Amadeus

This is an epic. You instantly know that this was made with an intent of being the magnum opus. Milos Forman's effort brought him 8 Oscars (of 11 nominations). It won him plenty of other awards as well.

It is easy to see why. From a cinematic perspective, this film has got most things right. A great subject, awesome narrative, impressive acting, extraordinary sets and costumes and a background score by, well the best in the business - Mozart. In some ways, this movie reminded me of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and K. Asif's Mughal-E-Azam. There is an overwhelming grandiosity about the film. You instantly know that this is not one of those frugal Clint Eastwood movies or earthy, street-smart Scorcese types. It's more Spielbergish, I'd say.



The narrative becomes especially poignant because its told by Antonio Salieri - Mozart rival so to speak. Salieri, no mug with the keyboard himself, tells the story of his bitter-sweet relationship with the wizard. In doing so, Forman brings in a deep philosophical undertone to the movie. The story operates at two levels - one, the obvious chicanery that Salieri uses to sabotage Mozart's career and life and two, the underlying theme of a mediocrity vs genius (reminds me of The Fountainhead).

And these two themes have been interwoven brilliantly. The main characters have been developed thoroughly with great attention to detail. There are plenty of relationships in the film. Mozart with his atypical music; his deep devotion toward his dad. Constanze (Mozart's wife) with him and their life together. Salieri and the boy-wizard. Salieri and his faith. The establishment with Mozart. etc..... Forman has done an excellent job of holding all this together until the end.

The set and costumes look authentic and classy. The Opera's and the lavish use of Mozart's music are charming and delightful. The acting is fantastic. Amadeus got two best actor nominations and Murray Abraham won deservedly. Tom Hulce is also good, but Abraham steals the show throughout. He is controlled yet passionate. Scheming yet humane. Imperfect, yet not evil. Amazing!

The only drawback I thought was the length. I saw the director's cut and at 2 hrs and 52 minutes, it's a touch too long. The final runtime was 160 minutes, I read, but even at that, it's a touch too much. This didn't win the Oscar for editing. Something in there I guess.

A good watch, if you really like the movies. Otherwise, get a bag of popcorn and watch the last season of Friends.