AMADEUS (Director’s Cut Release United States 2002)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.8|5.0 Stars ìììì

Amadeus loosely bases itself on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart while simultaneously becoming the crowning jewel of morality plays. Intricate writing superbly examines the differences between ability and genius, duplicity and innocence, creative constraint and freedom of expression, jealousy and guilelessness.  The Director’s Cut is ‘R’ rated and contains some nudity.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The story is told through the eyes of Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), a contemporary to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). It begins with Salieri loudly pleading penitence for killing Mozart. The next scenes show Salieri’s servants breaking into his room where they find him on the floor with his throat cut. He survives and spends the rest of his life in an insane asylum. The story shoots ahead to scenes where Father Vogler (Richard Frank) comes to see an elderly man in the asylum. The elderly man is Salieri. Salieri tells his story as it involves Mozart.

Additional Thanks

Best Work for Director Milos Forman. Thank you to Executive Producers Michael Hausman, Saul Zaentz, and Bertil Ohlsson for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Constanze Mozart (Elizabeth Berridge), Leopold Mozart (Roy Dotrice), Emanuel Schikaneder, (Simon Callow), Katerina Cavelieri (Christine Ebersole), Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones), Count Orsini-Rosenberg (Charles Kay), Michael Schlumberg (Kenneth McMillan featured in the 2002 Directors Cut), Parody Commendatore (Kenny Baker), Papagena (Lisbeth Bartlett), and Frau Weber (Barbara Bryne).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This is a ‘must see film’. It’s a compelling masterpiece of intricate story telling.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers