Amadeus

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!
Review: This is simply the best movie EVER made! No more words are needed...!

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious . . . Disturbing . . . Beautiful . . . Sad
Review: Easily the best movie of 1984, it is difficult to put your finger on just one word to describe your emotions as you watch it. That is probably the reason for it being such a powerful movie.

The character Salieri is an Italian composer in the court of the Emperor of Austria. All is well until Mozart appears. It is obvious to Salieri that Mozart has been given great musical gifts. Salieri is filled with rage, envy, and at the same time, admiration for Mozart. "Amadeus" is as much about Salieri as it is the more famous composer.

This being a movie about Mozart, there is of course going to be an excellent soundtrack accompanying the movie. Especially well done is the splicing of Mozart's death requiem into the scenes when Salieri is driving Mozart to his death.

This movie is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. How could that nice old man who tried to kill himself be so mean?

Rating:
Summary: Simply fantastic!
Review: To begin this review, I will state that I studied classical music in high school. I am a fan of rock and roll. And I detest opera. None of that matters when watching this movie. I don't know which was better--the performances, set design, costuming, directing--I just really don't know. The two lead actors, F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce, were just too great in these roles. Why couldn't they both have been Oscar winners? This movie is beautiful, extravagant, and tragic all in one. A fantastic experience for anyone who likes movies. I wish I'd had 6 stars to give, but then I probably still would only have given it 5 stars because they made me listen to opera(which, by the way, was very well done.) I can't say enough good things about this movie, so I'll just finish up by saying that anyone who purchases this one wouldn't go wrong!

Rating:
Summary: The best composer bio movie ever made.
Review: Mozart is arguably the best classical composer ever in history. Mendelssohn is said to come close, but realistically, that isn't true. There was never anyone like Mozart. A PURE musical genius, actually able to finish entire operas in his head before he wrote them down and without a single error in his manuscript.

Actually, you may think this movie is largely fictional, but if you research Mozart's life, you will find that the movie is largely based on fact. Not all of it, but most of it.

Mozart did have a horrid mouth, The Magic Flute was composed in the small house where he was wined and dined (they show the house in the movie), etc. Some of the historical stuff was completely ignored like Mozart's appointment as the Court Composer, the Emporer's loss of power and fall, etc. How about Mozart's dominance of the piano and thanks to Mozart, the clarinet is a permanent fixture in today's orchestra.

But with all the factual flaws, Amadeus is a wonderful movie and is deserving of it's Best Picture award and others.

The DVD has the movie on 2 sides. The video and audio transfer are excellent and the extra features are quite slim. But it was an earlier release when DVDs were new. It would be beneficial to make a new DVD of this and re-release it adding all the extras that are found on today's DVDs.

Rating:
Summary: See It For The Music!
Review: F Murray Abraham plays Salieri just the way the director planned it! I say this because I don't know how much of Amadeus is historically acurate, but I consider it an entertaining portrayal. I found the costumes for the era (18th century) authentic. Tom Hulce plays the scatterbrain genius Mozart (portrayed as goofy and childish)and Salieri is portrayed as overly serious, self-righteous and insanely jealous. The music is of course the main highlight with excerpts from The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and A Little Night Music. If you love the music of Mozart, you will be entertained by this movie and captivated by the soundtrack.

Also recommended: The Amadeus soundtrack on Fantasy records

Rating:
Summary: mozart es mi compositor favorito
Review: podran tildarlo de aninado y de jugeton en sus composiciones, pero su musica me encanta. y esta pelicula describe a ese espiritu libre y jugeton que debio tener ese joven, con esa figura paterna tan fuerte y que tanto temor le inspiraba. el papel de salieri esta muy bien disenado como contrapunto de la trama y que la historia este narrada por el le da un cierto aire de credibilidad. incluso llegue a pensar que existio, tuve que ponerme a investigar para saber que salieri era solo un contrapunto de la historia.

la vida de mozart fue muy corta, pero de una intensidad increible como una de esas estrellas que brillan con tanta intensidad por poco tiempo contra los espiritus mediocres que brillan sin lustre por siglos y siglos para luego ser olvidados. excelente pelicula disfrutenla. LUIS MENDEZ [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: One of the best films ever made
Review: Sometimes hilarious, sometimes somber and always tragic, this is the highly entertaining dramatized story of Mozart. A fictional story about the tragic life of a real-life genius. It is a fact that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died a pauper in an un-marked mass grave, but no one knows if he even knew Antonio Salieri much less had such profound interactions with him. As composers of note, they definitely were aware of each other's existence at the time, but the fictionalized tale here should not be watched as though it is historical fact.

The wardrobes, backdrops and everything you see in this film are breathtakingly accurate and believable. The acting is flawless by every single person you see on screen, whether it's the un-credited extra in the background or the main characters themselves.

The music is incredible and you'll never hear these pieces the same after you see them being performed on screen.

I wish the DVD had included more extras, perhaps some clips of the Oscars when Abraham won for best actor and interviews with the cast and crew. A behind the scenes featurette would have also been wonderful. Nonetheless, this is one of the top films ever made and a must-see for anyone who loves good film and superb acting that will blow you away.

Rating:
Summary: What a beautiful movie!
Review: I absolutley loved this movie all of the way through! This is one of the greatest insights into the life of Mozart and the many lives sorrounding him!

The music of Mozart is also wonderfully played by an orchestra in which I cannot think of now! If you enjoy much of Mozart's music, that alone is a reason to see the movie! Much of the movie is filled with his gorgeous compositions!

It is funny, emotional, and quite dramatic and those are all weaved into an elaborate film about a great life! Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I loved this refreshing portrayal of Mozart and Abraham's unforgettable characterization of Salieri. Salieri, the older rival composer, realizes he cannot match the pure genius of the young and impudent Wolfgang Amadeus. His discovery and realization of Mozart's genius is so vivid and convincing, that anyone watching comes away with a new or renewed appreciation for this great music. The human side of these people makes this story special also. Jealousy consumes Salieri on the one hand while it is Mozart whose health deteriorates as he pays the price for his exuberant and questionable lifestyle. The aging Salieri unmercifully lives to witness his music fading into obscurity and declares himself "the patron saint of mediocrity's everywhere". Mozart's immortal achievements are destined to live on and we come to share Salieri's wonder and respect for this music. Although historically inaccurate on many counts, the spirit of the music and its impact on the times is true to the heart. Worthy of the praise this movie has received, I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable
Review: I have ejoyed all of Milos Forman's popular films (Cuckoo's Nest, Man on the Moon, People vs. Larry Flynt) and Amadeus is no exeption. The costumes, art direction, and scenery in the fim are top notch. Tom Hulce is a great Mozart, F. Murray Abraham is excellent is his unspoken rival Antonio Sallierri. A great movie for classical music and history lovers.