Rating: 
Summary: A Movie by Salieris
Review: High-spirited and nearly irresistible, "Amadeus" flatters viewers into thinking "I would never be stupid enough to prefer Salieri to Mozart." The film is a wonderful bit of 20-20 pandering hindsight produced on an epic scale and crafted with the care and expense that only Hollywood can afford. The film is also EXACTLY equivalent to the lead-bottomed productions the film associates with Salieri. Salieri was an immensely successful composer honored by his patron the Emperor. "Amadeus" made lots of money and won a flock of Academy Awards. Salieri re-worked musical formulas to please a tone-deaf public. Milos Forman and his crew use standard cinematic devices to please audiences uninterested in innovative filmmaking. Salieri's operas (at least as shown in the film; I don't claim to be an expert) were spectacular, over-produced and loud. "Amadeus" is spectacular, over-produced and loud. We all chortle along knowingly with every setback Mozart suffers at the hands of his enemies, smugly aware that history has proven him superior. (One wonders if he wouldn't have preferred the cash.) I'd like to be able to test viewers to see how many could really tell the difference between an unknown work by Mozart or Salieri or any other of their contemporaries. The fact that modern viewers prefer films like "Amadeus" to anything of ambition, perception or daring doesn't make me too confident. Quite the contrary, the continued success of mediocrities like Salieri and "Amadeus" prove that flattering an audience remains perpetually profitable while challenging them a constant risk. "Amadeus" is saved from being completely obnoxious by F. Murray Abraham's wonderful performance and implausibly lush production design. High marks too to Miroslav Ondricek's cinematography, which gives the whole movie the chilly, smooth sheen of Dresden porcelain. The editing is certainly professional and sharp--perhaps a bit too much so. Forman and his editors repeatedly cut on the beat, giving the footage the rhythms and timings of Mozart's music. As a result, the movie is something like a three-hour rock (classical?) video. The editing simply further expresses the tendency of both direction and script to grab for the obvious. Shaffer and Forman manage to make every point, with sledgehammer subtlety, but undeniable effect. The whole thing is pushy, obvious, and crass, but also entertaining as long as you don't expect too much from it. Besides, it has all those great tunes.
Rating: 
Summary: A musical master peice
Review: If you've ever wondered what Mozart was like you've got to see this film. Even if Mozart was not like the character in this film you'll still think that Mozart should of acted like Tom Hulce. The movie is filled with Mozarts music and the acting is great. It will have a place on your shelf as one of your favorite.
Rating:
Summary: This film is NOT mediocrity!
Review: So says Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) of the word "mediocrity." It is something that we all can relate to, myself included. First off, I never heard of Salieri. I never knew he had contributed to Mozart's death. I never heard of his music. These are the things we wonder and realize about this man. "Amadeus" is an epic biography about a man(i.e. Mozart), but is really a story of the man behind the name of Amadeus. It is also about the decline of the man called Salieri. It is a breath-takingly beautiful film filled with rich colors, costumes, sets, lighting (or the little bit of it, anyway) and the characters that make this an instant classic. Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture (produced by Saul Zaentz) of 1984, Director (Milos Forman), Adapted Screenplay (Peter Shaffer, from his Tony-award winning play), and Actor (Abraham, who beat out fellow nominee Tom Hulce as Mozart). The remaining cast also help a great deal: Simon Callow as the actor friend of Mozart; Jeffrey Jones is stimulating as the Emperor Joseph II; and the men who played the Emperor's advisors. The only spot on this film was the miscasting of it's two central characters. In my opinion, Tom Hulce was a rather silly Mozart. And not just Mozart's personality, but the accent. Exactly, there was no accent! Mozart was not American, he was Austrian. Second, Elizabeth Berridge as his wife was also dreadfully miscast. She sounded dry, boring, and out of place in all of her scenes. But despite those mistakes, the film is wonderful, exciting, moving, spiritual, uplifting, and depressing. Milos Forman, who also directed the Oscar-winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975, outdoes himself yet again. A film with classical music and drama -- where can you go wrong?
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie - pity about the Extras
Review: The movie is excellent but the "much acclaimed music only soundtrack" consists of the original soundtrack with long spaces where dialog has been muted - unless you enjoy listening to lenghty silences interspersed with snatches of music, don't buy this DVD to listen only to the music!
Rating:
Summary: Fact or Fiction? No, pure genious!
Review: Amadeus is one of those movies you have to watch again and again to catch all of its subtleties! Historically accurate, no! But the performances by Hulce and Abraham are worthy of praise, as is the costuming. One can not help but to weep for Salieri and Mozart at the same time. A true joy!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie,Bad DVD
Review: I have the DVD version of this movie. I am not into classical music,but I did enjoy this movie. I gave it 4 stars,..but I take one away becasue I have to "FLIP" the dang disc over to finish it. Whats up with that Warner Brothers. You guys did the same with "The Color Purple!". Two classic movies on DVD,..and you have to flip them over in the year 2001. What a bummer.
Rating:
Summary: A taerg eivom (say it backwards, silly!)
Review: Striking story chock-full of wonderful music, great costumes, highbrow and lowbrow settings. One of the top 10 musicals in my collection.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, but could be a better DVD transfer..
Review: I would give the movie itself 5 stars.. however I am not fully satisfied with the DVD. It is one of the older ones so I guess that may excuse some of this, but the biggest annoyance was having to flip the disk about 3/4 through the movie. I guess I'm just lazy, but with dual layers DVD's out now this probably wouldn't be necessary if it were released again. The colors were also kinda dark on this transfer. The music however, is of course great and comes across strongly. The extras include a trailer and some text info that is quite interesting, but an updated release of this film with a better transfer and some more extras would be worth waiting for if one ever does come out.
Rating:
Summary: This movie made me love Mozart.....
Review: I first saw this movie in my Music Theory class in high school. I didn't like it at first, but as it went by I LOVED it. It is a movie that EVERY music major has seen, or even MUST see. I own it on video, DVD and soundtrack in both formats. Mozart was a pure genius and a gift from god. Although the film is not completely accurate, it still is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: If only he'd conducted naked...
Review: I read the few plaintive reviews of this movie with interest. They make some valid points. Of course, it's a Hollywood movie, so compared to the stage play it's going to seem bereft of deep significance (there's that broader -- and infinitely more vapid -- audience to consider.) At least one complaint dealt with the fact that the movie isn't historically accurate. I found that interesting since I never assumed that it was SUPPOSED to be. Absolute factual truth doesn't always make for a good movie. There were MANY complaints about the DVD being a 'flipper' and also not having the greatest picture quality. I completely concur. My opinion is, this movie is a wonderful introduction for people who, like myself, may not have an extensive knowledge of classical composers. And I think it would be entertaining and enjoyable to many people who DO have such knowledge (provided they are not expecting detailed historical minutiae.) It's lavish and bold and striking. For theatrical or literature buffs, yes, the characters may seem a bit flat. Again, it's a movie. Not a play (though adapted from one), and not a piece of literature. For the fact-finders, try a Mozart biography. One last thing: I found it amusing that someone mentioned this movie doesn't quite stand at the same level as other Best Picture winners. Let me sum up my reaction in one startled cough: Titanic. Compared to it, Amadeus is all of the things people have complained it is not: historically accurate, deeply philosophical, artfully characterized, and even cheerfully optimistic (there was one complaint from a fellow who sounded on the brink of suicide over the sombre theme of hopeless mediocrity.) Anyway. I have been wordy beyond belief. Liked the movie lots. Don't know much about that classical music stuff, but am tempted to look into it more after seeing this. Just for fun, I'll add a complaint to the compendium: Not enough nudity. That would've fleshed out characters, provided detail, and put that special 'spark' back into your evening (picture all those complainers stumbling over themselves in haste to flip the DVD. It's enough to put a twinkle in anyone's eye.)
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