AMADEUS is not a biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is a speculative and haunting story of Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), a mediocre second-rate composer who was jealous of Mozart. Some historians think Salieri possibly killed Mozart. The first lines in the film are from Salieri: "Mozart! Mozart, forgive your assassin. I confess. I killed you."
The movie starts in 1823 with Salieri as an elderly man in a lunatic asylum for attempting suicide. Father Vogler (Richard Frank) visits him and Salieri tells him his life story, beginning in Vienna 30 years earlier. Salieri is court composer of Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). He is successful, popular, dedicated to God, and anxious to meet Mozart (Tom Hulce). Salieri says, "He was my idol. Mozart, I can't think of a time when I didn't know his name."
Mozart is a shocking disappointment to Salieri. The musical prodigy is immature, clownish, vulgar, and boorish. Salieri is envious and perplexed because Mozart can create musical masterpieces without even trying, while he can never rise above mediocrity. He feels betrayed by God, and says, "All I ever wanted was to sing to God. He gave me that desire, like a lust in my body, but then denied me the talent. Why?"
Mozart: "Why must I submit samples of my work to some stupid committee just to teach a thirteen-year-old girl?"
Strack: "Because His Majesty wishes it."
Mozart: "Is the emperor angry with me?"
Strack: "Quite the contrary."
Mozart: "Then why doesn't he simply appoint me to the post?"
Strack: "Mozart, you are not the only composer in Vienna."
Mozart: "No. But I'm the best!"
Mozart: "Forgive me, Majesty. I am a vulgar man. But I assure you, my music is not."
Emperor: "My dear young man, don't take it too hard. Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Just cut a few and it will be perfect."
Mozart: "Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?"
Salieri pretends to be Mozart's friend and ally, but actually does everything possible to destroy his reputation and success. This despicable duplicity goes unnoticed by Mozart, whose initial social and financial triumph at court takes a nose dive. Although his musical compositions are flawless, Mozart's marriage, health, reputation and finances are serious problems.
Salieri: "That was Mozart. That! That giggling dirty-minded creature I had just seen, crawling on the floor... Through my influence, I saw to it that Don Giovanni was played only five times in Vienna. But in secret, I went to every one of those five. Worshipping sounds I alone seemed to hear."
Mozart: "It's unbelievable, the director has actually torn up a huge section of my music. They say I have to rewrite the opera. But it's perfect as it is! I can't rewrite what's perfect." (addressing the complaints about the "improper" libretto for "Figaro") "Come on now, be honest! Which one of you wouldn't rather listen to his hairdresser than Hercules? Or Horatius, or Orpheus... people so lofty they sound as if they s**t marble!"
Mozart: (about the royal composer's position he did not get) "Whom did they choose?"
Salieri: "Herr Zummer."
Mozart: "Herr Zummer? But the man's a fool, he's a total mediocrity!"
Salieri: "No, no, he has yet to achieve mediocrity."
Mozart: "I actually threw the score on the fire, he made me so angry."
Salieri: "You burned the score?"
Mozart: "No, no. My wife took it out in time."
Salieri: "You don't mean to tell me that you're living in poverty?"
Mozart: "No. But I'm broke."
For revenge, Salieri tricks Mozart into composing a Requiem, a task that leads to a nervous breakdown and alcoholism. Salieri plans to kill Mozart, play the Requiem at his funeral, and take credit for the writing. Mozart's friend Emanuel Schikaneder (Simon Callow) convinces him to write an opera "for the people". He composes "Die Zauberflote", which is a big success, but Mozart collapses from exhaustion at the opening performance.
Salieri: "The only thing that worried me was the actual killing. How does one do that? Hmmm? How does one kill a man? It's one thing to dream about it; very different when, when you, when you have to do it with your own hands... My plan was so simple. It terrified me. First I must get the death mass and then, I must achieve his death."
Salieri takes Mozart home and forces him to continue work on the Requiem. It becomes apparent when Salieri attempts to help him that he is pathetically inferior. In the morning Mozart's wife Constanze (Elizabeth Berridge) returns, evicts Salieri, and locks the unfinished Requiem away. She goes to Mozart's bedside, but he is dead at age 35. One of our very greatest musical composers is dumped in an unmarked mass grave without a coffin.
The flashback ends and the film returns to Salieri in the asylum. He tells the priest that God killed Mozart rather than let him steal his music. Salieri claims to be the patron Saint of all mediocrities, and as he is wheeled away says to the many lunatics, "Mediocrities everywhere, I absolve you, I absolve you, I absolve you, I absolve all of you."
AMADEUS is a brilliant meditation on the nature of genius. It is a lavish and opulent production that is intelligent, literate, witty, exciting, and entertaining. Acting performances are superb. The beautiful detailed period sets and billowy costumes enhance the soaring score of Mozart's magnificent music.
This film was shot on location in Prague and Vienna by cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek. AMADEUS was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 8 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Sound, and Best Screenplay.
The movie soundtrack includes: "Symphony 25 in G Minor", "Stabat Mater, Quando Corpus Morietur and Amen", "Bubak and Hungaricus", "Serenade for Winds", "Abduction from the Seraglio", "Symphony 29 in A", Concerto for 2 Pianos", "Mass in C minor", "Symphonie Concertante", "Piano Concerto in E flat", "The Marriage of Figaro", "Don Giovanni", "Zaide", "Requium; Dies Irae", "Requium; Rex Tremendae Majestatis", "Requium; Confutatis", "Requium; Lacrymosa", and "Piano Concerto in D minor".
The cast also includes: Roy Dotrice (Leopold Mozart), Christine Ebersole (Katerina Cavalieri), Charles Kay (Count Orsini-Rosenberg), Kenneth McMillan (Michael Schlumberg), Lisabeth Bartlett (Papagena), Barbara Bryne (Frau Weber), Roderick Cook (Count Von Strack), Milan Demanjanenko (Karl Mozart), Peter DiGesu (Francesco Salieri), Patrick Hines (Kappelmeister Bonno), Nicholas Kepros (Archbishop Colloredo), Jonathan Moore (Baron Van Swieten), Cynthia Nixon (Lorl), Douglas Seale (Count Arco), Cassie Stuart (Gertrude Schlumberg), Rita Zohar (Frau Schlumberg), Karel Gult (Count Almaviva), Magda Celakovska (Cherubino), Eva Senkova (Marcellina), Leos Kratochvil (Basilio), Gino Zeman (Don Curzio), Janoslav Mikulin (Dr. Bartolo), Ladslav Kretschmer (Antonio), Karel Fiala (Don Giovanni), Zdenek Jelen (Leporello), Vladimir Svitacek (Pope Kliment), and many others.
AMADEUS is based on the 1979 stage play by Peter Shaffer, inspired by Alexander Pushkin's short play "Mozart and Salieri". Peter Shaffer wrote the movie script and Milos Forman directed.
