AMADEUS
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
**1/2 (out of 4 = OK) 1984, PG, 158 minutes [2 hours, 38 minutes] [drama] starring: Tom Hulce (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), F. Murray Abraham (Salieri), Elizabeth Berridge (Constanze Mozart), Jeffrey Jones (Emperor Joseph II), written by Peter Shaffer (based on his play), produced by Saul Zaentz, directed by Milos Forman.
At first glance, "Amadeus" seems like a filmed version of a classic story, but it quickly throws in modern elements to lighten the mood and make everything more relatable. I liked what I saw at first, but in a way I felt as if I was being talked down to. And just as I started to catch on, the film lost me. The opening scenes quickly establish and foreshadow the mood and settings for the rest of the film. We meet Antonio Salieri (Abraham), an old man in an asylum in early 19th century Europe. He is a bitter old man and when he is visited by a Catholic priest he is very spiteful, almost hostile towards him and what he stands for. He then proceeds to tell his tale of his personal vendetta against "The Great" Mozart. Tom Hulce stars as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who seems like a college frat boy stuck in the body of this period character. I really didn't have a problem with this because this is supposedly true and it does keep with the rest of the lighthearted, almost satirical mood. Salieri is the court composer to Emperor Joseph II (Jones), and when Mozart is invited into the royal manner and astounds everyone, Salieri is quietly enraged with jealously. He seems to be the most serious character and aspect to the film throughout the first half. There isn't really a definite plot to this film, and it doesn't make a difference for the most part. The story is somewhat of a biography of Mozart and his rebellious lifestyle as he constantly writes operas that shock the royals and the higher-ups, but always seem to accomplish his goals in the end. It is also a philosophical and spiritual allegory as we learn how Salieri forms a hatred against God. Why should this "punk" be blessed with such talent when he has worked so much harder and is not recognized as the genius he is? Like most people, I don't understand opera and the first half seemed to recognize this and worked around it well. The movie had been an interesting biographical drama up until the very middle and then seemed to take a nose dive. We had been following Salieri's subtle plans of sabotage, but this element seems to be forgotten and all that we get is a confusing story of Mozart's later works and his complicated relationship with his wife Constanze (Berridge) and the generic love/hate relationship with his overbearing father. The music itself also plays a very important role in the film, and I'd have to applaud the filmmakers for being able to synchronize it as well as they did. The only problem is there's too much of it here. Just scene after scene of operas that are probably symbolic of the conflict between Mozart and Salieri, his father, and his wife. But it's not nearly as easy to follow as the beginning of the film had been and I felt stupid for not being able to follow it. There is a scene in the first act that perfectly symbolizes my view of "Amadeus." After Emperor Joseph II has watched his first Mozart opera, he says he liked it, but there were "too many notes." I'd have to say the same to Shaffer, Zaentz, and Forman: "Your movie is good but it's just too much. I don't understand what the point was, but you did a fair job in making it." (4/3/97) (5/21/97) [also by Forman: "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," "The People Vs. Larry Flynt"]
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