Amadeus (1984)

The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Peter Shaffer (original stage play), Peter Shaffer (original screenplay)

Stars:

F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge

Top 250 #91 | Won 8 Oscars. Another 33 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
F. Murray Abraham	...	Antonio Salieri
Tom Hulce	...	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Elizabeth Berridge	...	Constanze Mozart
Simon Callow	...	Emanuel Schikaneder / Papageno in 'The Magic Flute'
Roy Dotrice	...	Leopold Mozart
Christine Ebersole	...	Katerina Cavalieri / Constanza in 'Abduction from the Seraglio'
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 in 'The Magic Flute'
Barbara Bryne	...	Frau Weber
Martin Cavina	...	Young Salieri (as Martin Cavani)
Roderick Cook	...	Count Von Strack
Milan Demjanenko	...	Karl Mozart

Storyline

Antonio Salieri believes that Mozart's music is divine. He wishes he was himself as good a musician as Mozart so that he can praise the Lord through composing. But he can't understand why God favored Mozart, such a vulgar creature, to be his instrument. Salieri's envy has made him an enemy of God whose greatness was evident in Mozart. He is set to take revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

Composer | Emperor | Musician | Told In Flashback | Opera | 

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Taglines:

The man... The music... The madness... The murder... The motion picture...

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Latin German

Release Date:

19 September 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amadeus: The Director's Cut

Filming Locations:

Kromeríz, Czech Republic

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$86,764 (USA) (5 April 2002)

Gross:

$366,401 (USA) (17 May 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Saul Zaentz Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

160 min 180 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The play, on which the film is based, was first performed on November 2, 1979 at the National Theatre in London.

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Goofs

In a scene in the emperor's palace, Emperor Josef is sitting and talking to Mozart. Behind the emperor is a servant holding a small, silver pitcher. The servant is holding this pitcher slightly above his own navel. A moment later, the pitcher is being held considerably lower by the servant and his pinky finger is now extended.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

"Amadeus" was originally a National Theater Production in London, then produced in America by The Shubert Organization, Elizabeth I. McCann/Nelle Nugent and Roger Berlind.

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Connections

Referenced in The Abortion (2006)
poster seen

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Soundtracks

"Don Giovanni, K527"
, (1787)
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (uncredited)
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte (uncredited)
Performed by The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (as Academy of St Martin In The Fields)
Conducted by Neville Marriner
Excerpts from Act 2 sung by Richard Stilwell (Don Giovanni), John Tomlinson (Commendatore) and Willard White (Leporello)

User Reviews

Amadeus

When the two worlds of Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart collide in Milos Forman's Amadeus, it is anything but a symphony. As the court composer of the Emperor of Austria, all Salieri desires are fame and recognition as a composer; it is all he had wanted his whole life. When he learns that Mozart, whose name he had known as long as he can remember, is going to come to the court to play, Salieri cannot wait to meet the outstanding and righteous man that he knows he must be. However, when Salieri learns that Mozart is a young, crude, and unrefined young man, endowed with all the talent and ability that he ever wanted and strived for, it plants a seed of jealousy that soon grows into bitter resentment and hatred, not only for Mozart, but also towards God. Salieri's desire to get rid of him is seemingly boundless as he plots and schemes for Mozart's demise. It is no wonder why Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with 5-Star performances by F. Murry Abraham as Antonio Salieri and Tom Hulce as Mozart. Amadeus is an emotionally charged and tragic piece, a story of the life of one of the world's most famous composers, as seen through the eyes of his worst enemy.