Maestro Milos makes a masterpiece

Milos Forman pulled off a challenging task in taking the story about a classical composer and making it cinematically vibrant and relevant for contemporary audiences. Indeed, "Amadeus" stands up, 30 years later, as a riveting interpretation of Mozart's life and passion. Here is some conclusions our CineVerse group reached on this picture:

WHAT IS INTERESTING AND UNEXPECTED ABOUT THIS FILM?

·         The way it depicts a genius like Mozart as very coarse, vulgar, childish and human.

·         It’s actually more of Salieri’s story, with him serving as the narrator and telling the story in flashback; this is almost like a psychological confessional, as if he were the patient on the couch and we were the therapist listening to his secrets.

·         This is not meant to be historically accurate: for example, it is widely believed that Mozart died of rheumatic fever; here, Salieri is suggested to be a revenge-driven snake with murder in his heart. Yet, the fact that the story is told in flashback by an older and possibly insane narrator lets the filmmakers off the hook—he is not necessarily a reliable narrator.

·         The casting of Tom Hulce, perhaps best known prior to this for appearing in “Animal House,” was a surprise to many; he pulls off the role quite well, perhaps because he has an impish, boyish face and no haughty English accent—making Mozart more likeable and identifiable to viewers.

·         The movie doesn’t look or feel like a stodgy, traditional biopic or historical costume drama in its cinematic approach: it employs fast cuts, clever editing, and complex flashback-infused storytelling to tell its fairly chronologically progressive but also unconventionally nonlinear story.

WHAT THEMES ARE AT WORK IN AMADEUS?

·         Cain vs. Abel:  this is a tale about a good seed contrasted against a bad seed who is jealous and harbors evil thoughts

·         The struggle of the superego (Salieri, who is bound by convention and tradition) vs. the id (Mozart, who follows his base instincts but also doesn’t feel confined by what is expected of him in society or musically)

·         The conflict between Apollonian and Dionysian elements: the former follows measured restraint and tact (Salieri) while the latter pursues hedonistic ecstasies. In this way, Mozart is Salieri’s alter ego, personifying al the desires, talents and passions that Salieri lacks; conversely, Salieri has the manners, respect and modesty and gift for diplomacy that his rival lacks.

·         This is a study in many contrasts:  between genius and mediocrity, passion and sobriety, light and dark (consider how Mozart has light hair and is often shown in the light, while Salieri dresses in darker garb)

FILMS THAT AMADEUS REMINDS US OF:

·         Immortal Beloved

·         A Song to Remember and Impromptu, both about the composer/pianist Chopin

·         Eroica

·         Mahler

·         Shine

·         Lisztomania

OTHER FILMS BY MILOS FORMAN

·         One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

·         Ragtime

·         The  People Vs. Larry Flint

·         Man on the Moon