One of the better films the eighties ever produced us with was Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. The film never loses your attention, and has many advantages to it that help it do this.

For one, you have Mozart's music. It's friggin' brilliant, and I'd cuss if I was permitted to, to describe the wonders of this stuff. The music... its just amazing. As the film's antagonist, Salieri, describes its beauty, you sympathize with his every word. It really is beauty, and if you're into music, you might find that often with a song you've never heard, you may end up trying to predict the notes as the song to see how if you're as good, or better than, the composer. Mozart outsmarts you everytime. He was a brilliant man. Truly.

And then you have Elizabeth Berridge. Only God Himself could probably describe the beauty this woman has been endowed with. She is amazingly attractive- more beautiful than any woman I've ever seen, and that's no exaggeration. The girl... she's just indescribable. Purely amazing. I hate how the Director's Cut demeans her beauty by showing her breasts. Its a good scene, and it explains a lot, but still... it demeans her. And I'll tell you what... it must suck having to show your breasts while filming, only to have that scene edited out for the original cut. If I was ever to go nude while filming, they damn well better put into the final cut, or all that nudity would have been for nothing.

Berridge is a fine actor (and woman), but it is not her acting that carries the film in that department. It is surely the work of both Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham. Hulce has doesn't done much since, which is a real surprise considering his talent- I personally don't know much about Mozart's true nature, but the film's portrayal of it is pretty funny (its impossible not to mention that insane laugh), and Hulce is simply unforgettable. When he works with Abraham, they are an incredible pair, particular in one of the film's most silently intense scenes, where Salieri (Abraham) writes down Mozart's music while Mozart composes it in his mind. Its incredibly brilliant.

While most would hail it as a great movie, many would complain about Amadeus' probable historical inaccuracy, which is that Salieri, who really existed, conspired to take Mozart's music, pretend it to be his own, and play it at his funeral after he had killed him, which would immortalize him, as long as everyone knew it was not he who caused Wolfy's death. Many say Salieri was simply a good friend of Mozart's, and... maybe this was true? I have no idea, not having been alive at the times, and the History Channel says Mozart actually did claim that Salieri was trying to poison him, but...

History. It sucks.

Damn, this is a good movie, and if I ever get around to making a new Top 20, I'm sure this would be in it. The film is just brilliant- Milos Forman knew exactly what sort of inserts to put into this movie with the music. We are struck by the power of every single note. A movie is best at creating drama when it leaves its viewers completely open to it, and it does this by having a great sense of humor. Amadeus executes this perfectly- the humor involved leaves us unprepared for the sad sequences to follow- when Salieri burns his cross, when Mozart's wife tries to bribe Salieri... its all just magical. Forman has delivered a fine, fine film, filled with a very fine cast, and the most wonderful music ever put on film.

Rating: A+

Note: I did see the original twice on VHS before I bought the Director's Cut, which is the only copy available in my area on DVD. I am not sure which one I prefer- the original flows better, but the Director's Cut explains things with far more quality. But both copies are excellent.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older