Amadeus
Don Ignacio Clazzek
Week of October 21 - October 27, 2001
Week of October 21 - October 27, 2001
Here is a prime example of American cinema at its best! Milos Forman (director of "Man on the Moon (1999)," "Hair (1979)," and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)") directs what is, arguably, his greatest masterpiece of all time!
This film is about the life and the mysterious death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played by Tom Hulce) as told by a jealous colleague, Antonio Salieri (played by F. Murray Abraham.) The performance by these two stars are, to say the least, magnificent! Tom Hulce (star of "National Lampoon's Animal House") gives an extremely effective, Oscar nominated performance of this most crude and rowdy musician. However, F. Murray Abraham, gives an unforgettable portrayal of Salieri, nabbing that Oscar away!
There are very few films that surpass "Amadeus" in quality. This movie is one of the best films in existence and, to no surprise, it won the 1984 Best Picture Academy Award! In fact, I am feeling so bold as to suggest that "Amadeus" is the best film to come out of the 1980's. (But I guess there really wasn't that much competition anyway.)
Why I enjoy this movie so much is how it perfectly combines whimsical comedy and tragic drama! Yes, this movie has a sense of humor! Some of it is dark in nature, but it's really quite humorous. The tragedy of this film (Mozart going mad and dying) is done incredibly well also. Another great thing about this movie is the fact that we can feel what the jealous Salieri is feeling. Salieri is a moderately talented musician and is completely respected in his field. However, when this rowdy, immoral character comes along who can write great masterpieces blindfolded, Salieri feels disenfranchised. After all, the respectful Salieri actually deserves the talent, not Mozart!
FINAL VERDICT: A+
Ahhhh! There are great movies out there other than Citizen Kane! I recommend this to EVERYBODY!! It's a must-see to the 100th degree! (And that's pretty darn big!)
____________________________________________________________________
History:
Released: September 19, 1984
Domestic Gross: $51,600,000
_____________________________________________
Full Cast:
F. Murray Abraham (As Mr. Lincoln), Tom Hulce (As Mr. College dropout), Elizabeth Berridge (As Queen Lizzy II), Simon Callow (As Mr. Says), Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones (hasn't caught Ferris yet), Charles Kay, Kenny Baker, Lisbeth Bartlett, Barbara Byrne
Directed by:
Milos Forman
____________________________________________________________________
1984 drama
Rated PG.
____________________________________________________________________
Don Ignacio's score: A+
Don Ignacio's Movie Reviews
Return to "A" Movies