Amadeus

SYNOPSIS

The winner of eight Oscars and an unexpected box-office smash, Amadeus is simply one of the finest biographical dramas ever made. Reworked rather than simply adapted by Peter Shaffer from his own hit play, the film is as much about the mediocrity and envy of the composer Antonio Salieri as it is about the eccentric genius of his rival Mozart. There is, therefore, a sort of poetic justice in the fact that F Murray Abraham - for those with an interest in biographical minutiae, the "F" stands for Fahrid - pipped Tom Hulce for the best actor award. But surely Jeffrey Jones deserved a nod for his delightful portrayal of Emperor Joseph II? Returning to Prague (standing in for Vienna) for the first time since the Soviet invasion in 1968, director Milos Forman and his regular cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek revel in the beauty of the city, but credit must also go to Patrizia von Brandenstein for her superb sets and inspired choice of location interiors. As one would expect, the music is majestic, thanks largely to Neville Marriner's outstanding interpretation of everything from gypsy dances to Don Giovanni. This director's cut of the film contains an extra 20 minutes of footage not seen in the original theatrical release.