Amadeus

Amadues; historical drama, USA, 1984; D: Miloš Forman, S: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Jeffrey Jones, Roy Dotrice, Simon Callow, Christine Ebersole
Vienna, 18th Century. A priest enters a mental institution in order to take a confession from the old composer Salieri who tells him about his life: as a young lad, he was a music composer for Austrian Emperor Joseph II, but he was always jealous of the cheerful Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) whose superior musical genius was simply outstanding. Mozart was unusual and loved women and alcohol, thus his operas were rather controversial since they played out in a brothel or mentioned the forbidden Figaro, but the Emperor and the people admired his music. Due to stress, Mozart died in front of Salieri in bed.

Winner of numerous awards for best picture, biographical drama "Amadues" is with its 160 minutes of running time undoubtedly too long and lethargic at times, but at the same time it is undoubtedly rich with absolutely brilliant moments and freshness. The bravest move of director Miloš Forman and screenwriter Peter Shaffer was to show the legendary Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart not as a serious, noble, idealised gentleman, but as a realistic, cheerful madman who talks stupidities and acts like a hyperactive kid. The whole story gains a distinctive edge thanks to the fascinating 'side character' Salieri (brilliant, albeit grumpy F. Murray Abraham), a mediocre music composer who begged for God to make him famous—and in return he will "practice chastity". But when he realizes that the best music he ever heard was composed precisely by the hedonistic womanizer Mozart, he declares his 'rebellion' against God and places the crucifix into the flame. The best scene is his shock due to admitting that Mozart still managed to achieve a great opera, but then thinks: "A miracle happened!" Namely, the Emperor yawned. 

The movie's biggest flaw is the mild epilogue, but as a whole it is an elite example of its genre, one of the best movies of the 80s. "Amadeus" is a surprisingly funny, unusual and quirky history lesson which shows how competition and jealousy are timeless human 'virtues', and also displays a bitter truth about life—some people simply have luck (Mozart was born with his talent, without having to work on it), while others are simply out of luck (no matter how much he tries, Salieri is simply not talented)—and that's just the way it is, it cannot be changed much. "Amadeus" is a meditation on the 'trauma of mediocrity'. There will always be a minority of those who are extraordinary in something, and a majority of those who are ordinary, and thus suffer because of it, attempting to reach greatness, to no avail. As Salieri is driven around the asylum, and forgives all the imperfect people around him ("Mediocrities everywhere... I absolve you...I absolve you..."), it sounds almost therapeutic, since he acknowledges that he, and them, are not at fault. They were simply born mediocre. As much as people like Mozart were born extraordinary.

Grade:+++