Barnes & Noble

The most searing exploration of artistic jealousy ever put on screen, this magnificent adaptation of Peter Shaffer's award-winning play dramatizes the tempestuous relationship between Viennese court composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham in his Oscar-winning characterization) and brilliant upstart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The starchily formal Salieri, an adroit court politician but a mediocre composer bitterly resents the irrepressible young Mozart -- not only because he's a vulgar hedonist and a buffoon but because he's a musical genius with whom the older musician is incapable of competing. The idea that God could bestow such a gift upon so inferior a being drives Salieri literally to madness. Hulce's Mozart has a primal drive and flair for showmanship -- an 18th century rock star -- and together, he and Abraham generate fireworks that more than justify the critical acclaim that helped the picture snag eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. A visually sumptuous production shot in Prague and expensively mounted with meticulous attention to period detail, Amadeus is a real treat for the eyes, and, of course, the music is celestial. Best of all, though, is the way director Milos Forman (Ragtime) turns Shaffer's literate, incisive script into a film bursting with raucous energy. Classical music was never less stodgy. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

For this film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's Broadway hit, director Milos Forman returned to the city of Prague that he'd left behind during the Czech political crises of 1968, bringing along his usual cinematographer and fellow Czech expatriate, Miroslav Ondricek. Amadeus is an expansion of a Viennese "urban legend" concerning the death of 18th-century musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From the vantage point of an insane asylum, aging royal composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) recalls the events of three decades earlier, when the young Mozart (Tom Hulce) first gained favor in the court of Austrian emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). Salieri was incensed that God would bless so vulgar and obnoxious a young snipe as Mozart with divine genius. Why was Salieri--so disciplined, so devoted to his art, and so willing to toady to his superiors--not touched by God? Unable to match Mozart's talent, Salieri uses his influence in court to sabotage the young upstart's career. Disguising himself as a mysterious benefactor, Salieri commissions the backbreaking "Requiem," which eventually costs Mozart his health, wealth, and life. Among the film's many pearls of dialogue, the best line goes to the Emperor, who rejects a Mozart composition on the grounds that it has "too many notes." Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham. In 2002, the film received a theatrical re-release as "Amadeus: The Director's Cut," a version that includes 22 minutes of additional footage. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 883929001798
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Français
• Time: 2:40:00
• Sales Rank: 3,892

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