Amadeus

Name: Amadeus
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Released: September 12, 1984
Duration: 160 min
Rating: 87
Cast: Charles Kay, Christine Ebersole, Elizabeth Berridge, F. Murray Abraham, Jeffrey Jones

1984

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Universal acclaim based on 28 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 418 Ratings

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8.3

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8.3	User Score Universal acclaim based on 418 Ratings

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Amadeus

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Movie Details & Credits

Orion Pictures | Release Date: September 12, 1984 | TV-PG

Starring: Charles Kay, Christine Ebersole, Elizabeth Berridge, F. Murray Abraham, Jeffrey Jones, Kenneth McMillan, Kenny Baker, Roy Dotrice, Simon Callow, Tom Hulce

Summary: Amadeus portrays the rivalry between the genius Mozart (Tom Hulce) and the jealous court composer (F.Murray Abraham) who may have ruined Mozart's career and shortened his life.

Director: Milos Forman

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Music

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 160 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Jack Mathews

Amadeus is about as close to perfection as movies get. [2002 Director's Cut] Read full review

100

Michael Wilmington

It still soars, but now it seems richer, more expansive. Amadeus reminds us that movies can be lyrical as well as vulgar, ambitious as well as playful, brilliant as well as down and dirty -- just like Amadeus himself. Read full review

100

Staff (Not Credited)

With his native Prague standing in for Vienna, Forman's images of icy beauty counterpoint the soaring music and grandstanding performances. [2002 Director's Cut] Read full review

Richard Corliss

A grand, sprawling entertainment that incites enthrallment for much of its 2 hr. 38 min. Read full review

Michael Sragow

Except for the Mozart music and Tharp movements around the edges, Amadeus plays like a monument to mediocrity. The movie belongs to Salieri. Read full review

Vincent Canby

Mr. Forman has preserved the fascinating heart of Mr. Shaffer's play, and made it available to millions who might never enter a legitimate theater. Well done. Read full review

Bill Cosford

This movie Mozart seems little more than a wild and crazy music-maker, whose biggest problem was that his compositions had "too many notes." And that, as Forman's Mozart might say, ain't much. [20 Sep 1984, p.C1]

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User Reviews

RegOz

Sep 30, 2014

One word: Brilliant! It is in my top 10...do I need to say more? You have to watch it, that is the only way you can make up your mind! Forget about the reviews, go and experience this movie yourself! My son watched it for the first time when he was 10 ( 4 years ago) and guess what he didOne word: Brilliant! It is in my top 10...do I need to say more? You have to watch it, that is the only way you can make up your mind! Forget about the reviews, go and experience this movie yourself! My son watched it for the first time when he was 10 ( 4 years ago) and guess what he did after we watched it together? He went to internet to learn more about Mozart and his biography. He fell in love with Amadeus! Milos Forman inspired him! I think that tells you a lot about the value of this film. In Amadeus, the cinematography, scenography, costumes, plot, etc, are perfect! I couldn't recommend it more!… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

JMH

May 7, 2012

How better to tell a story of mediocrity, the average human condition, than by telling a story of a genius through the eyes of a mediocrity? Amadeus is not a film about Mozart, played flamboyantly by Tom Hulce; it's a film about his contemporary Antonio Salieri, played by F. Murray AbrahamHow better to tell a story of mediocrity, the average human condition, than by telling a story of a genius through the eyes of a mediocrity? Amadeus is not a film about Mozart, played flamboyantly by Tom Hulce; it's a film about his contemporary Antonio Salieri, played by F. Murray Abraham as a sort of composer-everyman. The film's plot is largely fictional, with its earliest source in Alexandr Pushkin's 1830 Mozart and Salieri. Salieri blames God for meting out the greatest gift He could offer a composer, genius, with cruel unfairness. Salieri feels he's a devoted servant of God, via his music. But comes Mozart, in Salieri's eyes a pagan who nonetheless creates, sans effort, music Salieri knows to be genius -- this "idle loafer" (per Pushkin) has been granted God's gift. Salieri can't accept this injustice, and he plots Mozart's death, all the while hearing the voice of God in Mozart's art. Herein, Amadeus tackles two eternal themes in man's relationship with genius. The seeming arbitrariness of genius -- placed in select hands -- belittles ordinary men. Yet the product of genius raises ordinary men beyond the brutalities of worldly existence. Most of us are mediocrities mocked and enlightened by some form of genius we don't fully comprehend. Accordingly, Salieri's mission takes on ironic motive: "I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint." Taking a step back, should genius be stamped out because it's inegalitarian by nature, or relished because it enlightens the vulgar masses of which we're a part? Director Milos Forman allows both possibilities to play out brilliantly. And from Forman there are deeper questions, as the Czechoslovakian-born director lost his parents in the Holocaust and emigrated to the U.S. when the Soviets invaded his homeland. Most specifically, does genius have the potential to save men from themselves and their worst collective impulses? At its heart, Amadeus asserts, emphatically, that it does.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

flylex

May 23, 2017

Film directed by Milos Forman released in 1984, the film shows the life of Mozart by the vision of his rival Antonio Salieri, who after an attack of madness begins to tell his story to a priest, F. Murray Abraham does a great job as Salieri old showing all the anger and envy that he has forFilm directed by Milos Forman released in 1984, the film shows the life of Mozart by the vision of his rival Antonio Salieri, who after an attack of madness begins to tell his story to a priest, F. Murray Abraham does a great job as Salieri old showing all the anger and envy that he has for mozart and at the same time the admiration and passion for the music of the composer. In the movie we are shown the rivalry of Salieri and Mozart and what he devised to try To end the life of the composer. Tom Hulce plays Mozart and gives a very great charisma to the character with a comical tone and a raucous laugh but who has an amazing talent about music, unfortunately in more complex works so salieri manages to fill this genius of mozart And how revolutionary he was for his time and that made him have an inevitable envy for mozart so much that he spoke that God chose mozart to be the bearer of his voice passed by his musica.entao so is shown the life of the two until death Of mozart that occurred when he was still 35 years old and even after his death we see that salieri is not happy to feel jealous of his sins against mozart. A great and very well-made workmanship, a great photograph and a perfect soundtrack with mozart and salieri compositions, the costumes and the ambiance are perfects and instantly remembers the time in which the film pass.In general amadeus is great movie that tells a good biographical history (even if it is not true, it is said that salieri and mozart were friends and salieri was more famous than mozart in his time) .with sure a great request for lovers of classical music And mozart itself.note 100… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Compi24

Nov 28, 2012

Massive in terms of scale, talent, and allure, "Amadeus" remains an epic in every sense of the word.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

lessacebola

Oct 2, 2020

A narrativa desse filme é muito boa, traz um misto de sensações absurdo. Como um apreciador de piano, gostei bastante de entender um pouco mais da história do Mozart, um dos maiores pianistas de todos, se não, o maior.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FreddoFazbeardo

Apr 20, 2020

I saw this movie with my dad, I liked it, but there are parts that I did not like very much, but that does not mean that I did not like it, it shows that there is effort, passion and affection in this movie ...

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

stepholicious

Feb 25, 2012

I was quite keen to watch this film but the over top and ridiculous American accent of Tom Hulce detracted from what could have otherwise been an enjoyable historical drama. Does it not matter what country the movie is set it? I'm sick of hearing **** American regardless of the setting.

2 of 14 users found this helpful212

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