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Amadeus
Amadeus

8.0

Amadeus

R·1984·160m

Summary

Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Viennese composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Cast

F. Murray Abraham

F. Murray Abraham

Antonio Salieri

Tom Hulce

Tom Hulce

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Elizabeth Berridge

Elizabeth Berridge

Constanze Mozart

Simon Callow

Simon Callow

Emanuel Schikaneder

Roy Dotrice

Roy Dotrice

Leopold Mozart

Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole

Katerina Cavalieri

Jeffrey Jones

Jeffrey Jones

Emperor Joseph II

Charles Kay

Charles Kay

Count Orsini-Rosenberg

Kenny Baker

Kenny Baker

Parody Commendatore

Lisbeth Bartlett

Papagena

Barbara Bryne

Barbara Bryne

Frau Weber

Martin Cavani

Young Salieri

Roderick Cook

Roderick Cook

Count Von Strack

Milan Demjanenko

Karl Mozart

Peter DiGesu

Francesco Salieri

Richard Frank

Richard Frank

Father Vogler

Patrick Hines

Kappelmeister Bonno

Nicholas Kepros

Archbishop Colloredo

Philip Lenkowsky

Philip Lenkowsky

Salieri's Servant

Herman Meckler

Priest

Jonathan Moore

Baron Van Swieten

Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon

Lorl

Brian Pettifer

Brian Pettifer

Hospital Attendant

Vincent Schiavelli

Vincent Schiavelli

Salieri's Valet

Douglas Seale

Douglas Seale

Count Arco

Miroslav Sekera

Young Mozart

John Strauss

Conductor

Karl-Heinz Teuber

Karl-Heinz Teuber

Wig Salesman

Miro Grisa

Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Samuel Ramey

Samuel Ramey

Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Helena Cihelníková

Countess in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Felicity Lott

Felicity Lott

Countess in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Karel Gult

Count Almaviva in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Richard Stilwell

Richard Stilwell

Count Almaviva in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Zuzana Kadlecová

Susanna in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Isobel Buchanan

Isobel Buchanan

Susanna in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Magda Čelakovská

Cherubino in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Anne Howells

Anne Howells

Cherubino in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Slavěna Drášilová

Barbarina in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Deborah Rees

Barbarina in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Eva Šenková

Marcellina in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Patricia Payne

Marcellina in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Leoš Kratochvíl

Basilio in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Alexander Oliver

Alexander Oliver

Basilio in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Gino Zeman

Don Curzio in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Robin Leggate

Robin Leggate

Don Curzio in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Jaroslav Mikulín

Dr. Bartolo in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

John Tomlinson

John Tomlinson

Dr. Bartolo in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Ladislav Krečmer

Antonio in 'The Marriage of Figaro'

Willard White

Willard White

Antonio in 'The Marriage of Figaro' (singing voice)

Karel Fiala

Karel Fiala

Don Giovanni in 'Don Giovanni'

Richard Stilwell

Richard Stilwell

Don Giovanni in 'Don Giovanni' (singing voice)

Jan Blažek

Commendatore in 'Don Giovanni'

John Tomlinson

John Tomlinson

Commendatore in 'Don Giovanni' (singing voice)

Zdeněk Jelen

Leporello in 'Don Giovanni'

Willard White

Willard White

Leporello in 'Don Giovanni' (singing voice)

Suzanne Murphy

Cavalieri in 'Axur' (singing voice)

Suzanne Murphy

Constanza in 'Abduction from the Seraglio' (singing voice)

June Anderson

Queen of the Night in 'The Magic Flute' (singing voice)

Milada Čechalová

Queen of the Night in 'The Magic Flute'

Brian Kay

Papageno in 'The Magic Flute' (singing voice)

Lisbeth Bartlett

Papagena in 'The Magic Flute'

Gillian Fisher

Papagena in 'The Magic Flute' (singing voice)

John Carrafa

John Carrafa

Dancer

Sara Clifford

Dancer

Richard Colton

Dancer

Shelley Freydont

Dancer

Anne Glasner

Dancer

Barbara Hoom

Dancer

Mary Ann Kellogg

Dancer

Raymond Kurshals

Raymond Kurshals

Dancer

John Malashock

Dancer

Jennifer Rawe

Dancer

Tom Rawe

Tom Rawe

Dancer

William Whitener

Dancer

Hana Brejchová

Hana Brejchová

Memeber of the Emperor's Family

Miriam Chytilová

Miriam Chytilová

Sophie Weber

Karel Effa

Karel Effa

Leporello

Radka Fidlerová

Radka Fidlerová

Soprano

René Gabzdyl

Pasha

Karel Hábl

Karel Hábl

Emperor's Spy

Aťka Janoušková

Aťka Janoušková

Dwarf

Marta Jarolímková

Princess Elisabeth

Gabriela Krčková

Singer

Vladimír Krouský

Dwarf

Jiří Krytinář

Jiří Krytinář

Dwarf

Jan Kuželka

Jan Kuželka

Salieri's Chef

Radka Kuchařová

Blonda

Jiří Lír

Jiří Lír

Salzburg Man

Lenka Loubalová

Lenka Loubalová

Singer

Dagmar Mašková

Singer

Ladislav Mikeš

Dwarf

Jitka Molavcová

Jitka Molavcová

Actress

Jana Musilová

Dwarf

Vojtěch Nalezenec

Musician

Pavel Nový

Pavel Nový

Emperor's Spy

Jiří Opsatko

Jan Pohan

Jan Pohan

Emperor's Aide

Tereza Pokorná-Herzová

Tereza Pokorná-Herzová

Actress

Ivan Pokorný

Man

Milan Riehs

Hofmarschall

Iva Šebková

Dwarf

Zdeněk Sklenář

Dwarf

Renata Vacková

Lady-in-waiting

Jiří Vančura

Dwarf

Dana Vávrová

Dana Vávrová

Josefine Weber

Petra Vogelová

Lady-in-waiting

Josef Zeman

Dwarf

Viktor Maurer

Wig Salesman (uncredited)

Zdeněk Mahler

Zdeněk Mahler

Cardinal (uncredited)

Vladimír Svitáček

Pope Clement (uncredited)

Karel Engel

Mental Hospital Orderly (uncredited)

Antonín Kramerius

Mental Hospital Orderly (uncredited)

Zbyněk Bruthans

Gravedigger (uncredited)

Lubomír Havlák

Pedrille (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Miloš Forman

Screenplay, Theatre Play

Peter Shaffer

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

December 20, 2020

8

_**Lively costume biography about Mozart’s last nine years in Austria**_

Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) is a competent but mediocre composer in Vienna, Austria, in the late 1700s. He recognizes the God-given genius of the younger Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and struggles with bitter envy. The story is told in flashback as Salieri shares it with a cleric decades later at an asylum.

“Amadeus” (1984) is an entertaining costume drama that successfully takes you back to Vienna from 1783-1791. Mozart was basically the rock star of the era and some of his dynamic music even evokes certain modern rock styles. Giving the main characters personality helps bring the events alive and the flashback structure makes for compelling storytelling.

On the feminine front, Elizabeth Berridge plays Amadeus’ cute & feisty wife, Constanze, while Christine Ebersole is on hand as a ravishing opera singer, sorta reminiscent of Tina Root of Switchblade Symphony (albeit taller).

The original Broadway play concentrated on character motivation with music in the background while the movie focuses a little too much on it. Unless you’re an opera aficionado, the extensive scenes of Mozart's and Salieri's operas being performed become tiresome after a while and unnecessarily bloat the film, somewhat muting the story. When the Emperor yawns during a performance of “Figaro” I could relate because a lot of opera music sounds the same to me. Nonetheless, this is an informative and amusing biography of Wolfgang’s last nine years; very well done.

The movie runs 2 hours, 40 minutes and was shot mostly in the Czech Republic.

GRADE: B+/A-

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$18,000,000.00

Revenue:

$90,007,557.00

Keywords

opera
composer
musician
marriage crisis
italy
talent
emperor
austria
based on play or musical
mozart
god
murder
vienna, austria
envy
18th century