Amadeus ***** (1984, F Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Jones, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice) – Classic Movie Review 112

The winner of eight Oscars, Milos Forman’s 1984 triumph Amadeus is a magnificent film of lavish and unique brilliance, with a marvellous cast and brilliant director working at their peak. F Murray Abraham won the best actor Oscar as Antonio Salieri.

The winner of eight Oscars, including best picture, director and screenplay, director Milos Forman’s 1984 triumph Amadeus is a magnificent film of lavish and unique brilliance, with a marvellous cast and brilliant director working at the peak of their game.

F Murray Abraham won the best actor Oscar for his brilliantly astute and canny performance in the part of a lifetime as the self-proclaimed ‘patron saint of mediocrity’, Antonio Salieri, the merely average court composer for Hapsburg Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones), a man whose terrible destiny from God was to recognise his own shortcomings and genius in another. For this, Salieri is the sworn enemy of the God who has thus treated him. This connects with the title Amadeus, Mozart’s middle name, which means ‘love of God’.

Salieri becomes insanely jealous of loutish, foul-mouthed musical genius Wofgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce), who died at 35, perhaps (it is suggested here) by Salieri’s hand, since, 30 years later, after attempting suicide, Salieri makes a confession to a priest claiming to have murdered Mozart by poisoning him. ‘Mozart! Mozart! Forgive your assassin! I confess, I killed you.’

This is a truly wonderful production, a labour of love all round, gloriously filmed on location in Prague by inspired director Milos Forman, with amazing production values, and astonishing care and imagination in the period re-creation. Prague is Forman’s native city and Shaffer cried when he first visited the Prague opera house, knowing Mozart performed there. The Don Giovanni performance is filmed on the same stage where the opera first appeared. With a largely unmodernised Prague (still under Communist rule) an ideal stand-in for old Vienna, only four sets were built: Salieri’s hospital room, Mozart’s apartment, a staircase, and the vaudeville theatre.

Securely based on a witty, clever script by Peter Shaffer (cleverly and cinematically rewriting his own 1979 hit play), Amadeus is packed to overflowing with great music, sumptuous costumes (and wigs!), stupendous performances and thrilling big dramatic moments. You even get used to the American accents after a bit, apart from Englishman Simon Callow’s, in the sole let-down of the film, as Emanuel Schikaneder.

Forman’s plan is that native German speaker characters speak with American accents and that non-American accents are foreign characters. All German (even in the operas) is translated into English and all Italian is left as Italian, with American actor Abraham using a slight Italian accent for Salieri.

Callow created the role of Mozart in the 1979 London stage production. It is sad that he did not get the role in the film and sadder that he is poor in it. Paul Scofield, then Frank Finlay played Salieri in London, where it was first performed on 2 November 1979 at the National Theatre. Tim Curry and Ian McKellen played Mozart and Salieri in the original Broadway production of Amadeus, which opened at the Broadhust Theater on 17 December 1980 and ran for 1181 performances.

Nearly the match of Abraham, both Hulce (also nominated as Best Actor) and Jones are simply stupendous, and also deserved Oscars. Sadly, both Hulce and Abraham couldn’t both win, and Hulce missed out. It is the last film so far to receive two Best Actor nominations. Roy Dotrice is also notable as the stern and sombre father, Leopold Mozart.

We ought to mention the music! This isn’t just a play. It’s a play about musicians and with music, Mozart’s music. The performances by The Academy of St Martin in the Fields under conductor Neville Marriner are breathtaking – Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Don Giovanni, K. 527, A Cenar Teco, Da Qual Tremore Insolito, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620, Aria No. 14, Der Holle Rache Kocht, The Lacrimosa, Requiem Mass in D, K. 626 etc. What a soundtrack!

The ravishing looking movie is shot entirely in natural light by gifted cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek.

The three-hour film Amadeus: The Director’s Cut was released in 2002 with 20 extra minutes – some essential, some valuable, some padding – and an ear-bashing new stereo soundtrack. Time and the fresh lick of paint serve only to confirm Amadeus’s lavish and unique brilliance. This magnificent revival reveals Hulce, Abraham and Jones all at the apex of their acting prowess. Kenneth McMillan’s cut role of Michael Schlumberg is restored in this version, finally making sense of the story.

‘So there it is’: Emperor Joseph II.

The main cast are F Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Jones, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Charles Kay, Cynthia Nixon, Kenny Baker, Richard Frank, Herman Meckler, Kenneth McMillan (2002 Director’s Cut), Cassie Stuart (2002 Director’s Cut), Rita Zohar (2002 Director’s Cut), Lisbeth Bartlett, Barbara Bryne, Martin Cavina, Roderick Cook, Vincent Schiavelli, Brian Pettifer, Philip Lenkowsky, Nicholas Kepros, Patrick Hines, Jonathan Moore, Miroslav Sekera (as Young Mozart) and Milan Demjanenko.

Amadeus is directed by Milos Forman, runs 160 minutes or 180 min (Director’s Cut), is made by The Saul Zaentz Company in association with AMLF, is released by Orion Pictures (1984) (US) and Thorn-EMI (UK), is written by Peter Shaffer, based on the stage play by Peter Shaffer, is shot by Miroslav Ondricek, is produced by Saul Zaentz, is scored by Neville Marriner (conductor / music supervisor), and is designed by Patrizia von Brandenstein.

Tim Curry auditioned for the role of Mozart, along with Mel Gibson and Mick Jagger, and David Bowie and Mikhail Baryshnikov were also considered.

Jeffrey Jones replaced Ian Richardson as Emperor Joseph II.

Forman told Vincent Schiavelli (as Salieri’s valet) after one take with him walking: ‘Television is ruining you’.

The cast are F Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri, Tom Hulce as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Elizabeth Berridge as Constanze Mozart, Roy Dotrice as Leopold Mozart, Simon Callow as Emanuel Schikaneder, Christine Ebersole as Caterina Cavalieri, Jeffrey Jones as Emperor Joseph II, Charles Kay as Count Orsini-Rosenberg, Kenneth McMillan as Michael Schlumberg (Director’s Cut), Kenny Baker as Parody Commendatore, Lisabeth Bartlett as Papagena, Barbara Bryne as Frau Weber, Martin Cavani as young Salieri, Roderick Cook as Count von Strack, Milan Demjanenko as Karl Mozart, Peter DiGesu as Francesco Salieri, Michele Esposito as Salieri’s student (Director’s Cut), Richard Frank as Father Vogler, Patrick Hines as Kapellmeister Giuseppe Bonno, Nicholas Kepros as Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Philip Lenkowsky as Salieri’s Servant, Herman Meckler as Priest, Jonathan Moore as Baron van Swieten, Cynthia Nixon as Mozart’s maid Lorl, Brian Pettifer as Hospital Attendant, Vincent Schiavelli as Salieri’s Valet, Douglas Seale as Count Arco, Miroslav Sekera as young Mozart, Cassie Stuart as Gertrude Schlumberg (Director’s Cut), John Strauss as Conductor, Karl-Heinz Teuber as Wig Salesman, and Rita Zohar as Frau Schlumberg (Director’s Cut).

Sir Peter Shaffer, the English playwright and screenwriter who won an Oscar for Amadeus and a nomination for Equus, died on 6 June 2016, aged 90.

RIP Roy Dotrice, who died on 16 October 2017, aged 94.

Milos Forman (1932–2018).

RIP Milos Forman, who won Best Director Oscars for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, and was nominated for The People vs Larry Flynt (1996). He died on 13 April 2018, aged 86.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 112

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