Amadeus
Directed by Miloš FormanThe life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart seen through the eyes of his contemporary and rival, Antonio Salieri.
Amadeus Ratings & Reviews
- MikeOctober 11, 2024Amadeus is a manifestation of perfection. A perfection that is rare to behold "32 years of slowly watching myself become extinct. My music growing fainter, all the time fainter till no one plays it at all, and his..." You would initially think that the title of this film is only reffering to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but it is reffering to both Mozart and Salieri. Salieri mentions at the beginning of the film that he devotes himself to God... Amare [Classical: äˈmäːrɛ] [Ecclesiastical: äˈmäːre] The Latin word for "to love" or "I love". Deus [Classical: ˈd̪e.ʊs] [Ecclestiastical: ˈd̪ɛː.us] The Latin word for "god" or "deity". The title reffering to both Mozart and Salieri symbolizes the connection of their love for music. A connection that is stronger than anything else, even Salieri's jealousy... Even though my reviews are mainly possitive, I always have some criticism when forming an opinion on a film. With Amadeus I could not find a single aspect that wasn't crafted into perfection. From the story, plot, cinematography, music (obviously), characters, character arcs, acting, costume design to the set design... everything was, in my opinion, perfect. A perfect film does not necessarily mean it is my favorite film, hence why Amadeus is not my most favorite film. My favorite film does not need to be perfect. The character arcs of both Mozart and Salieri were very interesting. Mozart went from this joyful and energetic person, to an obsessive and even depressed one. Salieri went from a calm and professional person, to a jealous and in some ways anarchic one. Throughout these strong changes one thing remains the same. Their love for music. The cinematography, especially in combination with the beautiful comstume and set design, created some very aesthetically pleasing visuals. But the prime element in this film is the music. Music that was created by Mozart himself. Not only do we see the amount of effort Mozart is putting in the creation of these musical compositions, but we simultaneously hear the remarkable result of them. This means that we do not only see the emotions of Mozart, but we also feel them through his music. This adds a lot to the immersion. Although this film is not large-scale, the powerful music left me the impression that I was watching an epic. Read full review at Letterboxd: Mike_v_E
- SamNovember 18, 2025the transcription scene was so good
- Eric BakkeOctober 9, 2024(Theatrical Version) Offers a unique and captivating portrayal of the life and genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and features the most exquisite soundtrack in film history. The use of music in "Amadeus" elevates the film to a transcendent and immersive experience, capturing the essence and power of Mozart's genius while enriching the storytelling and emotional resonance of the narrative.
- mickerdooOctober 30, 2025Story of envy set to an epic playlist. The design, costuming and opera scenes are bonkers. Easily rewatchable.
- Rob MacKinnonJuly 5, 2025Watched the 2024 restored theatrical cut. Brilliant. "Mediocrities everywhere... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you all."
- StevenSeptember 26, 2025A literal masterpiece that Mozart himself would probably be proud of. I saw this in 4k at a theater. Damn does it just hit harder on the big screen, in 4k, and with the audio. IMO one of the best movies ever made and the very best of the 80s.
- GerardOctober 18, 2025Surprised by this, expected less and got a lot more.
- Hrishi NaniOctober 10, 2025Absolute piece of art
- John ArnoldSeptember 8, 2025Long, beautiful, heartbreaking. One of my all time favourite movies.
- witty youngmanAugust 18, 2025This was charming. I didn’t look much into this one before watching it, but I did know it was worth watching from its notoriety. The ending was a decent twist! I liked the plot and I’m a music history buff, so this was a fun one to watch. A little long, but it had twists and turns.
- StairwaytothestarsAugust 10, 2025A classic.
- Vincent ReggianniniJuly 11, 2025I tried hard to like this movie. At the most I can appreciate it - the acting is convincing, from both Holst and Abraham’s - but everything else is just indecipherable pretentious nonsense. Part of the problem is the era in which this movie takes place - people behave very oddly. The ostentatious deference to royalty, the wigs, the flamboyant dress and the almost religious adulation of opera left me baffled, confused and feeling like I needed a bath (in boiling rubbing alcohol). The true history or Mozart and Saleri is both fascinating and alluring - conjuring modern day feelings of jealousy, anger, and an overriding sense that life is not fair - but this movie is just people at a costume party who take themselves a bit too seriously.
- Domenico AielloJune 22, 2025A true cinematic masterpiece, although the story behind Salieri's envy of Mozart is completely untrue.
Amadeus Trivia
Amadeus was released on September 19, 1984.
Amadeus was directed by Miloš Forman.
Amadeus has a runtime of 3 hr.
Amadeus was produced by Saul Zaentz.
The key characters in Amadeus are Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce), Constanze Mozart (Elizabeth Berridge).
Amadeus is rated PG.
Amadeus is a Drama, History, Biography film.
Amadeus has an audience rating of 9.5 out of 10.