Amadeus 1984 | 80's Movie Guide

Taglines: Everything you've heard is true. Amadeus movie storyline. Antonio Salieri believes that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's music is divine and miraculous. He wishes he was himself as good a musician as Mozart so that he can praise the Lord through composing. He began his career as a devout man who believes his success and talent as a composer are God's rewards for his piety. He's also content as the respected, financially well-off, court composer of Austrian Emperor Joseph II. But he's shocked to learn that Mozart is such a vulgar creature, and can't understand why God favored Mozart to be his instrument. Salieri's envy has made him an enemy of God whose greatness was evident in Mozart. He is ready to take revenge against God and Mozart for his own musical mediocrity. Amadeus is a 1984 American period drama film directed by Miloš Forman, adapted by Peter Shaffer from his stage play Amadeus. The story, set in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the 18th century, is a fictionalized biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's music is heard extensively in the soundtrack of the movie. Its central thesis is that Antonio Salieri, an Italian contemporary of Mozart is so driven by jealousy of the latter and his success as a composer that he plans to kill him and to pass off a Requiem, which he secretly commissioned from Mozart as his own, to be premiered at Mozart's funeral. Historically, the Requiem, which was never finished, was commissioned by Count von Walsegg, and Salieri, far from being jealous of Mozart, was on good terms with him and even tutored his son after Mozart's death. The film was nominated for 53 awards and received 40, which included eight Academy Awards (including Best Picture), four BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globes, and a Directors Guild of America (DGA) award. As of 2016, it is the most recent film to have more than one nomination in the Academy Award for Best Actor category. In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked Amadeus 53rd on its 100 Years... 100 Movies list. Amadeus (1984) Directed by: Milos Forman Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice, Simon Callow, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Lisbeth Bartlett Screenplay by: Peter Shaffer Production Design by: Patrizia von Brandenstein Cinematography by: Miroslav Ondrícek Film Editing by: Michael Chandler, T.M. Christopher, Nena Danevic Costume Design by: Theodor Pistek, Christian Thuri Art Direction by: Karel Cerný Distributed by: Orion Pictures Release Date: September 19, 1984