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This is one of my go-to movies because I can always lose myself in the music, the mise-en-scene, the performances, everything. It made me fall in love with opera when I first saw it thirty years ago and still has the same effect on me now.
@@TheIndianaGeoff Mozart's laugh, I presume? 😄 Tom Hulce said when they were looping the laugh in post-production, he was having trouble finding it. So he downed a bottle of whiskey. Then he got the giggles!
One of my good buddies and I really bonded when we both agreed that Amadeus is one of the greatest films ever made. The editing, lenses, compositions, lighting and color match the "creature's" music. The acting, the sets. I just can't get over how good this movie is. The intensity of everything is almost too much. Every time I think I may be over reacting about my praise for it, I watch scenes again and am reminded that I'm not. I have no words.
Thank you for this post. Amadeus is a movie that I absolutely adore; in fact, I watched it again just a month or two ago, not wanting to believe that it is already 40 years old. It will remain in the history as the best movie ever filmed. There are so many aspects of the movie that I loved, be it the actors, the locations in Prague and in Kroměříž, the plot, the flow, the costumes (Theodor Pištěk) and above all, the music. It's an absolute perfection.
One thing I love about Amadeus is that it has a real STORY... this could have just as easily taken place in a modern setting (jealousy, ambition, betrayal, duplicity, revenge, guilt, scheming). The problem with most period films is that they focus on very predictable & unrelatable subject matter & characters (wars, rulers, royalty, adventure, etc.). Amadeus follows the court composer and those who are grasping at the heels of power to sabotage an upstart colleague. A great idea for a story about human nature.
Thanks for the video! I agree with you this is a near masterpiece! All the performances are top notch, the movie flows flawlessly. One never gets the feeling it is three hours long, over 180 minutes of pure brilliance!
"staring through the cage of those meticulous ink strokes at an absolute beauty" tears me up every time. Very much a part of coming of age learning while you may be great at something, only a very few will be the best.
@@Wallyworld30 Kubrick was a master. Every one of his frames has such solidity and intent. I think that's what you get when you do 75-100 takes per scene! I'll be doing another production on Kubrick, even if you hated Amadeus. XD
Not for any particular reason, but this film has never appealed to me, but now I feel that I have missed out on a great movie. I am definitely going to watch it this weekend.
I felt the same way, it never appealed to me. Just watched the 3 hour Directors Cut and yes I think this is a masterpiece! I missed out on it at the time 🙌🏾👏🏾
This movie made me not just understand the genius of Mozart but the depth and beauty of classical music; Solieri describes why and how classical music is so much more powerful than anything written today
I was assigned to watch and write my thoughts about the ending of this film for my film class two years ago. It was 12 am, and I was dreading it. Within the first five minutes, I was absolutely entranced by the film and it remains my favorite to this day. Safe to say I enjoyed writing that essay.
I absolutely adore Amadeus. It is one of my all-time favourites. And, I noticed on one of my many rewatches, that the priest actually has full-blown character arc.
I first saw this movie around 1988 - I really enjoyed it but was surprised Tom Hulce didn't win the Academy Award. I was underwhelmed by F Murray Abraham. 35 years later, I've seen this movie every 2-3 years and consider it the greatest film of the 1980's and F Murray Abraham's performance was the superior one. This movie gets better and better with age.
Any time I'm asked what my favorite film is, this is it. Apart from its greatness in every technical category, production design, photography, music, performances, it's the writing and directing that elevates it to perfection. Every scene reinforces what the film is REALLY about. Yes, it's the story of Mozart's fall from grace. Yes, it's the story of Salieri's decent into madness. But Amadeus is really a cautionary tale about the destructive forces of envy. There's a comment below about Hulce behaving like Jim Carrey, playing Mozart like a man-boy incapable of having the intellect to compose the complexity of Mozart's music. That's the point! Salieri does EVERYTHING he can possibly think of to be a great, revered composer and it never happens. Instead, he has to witness it happening to Jim fucking Carrey! It literally drives him insane. As for Hulce's performance, rewatch the scenes of Mozart on his death bed with Salieri trying to keep up with him as he composes his Requiem. That's cinema firing on all cylinders. Every once in a while I'll meet others who love Amadeus and we'll end up quoting the many quotable moments in the film. Some people quote Caddyshack, some quote Amadeus. I rewatch the film often and every time it's like hanging out with a old friend.
@@TC24sevenTV Very well-said. Agreed on all points. You sound like you might be a writer or content creator yourself. Perhaps you should think about creating your own channel. I'm sure it would rock!
@@notallthatbad You're good. I've been writing and directing movies and tv since 1999. Before that I worked at MGM/UA and before that I worked in a video store. Movies and discussions about movies have been my constant since I was 17. Before I started directing, I stumbled upon a documentary called The Men Who Made The Movies. In it, George Cukor is interviewed and one of the last things he says regarding being a director is, "If you try, TRY, not to envy so much, you might stand a chance." At the time, I didn't get it. Of all the advice about directing, that's what he chose to share? Well, once my directing career got going, not only did I understand what he was saying but I realized it's a never-ending battle. It's why Cukor emphasizes "try" to let us know it's a fight we're probably not going to win. When directors were under contract with the studios back in the day, they would often be moved around during production. Cukor directed several weeks on The Wizard Of Oz but was moved over to Gone With The Wind. Victor Flemming took over Wizard Of Oz and received sole credit as its director. Cukor clashed with Clarke Gable on Gone With The Wind and ended up getting replaced by... Victor Flemming, who got sole credit as its director. Cukor went on to make a bunch of great movies, but when it comes to envy, good Lord! Two of the greatest movies of all time in your grasp that then slip away and fall into the hands of a fellow director who gets all the credit. To bring this tangent back to Amadeus, imagine Cukor there in the insane asylum with the priest, showing clips from his movies, to which the priest is oblivious. Then Cukor shows a clip from The Wizard Of Oz and the priest starts singing along, "Yes, I know this one! Oh, that's charming. I didn't know you directed that." Cukor responds, "I didn't. That... was Flemming. Victor Amadeus Flemming." I think that's why I love Amadeus so much. I can relate to Salieri. I think most people can. The grass is always greener... Here's a link to the doc. th-cam.com/video/joqikcLEjAA/w-d-xo.html
You know what’s crazy? It won 8 Oscars and editing wasn’t one of them…it’s probably the greatest edited film of all time…the way the use Mozart’s music to drive the film via editing should’ve been a guaranteed Oscar…it’s insane that it didn’t win that award.
I appreciate that although the overall story is not historically accurate, each character is generally historically accurate. This might be the best film of all time.
Most movies avoid dwelling too long on a single shot or scene because they know the audience will get bored. This is an obfuscated admission of defeat, saying that your movie needs to distract the audience before they notice how bad it is. Amadeus is the opposite of this. Shots and scenes go on for ages, and they're excellent all the way through. Several times I noticed this and thought to myself "this shot/scene has been going on for ages and it's still really good!" Amadeus is truly one of the best movies ever made.
Good point. I wonder if this has to do with dwindling attention spans over the years. It would make sense considering all of the jump cut hysteria we see in many videos on the internet these days.
I have strong feelings for this movie too. One of the first "favorite films" I fall for as a kid/young teenager. But, sadly, there are issues. Since your video is very insightful, I feel inspired to share some of them. You were talking about the flow of this masterpiece, and you're right! Then the "Director's Cut" came out. I saw it in the cinema. They added more scenes. And destroyed much of this flow and intensity in the process. Saleri just walking away and leaving Constance allone was much more powerful then "Come tonight" and her bare breasts scene. The "funny" dog scene with Mozart and his shy student in the home of his rich clients feels also quite empty and dragging to me. This longer version is the official now. I don't know to which version you're referring to. Futhermore not only the story is fictionous (which is a problem for itself, poor real Saleri!). One of the most important visual keys is also a "lie": the dramatic conducting. Yes, it's most iconic; you described the perfect transition from old to young, conducting Saleri. But there was no conducter in those days, it just looks "cool" to us "modern kids". Since I've learned that, it's like seeing Mozart and Saleri playing air guitar: more ridicoulus than "perfect". That said, it IS a wonderful movie. It transcends centurys by using Mozart's music as flawless score to a modern movie - an artform that didn't exist then. From the actors I would like to highlight Elisabeth Berridge. In the audiocommentary even Shaffer and Forman seemed to be surprised and stunned to see how brillant she was in her role.
Great points. You're right about the conducting aspect. Hand guided conducting only took off toward the mid-19th century. You probably heard the tragic (but darkly humorous) story of famous composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. He was conducting with a big staff, stabbed his toe and later died of gangrene from the wound. Yikes!
People watch this movie to show how sophisticated they are by knowing that the little boy in the party scene is supposed to be Beethoven. F. Murray Abraham's Oscar doesn't seem to have helped his movie career much, and Tom Hulce has pretty much disappeared. And don't get me started about Elizabeth Berridge's whiny Valley Girl accent, or the basic absurdity of the story. Nice sets and costumes, though, except for the "Magic Flute" set that looks like the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland.
I've heard this Beethoven theory before, but haven't found any evidence to back it up. Sounds more like myth to me. Not sure why both prominent actors disappeared after the films. They did a wonderful job.
@@notallthatbad It is said Abraham was a deeply frustrated actor before this film (much "Saleri" in him...) and an arrogant prick after his Oscar, therefore nobody wanted to work with him again.
Understood, yet at the same time, I think this may have been the point and what fueled Salieri's despair. Mozart's goofy, immature, clownish behavior compared to the dedicated, "by the book" approach of Salieri is what creates the dynamic and injustice the latter feels. Salieri said it best: "From now on, we are enemies - You and I. Because You choose for Your instrument a boastful, lustful, smutty, infantile boy and give me for reward only the ability to recognize the incarnation. Because You are unjust, unfair, unkind, I will block You. I swear it."
This move came so close to greatness. F. Murray Abraham was nothing short of amazing. His portrayal of Salieri was completely mind blowing. Amadeus on the other hand was disastrous. Tom Hulce brought a Jim Carey like quality that just didn't belong. I don't think he captured the quirks of Amadeus. Instead, he turned Motzart into a clownish man boy that lacked the intellect to compose music on the level that Amadeus could. So close, yet so far.
Amadeus is extremely overrated. It was a good attempt at capturing the same moment in time as Barry Lyndon (1975) and imo failed. It's a very plodding and the story just crawls along at a snails pace and I will NOT be wasting my time with this picture again. It's not terrible by any means but just a very disappointing if you have already seen the aforementioned Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.
💬 Thanks for watching! If you enjoy the content and want to support the channel, consider checking out our sponsor, Oral Snoberts - www.oralsnoberts.com 🦷 Their premium powdered mouthwash is perfect for those who care about what they put in their bodies. Use it as a toothpaste enhancer, mouthwash, or even aromatherapy. No harsh chemicals, just pure, refreshing clean. Not only will you be doing your smile a favor, but every purchase helps keep this channel going strong! Head over to www.oralsnoberts.com and grab yours today! Your support means the world to us. 🙌✨
F. Murray Abraham would still be remembered even if he never had acted again.
This is one of my go-to movies because I can always lose myself in the music, the mise-en-scene, the performances, everything. It made me fall in love with opera when I first saw it thirty years ago and still has the same effect on me now.
@@jonathanstempleton7864 truly! It's as fresh today as it was 40+ years ago.
Haaa haa haa ha ha haaaeeeeee
@@TheIndianaGeoff Mozart's laugh, I presume? 😄 Tom Hulce said when they were looping the laugh in post-production, he was having trouble finding it. So he downed a bottle of whiskey. Then he got the giggles!
One of my good buddies and I really bonded when we both agreed that Amadeus is one of the greatest films ever made. The editing, lenses, compositions, lighting and color match the "creature's" music. The acting, the sets. I just can't get over how good this movie is. The intensity of everything is almost too much. Every time I think I may be over reacting about my praise for it, I watch scenes again and am reminded that I'm not. I have no words.
Thank you for this post. Amadeus is a movie that I absolutely adore; in fact, I watched it again just a month or two ago, not wanting to believe that it is already 40 years old. It will remain in the history as the best movie ever filmed. There are so many aspects of the movie that I loved, be it the actors, the locations in Prague and in Kroměříž, the plot, the flow, the costumes (Theodor Pištěk) and above all, the music. It's an absolute perfection.
One thing I love about Amadeus is that it has a real STORY... this could have just as easily taken place in a modern setting (jealousy, ambition, betrayal, duplicity, revenge, guilt, scheming). The problem with most period films is that they focus on very predictable & unrelatable subject matter & characters (wars, rulers, royalty, adventure, etc.). Amadeus follows the court composer and those who are grasping at the heels of power to sabotage an upstart colleague. A great idea for a story about human nature.
@@nicknoga564 Great points and very well-said!
Thanks for the video! I agree with you this is a near masterpiece! All the performances are top notch, the movie flows flawlessly. One never gets the feeling it is three hours long, over 180 minutes of pure brilliance!
"staring through the cage of those meticulous ink strokes at an absolute beauty" tears me up every time. Very much a part of coming of age learning while you may be great at something, only a very few will be the best.
Yes, it's such a wonderfully written line delivered so well.
If you enjoyed Amadeus I highly recommend Barry Lyndon. Every frame of Kubrick's Masterpiece looks like a painting out of an art museum.
@@Wallyworld30 Kubrick was a master. Every one of his frames has such solidity and intent. I think that's what you get when you do 75-100 takes per scene! I'll be doing another production on Kubrick, even if you hated Amadeus. XD
I just wish they would show it on TV more often, instead of the Fast and the Furious ad nauseum
Not for any particular reason, but this film has never appealed to me, but now I feel that I have missed out on a great movie. I am definitely going to watch it this weekend.
I hope you find yourself enjoying it. 👍
Do come back and let us know!
I felt the same way, it never appealed to me. Just watched the 3 hour Directors Cut and yes I think this is a masterpiece! I missed out on it at the time 🙌🏾👏🏾
This movie made me not just understand the genius of Mozart but the depth and beauty of classical music; Solieri describes why and how classical music is so much more powerful than anything written today
I was assigned to watch and write my thoughts about the ending of this film for my film class two years ago. It was 12 am, and I was dreading it. Within the first five minutes, I was absolutely entranced by the film and it remains my favorite to this day. Safe to say I enjoyed writing that essay.
@@Viridiiana nice! What did you end up writing about it?
@ I wrote something about the symbolism on amadeus’ laugh at the end:)
I absolutely adore Amadeus. It is one of my all-time favourites.
And, I noticed on one of my many rewatches, that the priest actually has full-blown character arc.
I first saw this movie around 1988 - I really enjoyed it but was surprised Tom Hulce didn't win the Academy Award. I was underwhelmed by F Murray Abraham. 35 years later, I've seen this movie every 2-3 years and consider it the greatest film of the 1980's and F Murray Abraham's performance was the superior one. This movie gets better and better with age.
They were both so spot on for their roles. From Tom's energy and Murray's nuance - just splendid all around.
They sure don't make movies like this anymore!😢
Any time I'm asked what my favorite film is, this is it. Apart from its greatness in every technical category, production design, photography, music, performances, it's the writing and directing that elevates it to perfection. Every scene reinforces what the film is REALLY about. Yes, it's the story of Mozart's fall from grace. Yes, it's the story of Salieri's decent into madness. But Amadeus is really a cautionary tale about the destructive forces of envy. There's a comment below about Hulce behaving like Jim Carrey, playing Mozart like a man-boy incapable of having the intellect to compose the complexity of Mozart's music. That's the point! Salieri does EVERYTHING he can possibly think of to be a great, revered composer and it never happens. Instead, he has to witness it happening to Jim fucking Carrey! It literally drives him insane. As for Hulce's performance, rewatch the scenes of Mozart on his death bed with Salieri trying to keep up with him as he composes his Requiem. That's cinema firing on all cylinders. Every once in a while I'll meet others who love Amadeus and we'll end up quoting the many quotable moments in the film. Some people quote Caddyshack, some quote Amadeus. I rewatch the film often and every time it's like hanging out with a old friend.
@@TC24sevenTV Very well-said. Agreed on all points. You sound like you might be a writer or content creator yourself. Perhaps you should think about creating your own channel. I'm sure it would rock!
@@notallthatbad You're good. I've been writing and directing movies and tv since 1999. Before that I worked at MGM/UA and before that I worked in a video store. Movies and discussions about movies have been my constant since I was 17. Before I started directing, I stumbled upon a documentary called The Men Who Made The Movies. In it, George Cukor is interviewed and one of the last things he says regarding being a director is, "If you try, TRY, not to envy so much, you might stand a chance." At the time, I didn't get it. Of all the advice about directing, that's what he chose to share? Well, once my directing career got going, not only did I understand what he was saying but I realized it's a never-ending battle. It's why Cukor emphasizes "try" to let us know it's a fight we're probably not going to win. When directors were under contract with the studios back in the day, they would often be moved around during production. Cukor directed several weeks on The Wizard Of Oz but was moved over to Gone With The Wind. Victor Flemming took over Wizard Of Oz and received sole credit as its director. Cukor clashed with Clarke Gable on Gone With The Wind and ended up getting replaced by... Victor Flemming, who got sole credit as its director. Cukor went on to make a bunch of great movies, but when it comes to envy, good Lord! Two of the greatest movies of all time in your grasp that then slip away and fall into the hands of a fellow director who gets all the credit. To bring this tangent back to Amadeus, imagine Cukor there in the insane asylum with the priest, showing clips from his movies, to which the priest is oblivious. Then Cukor shows a clip from The Wizard Of Oz and the priest starts singing along, "Yes, I know this one! Oh, that's charming. I didn't know you directed that." Cukor responds, "I didn't. That... was Flemming. Victor Amadeus Flemming."
I think that's why I love Amadeus so much. I can relate to Salieri. I think most people can. The grass is always greener...
Here's a link to the doc. th-cam.com/video/joqikcLEjAA/w-d-xo.html
That's a potent allegory. Poor Cukor - must have been tough seeing those two famous movies get to another director and see them become classics.
5:05
Yes, indeed!
Wolfgang Mozart's music is a major principal character in this magnificent movie.
🎹🎼🎵🎶
Love this movie and it's actors. Impeccable.
Truly!
You know what’s crazy? It won 8 Oscars and editing wasn’t one of them…it’s probably the greatest edited film of all time…the way the use Mozart’s music to drive the film via editing should’ve been a guaranteed Oscar…it’s insane that it didn’t win that award.
@@matthewfrost6226 Agreed. The editing is really what made this movie sing.
I appreciate that although the overall story is not historically accurate, each character is generally historically accurate. This might be the best film of all time.
Most movies avoid dwelling too long on a single shot or scene because they know the audience will get bored.
This is an obfuscated admission of defeat, saying that your movie needs to distract the audience before they notice how bad it is.
Amadeus is the opposite of this. Shots and scenes go on for ages, and they're excellent all the way through. Several times I noticed this and thought to myself "this shot/scene has been going on for ages and it's still really good!"
Amadeus is truly one of the best movies ever made.
Good point. I wonder if this has to do with dwindling attention spans over the years. It would make sense considering all of the jump cut hysteria we see in many videos on the internet these days.
It were one of my top 3 movies for decades. I think it's the best Drama ever made.
A great deal of the movie is fiction and has received much criticism from music experts, but the film turned millions on to classical music.
Great video, i've got a wee soft spot for this film. Love to revisit it after a while
Perfect, timeless film
Agreed!
Masterpiece from beginning till end,up there with Braveheart
❤ Great Review! 👍🏼
Thank you!
(Mozart laugh here)
it the greatedt movie of ALL time.
I have strong feelings for this movie too. One of the first "favorite films" I fall for as a kid/young teenager. But, sadly, there are issues. Since your video is very insightful, I feel inspired to share some of them.
You were talking about the flow of this masterpiece, and you're right! Then the "Director's Cut" came out. I saw it in the cinema. They added more scenes. And destroyed much of this flow and intensity in the process. Saleri just walking away and leaving Constance allone was much more powerful then "Come tonight" and her bare breasts scene. The "funny" dog scene with Mozart and his shy student in the home of his rich clients feels also quite empty and dragging to me. This longer version is the official now. I don't know to which version you're referring to.
Futhermore not only the story is fictionous (which is a problem for itself, poor real Saleri!). One of the most important visual keys is also a "lie": the dramatic conducting. Yes, it's most iconic; you described the perfect transition from old to young, conducting Saleri. But there was no conducter in those days, it just looks "cool" to us "modern kids". Since I've learned that, it's like seeing Mozart and Saleri playing air guitar: more ridicoulus than "perfect".
That said, it IS a wonderful movie. It transcends centurys by using Mozart's music as flawless score to a modern movie - an artform that didn't exist then. From the actors I would like to highlight Elisabeth Berridge. In the audiocommentary even Shaffer and Forman seemed to be surprised and stunned to see how brillant she was in her role.
Great points. You're right about the conducting aspect. Hand guided conducting only took off toward the mid-19th century. You probably heard the tragic (but darkly humorous) story of famous composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. He was conducting with a big staff, stabbed his toe and later died of gangrene from the wound. Yikes!
I love this film.
People decide what qualifies as a masterpiece and what does not!
One of my personal favorites… I agree with a creator of the video
I agree with the commenter! XD
Rock me Amadeus.
@@vaderbase Eat me, I'm a Danish.
People watch this movie to show how sophisticated they are by knowing that the little boy in the party scene is supposed to be Beethoven. F. Murray Abraham's Oscar doesn't seem to have helped his movie career much, and Tom Hulce has pretty much disappeared. And don't get me started about Elizabeth Berridge's whiny Valley Girl accent, or the basic absurdity of the story. Nice sets and costumes, though, except for the "Magic Flute" set that looks like the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland.
I've heard this Beethoven theory before, but haven't found any evidence to back it up. Sounds more like myth to me. Not sure why both prominent actors disappeared after the films. They did a wonderful job.
@@notallthatbad It is said Abraham was a deeply frustrated actor before this film (much "Saleri" in him...) and an arrogant prick after his Oscar, therefore nobody wanted to work with him again.
Always thought Hulce was miscast. Too goofy.
Understood, yet at the same time, I think this may have been the point and what fueled Salieri's despair. Mozart's goofy, immature, clownish behavior compared to the dedicated, "by the book" approach of Salieri is what creates the dynamic and injustice the latter feels. Salieri said it best:
"From now on, we are enemies - You and I. Because You choose for Your instrument a boastful, lustful, smutty, infantile boy and give me for reward only the ability to recognize the incarnation. Because You are unjust, unfair, unkind, I will block You. I swear it."
This move came so close to greatness. F. Murray Abraham was nothing short of amazing. His portrayal of Salieri was completely mind blowing. Amadeus on the other hand was disastrous. Tom Hulce brought a Jim Carey like quality that just didn't belong. I don't think he captured the quirks of Amadeus. Instead, he turned Motzart into a clownish man boy that lacked the intellect to compose music on the level that Amadeus could. So close, yet so far.
Amadeus is extremely overrated. It was a good attempt at capturing the same moment in time as Barry Lyndon (1975) and imo failed. It's a very plodding and the story just crawls along at a snails pace and I will NOT be wasting my time with this picture again. It's not terrible by any means but just a very disappointing if you have already seen the aforementioned Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.