Amadeus the movie

**LiLi** · Aug-28-2005, 07:31

This is probably my favorite movie ever. I KNOW its historically inaccurate. I KNOW its three hours long. but I love it. Anyone else??
I've always wondered what real Mozart enthusiasts think about Tom Hulce's portrayal of Mozart in this movie. Personally, I think he does a great job. Before I saw this movie, I had played a few of Mozart's pieces and just grouped him in with all the other composers. Yea Yea, Mozart. He's German. Just like half the other composers. Big deal. hehe. But Hulce's character actually got me really interested in Mozart and his music. I didn't know he was so WEIRD! I love it. It gave me a new way to look at his music and his life. If you havent seen it go out right now and get it.
Anyone else have any thoughts?

**Music_Junkie** · Sep-01-2005, 20:36

It's an awesome movie! I really love it! I especially love the big hair and laugh of Mozart. I think the way the movie is done and how Mozart's music is used to accent things is very skillfully done. Bravo! great film!

**Cameron_Nelson** · Sep-21-2005, 15:01

this movie was quite fun. the best part is when he is composing the confutatis part of his requiem on his deathbed, with him singing the melody with the music in the background.

**val** · Sep-26-2005, 12:13

Sorry, friends, but I hate that movie. In general, movies about composers, in special those who came from Hollywood are incredibly bad. Beethoven with Oldman ... brrr...
Since its beginning Hollywood has always promoted a war against History. See "The Gladiator" and that stupid "Alexander".

Want to see a good movie about a composer? Then go see "Touts les matins du monde".

**CML** · Oct-12-2006, 04:50

When Amadeus first came out, I saw it twice before it left the theatres. It's a brilliant movie. I do, however, feel that Mozart might be overrated in part because of it.
Don't get me wrong, he was most certainly a genius, but it seems to me that the hoopla
over him is a bit too much. Overall, I think J.S. Bach was a much better composer.
My primary concern with any composer is his music, not his idiosyncrasies.

**Gatton** · Dec-21-2006, 21:13

A fun movie. Make sure you get the director's cut as it makes the ending scene (where Constanze is very cold with Salieri) make more sense. And as a follow on from that Elizabeth Berridge presents two very big reasons to get the director's cut

**Shane** · Dec-21-2006, 22:23

Originally Posted by val

Sorry, friends, but I hate that movie. In general, movies about composers, in special those who came from Hollywood are incredibly bad. Beethoven with Oldman ... brrr...
Since its beginning Hollywood has always promoted a war against History. See "The Gladiator" and that stupid "Alexander".

Want to see a good movie about a composer? Then go see "Touts les matins du monde".

I agree with you on Amadeus. I'm not much of a Mozart fan though either (aside from the Requiem, and Haydn Quartets).
But I thought the Beethoven movie was decent for the most part (I am a Gary Oldman fan as well). Although the opening scene is just cheesy. With the close-up and the beginning of the 5th symphony. I wish they would have just left the 5th out of that movie all together. It has already been ruined by Hollywood. Plus, from a chronological perspective, I thought it made no sense to place the 5th symphony at the beginning of the film.

**Topaz** · Dec-21-2006, 23:47

The only films I like about music are ones with Pink Floyd in them, performing live. Ones about Beethoven or Mozart, or whoever, I wouldn't even bother glancing at. That kind of stuff doesn't interest me one bit. I'd sooner watch paint dry. They are bound to get it all wrong and project the wrong image about these people.

I've always had difficulty watching any movies about historical characters, ever since I saw Moses played by Charlton Heston. What a joke, that was. Then there was Cleoptara played by Liz Taylor. Zzzzzzz.

They can't even get the story right about fictional characters. I watched Gone With The Wind last Xmas, and what a complete travesty it was of a wonderful novel. I do like some films but there aren't many: Shawshank Redemption, Schindlers List, Bridge on the River Kwai, Great Escape are real classics. I guess there might be a few more but I can't remember them. Generally, I prefer British films than Hollywood blockbusters. Comedy films are OK like Pink Panther and the Ealing Comedies, and one or two War films.

So, yep they don't get much more cynical than me in the movie department, especially in regard to biopics about people I hold in high regard like Beethoven. Does this latest movie really start of with the opening bars of S 5? How stupid. I would switch it off straight away.

Topaz

**Hexameron** · Dec-22-2006, 01:21

Topaz, these movies are actually quite good compared to the drivel in most theatres now. Amadeus is a classic and Immortal Beloved is well done, although quite innacurate and at times ridiculous (the director's theory of the immortal beloved is the worst possible one). I've heard many good things about the newly released Copying Beethoven and I'm waiting for it to appear in theatres. Movies like Impromptu and Chopin: Desire for Love have their moments, and the Wagner mini-series with Richard Burton was exceptionally well done.

Compared to the inane garbage we have in America today like Beer Fest, Spider Man, Borat, and Eragon, I'll happily take movies like Amadeus and Immortal Beloved anyday.

**robert newman** · Dec-22-2006, 03:19

I quite like 'Amadeus'. It's exotic, racy, escapist and harmless. The actor who played Salieri was phenomenal. Great script (mostly). But another film which was just as good (a French one on the life and career of JS Bach, 'Il Etait une Fois' never even got to general release in the USA. I suppose it lacked something but it sure wasn't great music and at times deeply moving photography. It was as good as Amadeus in its own way.

**cmb** · Dec-22-2006, 13:09

Has anyone seen the 9-hour miniseries with Richard Burton as Wagner?

Worth it in the full version - there is a cut 4 hour version.
I also like Amadeus and Immortal Beloved - again, I know they are wrong, but if I'm goingto watch trash, I would rather watch that over, oh, any National Lampoon type film.

**Mark Harwood** · Mar-11-2007, 12:57

Bad films made from good books are beyond counting. They must put some people off reading the book. Perhaps there are bad films about good music, having a similar effect on a few people. I'd be surprised if a lively and entertaining film such as Amadeus didn't turn some people on to Mozart, or other classical music.

**Mr Salek** · Mar-13-2007, 19:24

I love films about composers, it's partly the reason I got so excited about Discovering Beethoven and the Vivaldi movie mentioned on these forums. Moments I like especially are when other composers wonder onto the scene and we get to see them interact with other composers. I don't really care if it's innacurate, it serves as a good film about the life of a composer. I hope more films are made using this concept.

**opus67** · Apr-07-2007, 14:10

OMG!

I just saw a couple of clips from this film on YouTube and was shocked! I can't believe that this bumbling buffoon of a character, at least as per the people who made the movie, could have written such works as the 40th symphony or the Requiem. I don't know the exact age of Mozart in that scene, but it was the one where he creates variations on a March written by Salieri, in the presence of the Austrian Emperor and others. Although I'm no expert on the life of Mozart or classical music, the way Mozart was portrayed (in that scene and the trailer) looked more like a parody.

I've heard that Salieri murdering Mozart is widely debunked, but what about the childishness of (adult) Mozart? Does history support that?

**Giovannimusica** · Apr-07-2007, 17:50

Navneeth,

I sometimes wonder how seriously one can take interpretations of Mozart's life, especially if it isn't backed up with critical research and scholarship. Methinks I can entertain the notion of Mozart from time to time engaging in a little *Frat Boy* temperament, poking fun at the established order, embarassing the ladies with ribald humour, some carousing and debauchery, all those *those* things which sometimes the male species of the human race is capable of. Some call it *letting off steam*.

Regards!

Giovanni

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