Amadeus (1984)

Amadeus, 180min, United States

Drama

Miloš Forman, Tom Hulce, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay, Kenneth McMillan, Fahrid Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Berridge, Lenka Loubalová

Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) claims he’s killed legendary composer, Wolfang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). He is now of old age and recounts the stories of his youth and his interactions with Mozart to a priest. The story flashbacks to when the two first met. Mozart, already a star, was hired to write a complete opera in German. He is not exactly the most pleasant human being and Salieri finds Mozart rather immature and arrogant. Still, no one, not even Salieri, can deny his brilliance. Plagued with a deep and heavy jealousy, Salieri begins to chip away at Mozart in whatever way possible—using Mozart’s strained relationship with his father to his advantage by making Mozart feel extreme guilt over the state of his and his father’s relationship. This event was the trigger to Mozart’s slight-insanity and the event that led to Mozart’s debilitating health. Salieri, in his old age, must deal with the ramifications and guilt of having killed one of history’s greatest artists.