Review of Amadeus (1984) by Johnny I — 10 Mar 2012

Amadeus is awesome. It got under my skin. It made me laugh. The movie forces you to pity Salieri, yet gape at Mozart's greatness. In short, it is the best film I've seen in a very long time.

The movie mainly focuses on Salieri (played by F. Murray Abraham), who is living in an insane asylum. Salieri, in flashback mode, is telling someone who works at the insane asylum about Mozart (Tom Hulce).

The screenplay (by Peter Shaffer) is superb. There are funny moments, profound moments, and moments that no adjective can describe.

The characters are also great. We love everyone, in spite of all their flaws. We love Mozart, despite the fact that he's vulgar, inappropriate, and has completely crushed all of Salieri's hopes. We also love Salieri, despite the fact that he's beside himself with jealousy, and is considering killing Mozart. They're so flawed, yet, inexplicably, they remain lovable.

The actors help the characters a lot. F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce are outstanding. They never hit a wrong note. In the beginning, Tom Hulce was good but not great. As the movie progressed he improved greatly. F. Murray Abraham was astounding from beginning to end. He more than deserved his Oscar.

But, in the end, the very best thing about Amadeus is the music. Milos Forman puts the best songs in all the right places. The music fits the scene with an uncanny accuracy. Also, the transitions between song and story are perfect.

There's really nothing bad about this movie. There's not a single Oscar that it didn't deserve.