Amadeus, The Movie

Amadeus begins with an attempted suicide by composer Antonio Salieri, who is overcome with guilt about supposedly killing Mozart. His life is saved by his aids and he is sent to what looks like a mental hospital, where a priest is sent to council him. The whole story is told through the eyes of Salieri on his death bed, confessing to his priest.

The whole movie takes place in Vienna, Austria. Besides the first few scenes where Mozart is seen as a child, the story begins in 1782 when Mozart is the age of 26; the story being told by Salieri takes place around 1825, near his death. Amadeus is primarily set in the noble class, and doesn’t do the best job portraying the poor side of life. For the noble’s of course living conditions are fine, constant overindulgence and pleasure. The dress is very extravagant, very colorful and very thick and layered. The primary source of entertainment shown in the movie is music, seemingly more operas than anything else. Most likely because Operas provided the most entertainment at the time; a play set to a score of music.

The main character is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, played by Tom Hulce. In the movie Mozart is portrayed as a very immature, childish adult; yet unbelievably creative and talanted. Towards the end of the movie he becomes more psychotic that immature; constantly drinking and rambling about things that make no sense. He has pretty much lost all sense of sanity and his health by the time of his death.

Antonio Salieri has a very major role in Amadeus, the whole story is told through his eyes. The character is played by F. Murray Abraham. He is an extremely vindictive character, throughout the whole movie he is trying to sabotage Mozart. Even on his death bed confessing his guilt, as he is telling the story he seems to lose his sense of guilt and looks back on his experience as if it were still caused by Mozart, and not of his own doing. He begins his hatred of Mozart when his wife secretly shows his some of his work and he is astonished; ever since that he says “he considered him an enemy.” He doesn’t believe it’s fair that a person of Mozart’s personality has all the talent that he does. However Mozart never sees through his deception and thinks of his as a loyal friend and colleague to the end.

Constanze Mozart, played by Elizabeth Berridge, is the wife of Mozart. She is by far the most sensible in the relationship. Throughout the whole movie she is concerned of Mozart’s frivolous spending and at some points, refusal to do work that really pays. She is also extremely concerned of Mozart’s physical and mental well-being. She is also the only one who can stand up to