Amadeus (1984)

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Peter Shaffer (play)
Peter Shaffer (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 September 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Amadeus. The man. The music. The magic. The madness. The murder. The mystery. The motion picture.

Plot:

The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback mode by Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.

Plot Keywords:

Envy | Fireplace | Loss Of Father | Catholic Priest | 18th Century

Awards:

Won 8 Oscars. Another 32 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

F. Murray Abraham	...	Antonio Salieri
Tom Hulce	...	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Elizabeth Berridge	...	Constanze Mozart
Roy Dotrice	...	Leopold Mozart
Simon Callow	...	Emanuel Schikaneder / Papageno
Christine Ebersole	...	Katerina Cavalieri / Costanza
Jeffrey Jones	...	Emperor Joseph II
Charles Kay	...	Count Orsini-Rosenberg
Kenneth McMillan	...	Michael Schlumberg (2002 Director's Cut)
Kenny Baker	...	Parody Commendatore
Lisabeth Bartlett	...	Papagena
Barbara Bryne	...	Frau Weber
Martin Cavina	...	Young Antonio Salieri (as Martin Cavani)
Roderick Cook	...	Count Von Strack
Milan Demjanenko	...	Karl Mozart

Also Known As:

Amadeus: The Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)
Peter Shaffer's Amadeus (USA) (complete title)
Peter Shaffer's Amadeus: Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)

MPAA:

Rated R for brief nudity. (director's cut)

Runtime:

160 min | 180 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | German

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby Digital (director's cut) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 (video rating) (cut) | Sweden:7 (director's cut) | UK:PG (also director's cut) | Philippines:X (director's cut) | Germany:12 (director's cut) | Iran:(Banned) (director's cut) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:(Banned) (director's cut) | Czech Republic:15 (director's cut) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) (director's cut) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-7 (re-rating) | Finland:S (original rating) | France:U | Hong Kong:II | Iceland:L | Mexico:C (director's cut) | Netherlands:AL (director's cut) | Norway:12 (original rating) | Norway:15 (director's cut) | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All (director's cut) | Spain:T (director's cut) | Sweden:11 (original rating) | Taiwan:PG-12 | USA:PG | USA:R (director's cut) | West Germany:12 | Ireland:PG

Filming Locations:

Kromeriz, Czech Republic

Company:

The Saul Zaentz Company

Trivia:

Milos Forman and Peter Shaffer spent four months adapting the very stylized play into a workable script. They added characters such as the priest, maid, archbishop, and mother-in-law; Mozart's character was enlarged beyond Salieri's perceptions; and Salieri's monologues were reworked visually.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At the time if his death, Mozart had two sons living, Karl and Franz. The Mozarts had seven children total, five had died before Mozart's death.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Salieri: Mozart! Mozart, forgive your assassin! I confess, I killed you...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in England, My England (1995)

Soundtrack:

Piano Concerto No. 20 in d minor, K 466, 2nd movement

Dominant Best Picture Winner of 1984

"Amadeus" is a great film that is deep, thought-provoking, and overall exceptional. The film deals with the last few months of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (Oscar-nominee Tom Hulce) life, told in flashbacks by an old, washed-up musician named Antonio Salieri (Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham). Salieri tells of the genius, the ingenuity, and the insanity of the young musician who died mysteriously at the age of 35. Salieri's jealousy may have led him to kill the young composer, but that is something that will never be known. "Amadeus" is an interesting commentary that tries to fill holes in history and succeeds amazingly. By mixing fact and probable fiction, the film-makers succeeded in creating a truly remarkable motion picture that is easily one of the best of the 1980s. 5 stars out of 5.