Amadeus

I first heard about this film through some friends who recommended it as a better version of Immortal Beloved. Immortal Beloved is a somewhat fiction account of the life of Beethoven staring Gary Oldman. I first became interested in it because Roger Ebert wrote that there is one scene that can stand alone as one of the best scenes ever in a film and I agree. It is quite brilliant and moving. These friends watched Immortal Beloved and commented that they still enjoyed Amadeus more. That was all I needed. I should really see this movie.

This film follows a vulgar Mozart and a jealous rival, Salieri. Mozart is flaunty, loud, and crude. Salieri cannot stand that so much talent has been wasted in such a louse. Although Salieri is respected for his talent, he sees the true genius in Mozart even when others find his music new and odd. He befriends the young musician all the while plotting against him and sabotaging shows.

As the movie progresses, Salieri’s obsession with Mozart continues to grow and at the end of his life in an asylum, he still reminisces about his own jealousy, Mozart, and the true brilliance of Mozart’s music.

Amadeus was a long movie. Although I cannot recall the exact running time- its pace was a little plodding and the madness of Mozart was maddening at times. Looking back I see how Salieri’s obsession consumed the film and in order to appreciate his obsession the viewer had to experience Mozart’s bizarre and annoying behavior. I am not saying I enjoyed the full journey, but I appreciated it once I arrived at the destination.