And the Best Picture goes to....
1984
Saul Zaentz, Producer
2 hours, 40 minutes
Estimated Budget $18,000,000
Rated PG
The Other Nominated Films
The Killing Fields
A Passage to India
Places in the Heart
A Soldier’s Story
Directed by Milos Forman Winner, Best Director
CAST:
F. Murray Abraham Winner, Best Actor
Tom Hulce Nominated, Best Actor
Elizabeth Berridge
Roy Dotrice
Also Nominated for
Peter Shaffer Winner, Best Adapted Screenplay
Patrizia von Brandenstein Winner, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
Karel Cerny
Theodor Pistek Winner, Best Costume Design
Mark Berger Winner, Best Sound
Thomas Scott
Todd Boekelheide
Christopher Newman
Paul LeBlanc Winner, Best Makeup
Dick Smith
Miroslav Ondricek Nominated, Best Cinematography
Nena Danevic Nominated, Best Film Editing
Michael Chandler
LOGLINE:
The story of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by his jealous adversary, Antonio Salieri.
REVIEW:
Based upon the stage play of the same name, “Amadeus” details a fictionalized rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Italian composer Antonio Salieri. The film is complemented by a beautiful Mozart soundtrack, opulent costumes, and some fine performances, most notably by F. Murray Abraham, who won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the embittered Salieri. His transformation through make-up to reflect an older character was impressive and likely contributed to the film also winning for Best Makeup.
Tom Hulce’s portrayal of Mozart earned him a Best Actor nomination, and while he did put in the effort by learning to play the piano and conduct an orchestra, his inane cackle quickly became like nails on a chalkboard, somewhat overshadowing his performance. Elizabeth Berridge’s role as Constanza, Mozart’s devoted wife, felt overlooked and she deserved recognition for her contribution to the film, as her performance added depth to the story.
“Amadeus” won awards for many of the right categories such as costumes, sets, and sound. However, I found myself struggling to truly connect with the film. Perhaps it’s the length, clocking in at over two and a half hours, that caused me to lose track of the plot. In the end, while it’s clear that the film has merits, I just didn’t feel it lived up to the hype.