Amadeus

Running header : Amadeus

Amadeus

Paul Elam

Essay The movie Amadeus , released in 1984 , depicts the rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , played my Tom Hulce , and Antonio Salieri played by F . Murray Abraham , in flashback form as an elderly and guilt-ridden Salieri challenges the faith of a young priest summoned to hear Salieri 's confession after his apparent suicide attempt

As a child , Salieri was filled with a love for music and the desire to compose it , but felt that his commoner father neither understood the strength of his desire nor

supported his love of music . Salieri was envious of Mozart , who had been performing before the aristocracy of Europe since he was four years old . Mozart 's father , Leopold , played by Roy Dotrice , not only tutored young Mozart , but actively supported him by promoting his talent all over Europe . In desperation , the young Salieri promised his chastity and humbleness to God if God would grant him the talent to write great music . Shortly afterward , Salieri 's father passed away . Salieri recognized his father 's death as a miracle of God , allowing Salieri to pursue his passion of music

Salieri becomes the court composer to Emperor Joseph II , played by Jeffrey Jones , in Vienna Salieri finally has the opportunity to meet Mozart when Mozart comes to Vienna to perform for the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg . While mingling with the aristocracy , Salieri follows one energetic young man into the great palace dining hall . Salieri finds the young man cavorting on the floor under the banquet table with a young lady . The young man proposes to the young lady while playing a word game under the table . Salieri is furious when he learns that this vulgar , lustful boy is in fact Mozart Salieri felt that God was mocking him to fill this creature ' with such great talent

The Prince Archbishop , humiliated by Mozart 's behavior , s Mozart to return to his father Leopold in Salzburg where The Prince Archbishop and Leopold can help Mozart learn his place

Upon hearing of Mozart 's musical talents and the friction between Mozart and his father , Emperor Joseph II decides to add Mozart as a German composer to his court , by commissioning him to write and opera . Mozart accepts and comes to Vienna with his wife Constance , played by Elizabeth Barridge . Mozart 's lack of respect for Salieri 's work is emphasized when Mozart plays the welcoming march written by Salieri , pointing out deficiencies in the piece and rewriting it for him in the presence of Salieri 's colleagues

Salieri essentially becomes the mediator between the musically challenged Emperor and the free-spirited Mozart . All the while , Salieri is torn between the genius of Mozart 's music and Mozart 's appalling behavior . Salieri is in a constant battle to destroy Mozart while at the same time marveling in the greatness of Mozart 's music . Constantly cursing God for not only denying Salieri great musical talent after living up to his chastity and humbleness promises , but to endow this talent to Mozart who certainly was anything but chaste and humble

Mozart , on the other hand , was reveling in the attention he was getting in the city of music , free of his father 's stern direction . Yet , Mozart was frustrated by the emperor 's lack of musical insight and traditional musical values . On the occasions Mozart was denied the opportunity to perform his music before the emperor , he took it directly to the people What great talent Mozart had in composing music , he lacked in more practical matters , such as demanding proper payment for his services Constance was more in tune with the financial side , and encouraged Mozart to be more practical , but she enjoyed living the high life , too Mozart loved Constance , but he also loved all beautiful women . Mozart 's affair with Salieri 's love interest intensifies Salieri 's hatred of Mozart

Salieri desperately wanted to see the original scores that Mozart was composing . When the emperor suggested that maybe Mozart was ready to take on pupils , where apparently there was financial compensation Salieri agreed but recommended that Mozart submit samples of his music Mozart thought that his musical genius was obvious and would not stoop so low as to provide his portfolio . Since the Mozarts ' were in dire need of money , Constance took Mozart 's portfolio to Salieri in hopes that Mozart would be granted the teaching position . When Salieri requested to keep the portfolio for review , Constance insisted that she had to return the full portfolio before Mozart found out these were his original drafts . Salieri was completely awestruck . These were compositions that were truly worthy of God 's praise , yet there were no corrections , no additions or deletions . It was as if Mozart heard the music in his head and just wrote it down on , perfect in every detail , with no editing whatsoever . This just fueled Salieri 's ever increasing love-hate relation with Mozart and God

Upon hearing of Mozart 's financial problems , Leopold returns to Vienna Mozart has a great love for his father but his free-spirited behavior is beyond either man 's control . Mozart feels that no matter how great a composer he is , he is still can not live up to his father 's expectations . Leopold was never able to accept Mozart 's behavior and was frustrated that he was unable to change Mozart 's undesirable behavior . Constance respects Leopold , but feels his influence on Mozart and their family life is overbearing and asks Leopold to leave

After the death of Leopold , Mozart , who already was obsessed with composing , delved even deeper into his work . He is tortured by nightmares of his father . His music also took a sharp turn for the darker side , with his opera Don Giovanni depicting the monstrous dark figure in the background representing Mozart 's father . His health continues to deteriorate , drinking and partying far too much to escape his feelings for his father

Recognizing Mozart 's vulnerability , Salieri devised the perfect plan to pay back both Mozart and God . He would secretly commission Mozart to write a requiem , claim the piece as his own composition , and then perform it at Mozart 's funeral . When Mozart dies while composing this music . While Salieri should be triumphant , he feels responsible for killing God 's gift to music

The movie is infused with the great music of Mozart and magnificent costume and regal pageantry of the 18th century aristocracy . It was an interesting presentation of the relationships of the various characters in Mozart 's life , most of which were unknown to the average person . F Murray Abraham 's portrayal of the complex Antonio Salieri was superb His respectful mediation between the emperor and Mozart while simultaneously debasing both was artful . Tom Hulce played a difficult role showing all sides of Mozart , the great music composer , the party boy , the husband , and the troubled son . Elizabeth Barridge was delightful as the bright-eyed , ample-bosomed Constance Mozart Amadeus ' is an enjoyable movie that has just about everything one would want in a movie a diabolical , yet sly villain in Salieri , the great music and adolescently lustful behavior of Mozart , the faithful wife , and the overbearing father Leopold . The one thing that was not adequately explained was why Mozart was not given the regal funeral deserved by a composer in the court of Emperor James II , but rather was dumped in a pauper 's grave

References

1 . Amadeus ' released in 1984 by The Saul Zaentz Company

The movie Amadeus

Ibid

Ibid

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