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Amadeus (1984)
- Starring:
- F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, (more)
- Director(s):
- Milos Forman
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG
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For this film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's Broadway hit, director Milos Forman returned to the city of Prague that he'd left behind during the Czech political crises of 1968, bringing along his usual cinematographer and fellow Czech expatriate, Miroslav Ondricek. Amadeus is an expansion of a Viennese "urban legend" concerning the death of 18th-century musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From the vantage point of an insane asylum, aging royal composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) recalls the events of three decades earlier, when the young Mozart (Tom Hulce) first gained favor in the court of Austrian emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). Salieri was incensed that God would bless so vulgar and obnoxious a young snipe as Mozart with divine genius. Why was Salieri--so disciplined, so devoted to his art, and so willing to toady to his superiors--not touched by God? Unable to match Mozart's talent, Salieri uses his influence in court to sabotage the young upstart's career. Disguising himself as a mysterious benefactor, Salieri commissions the backbreaking "Requiem," which eventually costs Mozart his health, wealth, and life. Among the film's many pearls of dialogue, the best line goes to the Emperor, who rejects a Mozart composition on the grounds that it has "too many notes." Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham. In 2002, the film received a theatrical re-release as "Amadeus: The Director's Cut," a version that includes 22 minutes of additional footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 180 mins
Complete Cast:
- F. Murray Abraham - Antonio Salieri
- Elizabeth Berridge - Constance Mozart
- Roy Dotrice - Leopold Mozart
- Jeffrey Jones - Emperor Joseph II
- Kenny Baker - Parody Comendatore
- Barbara Byrne - Frau Weber
- Brian Pettifer - Hospital Attendant
- Patrick Hines - Kappelmeister Bonno
- Philip Lenkowsky - Salieri's Servant
- Vincent Schiavelli - Salieri's Valet
- Nicholas Kepros - Archbishop Colloredo
- Roderick Cook - Count Von Strack
- Jonathan Moore - Baron Van Swieten
- Tom Hulce - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Simon Callow - Emanuel Schikaneder
- Christine Ebersole - Katerina Cavalieri
- Charles Kay - Count Orsini-Rosenberg
- Lisbeth Bartlett - Papagena
- Martin Cavani - Young Salieri
- Cynthia Nixon - Lorl
- John Strauss - Conductor
- Douglas Seale - Count Arco
- Karl-Heinz Teuber - Wig Salesman
- Miroslav Sekera - Young Mozart
- Herman Meckler - Priest
- Director(s):
- Milos Forman
- Writer(s):
- Peter Shaffer
- Producer(s):
- Bertil Ohlsson, Saul Zaentz, Michael Hausman
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG(Adult Language, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children)
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- 1998 - Amadeus - American Film Institute - 100 Greatest American Movies
- 1984 - Amadeus - French Academy of Cinema - Best Foreign Film
- 1984 - Amadeus - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Drama
- 1984 - Amadeus - Golden Globe - Best Screenplay
- 1984 - Amadeus - Golden Globe - Best Director
- 1984 - Amadeus - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
- 1984 - Amadeus - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Actor
- 1984 - Amadeus - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Screenplay
- 1984 - Amadeus - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Picture
- 1984 - Amadeus - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Director
