Review of Amadeus (1984) by Spangle — 03 Jun 2015

A biographical film of epic proportions, Amadeus is a riveting look at Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the eyes of Antonio Salieri. Though the accuracy of the film is certainly not 100%, it still proves to be an entertaining and informative biopics that manages to keep you wrapped up for all three hours (I saw the director's cut).

F. Murray Abraham is great as Mozart's jealous rival Salieri, but to me, the real star here was Elizabeth Berridge, who plays Mozart's wife. In an innocent, vulnerable, strong, and entirely powerful performance, she manages to keep Mozart focused and keep him grounded, while also doing the same for the viewer.

She is marvelous here and turns in an entirely enchanting performance. Tom Hulce, who plays Mozart, does well, but his performance is incredibly over the top and that proves to be a bit annoying at times.

In no surprise, the music in the film is truly incredible and enrapturing. The production design and costume design are also top of the line. Finally, the direction from Milos Forman is grand in scale and phenomenal.

This one was told quite well and really worked on multiple levels. A riveting film from beginning to end, Amadeus stands tall as a great biopic.