Movie: Amadeus

Release Date: September 6, 1984

Director: Milos Foreman

Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay

Personal History: Watched Before

Rating: 8.5 Oscars out of 10

‘Amadeus’ was both a financial and critical success when it was released in 1984. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning eight including Best Picture. It has since become one of my favorite and most influential movies of all time. Here is an edited version of what I said about the film during my 365 Day Movie Challenge back in 2020. (Click here for the unedited version.)

From A Movie a Day Keeps the Doctor Away January 9, 2020:

Although I was aware of ‘Amadeus’ because of its huge dominance at the 1985 Academy Awards where it was nominated for eleven awards and won eight, I actually didn’t see the film until the spring of 1990. There was a resurgence of interest with the film before I saw it thanks to Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” being played on every radio station in the USA late 1985. The song spent three weeks on top of the Billboard charts in early 1986. To this day when anyone mentions this movie or even Mozart himself, Falco’s song jumps into my head. (In fact, when I told my husband what the movie of the day was today he replied, “Oh, rock me Amadeus!”)

In the spring of 1990, I was a freshman in college and I was taking a Box Office and Stage Management course. One of the final projects for the class was to complete a prompt book for the play “Amadeus” by Peter Shaffer. Once I read the play, just for additional reference as well as curiosity, I went to the local video store and rented the movie.

I’ve never been one of those critics that goes into a film after reading the source material and say, “Oh the book was so much better.” I’ve always been able to differentiate between the two and realize that they are two different mediums and that one is just an adaptation of whichever one came first. As long as the essence, spirit and ideas of one another are captured, I have no problems.

That was the case with ‘Amadeus,’ as I loved reading the play and thoroughly enjoyed watching the movie, which not surprisingly was written by the playwright himself, Peter Shaffer, for which he won an Academy Award. I remember thinking it was a long movie but cruised along easily thanks to the fantastic performances by the two male leads. Being in theater, I kept thinking these are two great roles that I would love to play on stage one day.

I really did enjoy the movie, but I don’t ever recall watching it again, even though I own a DVD version of it thanks to my collecting all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners. I reference it a lot when I am writing or rehearsing a show, but this might have more to do with studying the script from my class than actually watching the movie. But the visuals, sounds and performances from the movie are so ingrained in my conscience, it wouldn’t be fair to not give the movie its due respect.

I love re-watching movies (like ‘Amadeus’) not only for being entertained, but for catching some things I didn’t see (or remember) the first time around. For starters, there are penises. There are actually two penises shown and both can be seen quite early in the movie. Yes, that male part of the anatomy that Hollywood is so afraid to show actually has some screen time in a film made in the early 1980’s. Silly for some I know, but I never understood why seeing a man naked is taboo in film when women are always shown au naturale. Men need to drop their insecurities about their anatomy and then drop their pants, accepting what they have no matter the size or shape. So thank you Milos Foreman and producers of ‘Amadeus.’

I am also pleasantly surprised to see so many actors and actresses that I knew in the movie that I didn’t know were in it. Christine Ebersole (Tony award winning Broadway actress), Jeffrey Jones (the principal in ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’), Cynthia Nixon (Miranda!!) and Vincent Schiavelli (the subway ghost from ‘Ghost’) all play pretty substantial roles in ‘Amadeus.’ I love seeing famous people before they were famous or at least before I knew who they were.

My sentiment about a well crafted, well acted movie standing the test of time bears repeating when talking about ‘Amadeus.’ It is such a wonderful movie. I also have to beat a dead horse about the two male leads being absolutely astounding. Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham and Oscar nominated Tom Hulce are both at the top of their game. Of course, the roles are written beautifully, but their execution of the characters is flawless.

The costumes, sets and sounds are also exquisite. ‘Amadeus’ really is a work of art. It is no surprise that this movie was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”