is, in my view, the perfect motion picture. It has never been surpassed. Once one considers all aspects of filmmaking, Amadeus is clearly one of the finest films ever produced, perhaps THE finest. It's hard to believe a crew similar to the one that created Amadeus also created the horrible English Patient. Go figure...I can't. Nonetheless, Mix Magazine just did an article on the sound mix of the NEW release of this film, which was supposedly coming out in February, with 22 new scenes and a total digital remix and remastering on DVD. Where are you Amazon? I can't find it anywhere, so I'm waiting. It's also due a theatrical re-release. Perhaps we'll see some trailers in a day or so.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating glimpse of history
Review: Being a long-time classical music fanatic, naturally this is one of my favorite movies. I saw it for the first time, and subsequently multiple times, in grammar school and high school, it being a staple of music classes. The story is a fascinating one. Although one does see why Salieri hates Mozart so much, I found it hard to sympathize with his jealousy, for the simple reason that he was TOO jealous and couldn't accept the fact that Mozart was the one blessed by God. Yes, Mozart was rude to him, but wasn't there just a little bit of good reason for that?

Rating:
Summary: Truly an epic for all time!
Review: This, i.e., Amadeus VHS ~ F. Murray Abraham , is one of those few movies that still will be watched a 100 years from now. The acting is superb and the costumes set a standard for historical movies. Tom Hulce is amazing as Mozart. Murray Abraham is truly diabolical in his potrayal of Salieri and the combinationa of the excellent music and the stupendous acting make for a true epic. Highly Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: I just love this DVD edition.
Review: I'm a Mozart freak. One of the things the DVD includes is the track from the movie -- just the soundtrack, no movie. I think that is totally cool. Of course, I do own the soundtrack already, so that's more of a goodie than a must-have to me. But still, a cool goodie.

The movie's good too, with a crisp, clear picture. The version I saw was widescreen -- my preference, personally. For those who have not seen the movie, it is based on the life of Mozart and his rivalry with the older, more staid Salieri (whose music you can still find). Costumes and sets are lush and evocative, the acting is divine, and the direction is incredible. This movie won a lot of awards back in its day, and for good reason. And in a cameo that just begs to be recognized, it has Vincent Schiavelli as a valet who thinks he knows how to get Salieri's attention in the first scene (he was the disgusting biology teacher in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", and has had a host of other neat little roles).

Between the exquisite quality of picture and the extras it includes, this is definitely a DVD I appreciate having.

Rating:
Summary: Warner scam
Review: I love the movie - excellent -but I do not like Warner brothers
advertising on the back of the case. They say that there is a "bonus! Alternate music only track showcases sir neveille marriners acclaimed scoring of mozart and salieri music" In fact all you get is the normal talk off, music on feature. There is no special feature, as it is marked "OFF" in the menue. Shame........

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This film is extrapolated from half truths about Mozart's life. It tells the story of Salieri, court composer of Vienna, a mediocre composer and his genius rival Mozart. Salieri has the ability to recognize divine music, and he longs to create such music himself but he doesn't have enough talent. Mozart, has the talent but, in Salieri's eyes, is unworthy of the gift. "Why," he asks God, "do you give me the urge but not the means?"

Mozart's music is for the most part chosen well for the score. It focuses mainly on his operas, and many of Mozart's more famous pieces will not be heard. The only thing that I can't forgive are the singers performing opera segments in English.

F. Murray Abraham is brilliant as Salieri. The scenes where he plays an aged Salieri and the scene in which he renounces God are very stirring. The image of the old composer's face seamlessly flowing from a look of musical rapture to a snarl of envy saturated hatred gives me chills every time I see it.

Rating:
Summary: Musical Masterpiece for the Masses
Review: Tom Hulce's Mozart is about as grand as any comedic-camp-drama performance as any you'll ever see on screen. In "Amadeus" he shatters all preconceptions of his talents as an actor, deserving credit for fully realizing a complex, satisfying character with pure sincerity and wham-packed emotion. He has guts that far outweigh Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham (the villainous Salieri who is contemptuous sarcastic, and jealous of the genius whose life is splayed before him.) Hulce taunts, whoops and wallops the part out of the ballpark, with a childish relish that makes the audience long for the days when men wore white wigs and women corsets.

The music is exquisite, needless to say, and Milos Forman once again proves his mettle as a fierce director - even "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (Forman's first Oscar film) seems novice-like after you witness the depth and beauty of "Amadeus." The film easily ranks as one of the best biographical portraits ever imagined from Hollywood, and on your DVD player, you'll experience SOUND unlike anything you ever imagined was possible. Turn it up and let Hulce steal you away! This is the perfect film for anyone who doesn't REALLY enjoy classical music, because here, the music is transforming and you become caught up in its lyrical melodies as much as in the story. A wonderful film with a magnificent performance by Tom Hulce!