The film released by Milos Foreman in 1984 is based on the play written by Peter Shaffer, an English playwright. The plot of the play is typically based on the lives of music maestro’s namely Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. Music composed by Mozart and Salieri and other composers is heavily employed in the scenes of the play. The classical Symphony No. 25 and No. 29 captures the audience with their impulsive manner. It captures the state of Salieri who is old, loses hope while in the emperors’ asylum, and he tries to kill himself. The grandiose music like Requiem in D minor to Don Giovanni, and Marriage of Figaro, encompasses the thought of mercy and forgiveness offered to the countess’ husband at the finale scenes. The several movements of the Symphony and Piano concertos employed in the production captures effectively the mood (at the opening scene on a wheelchair) and the emotional status of the characters. The quality of the music shows the envy of Salieri towards the young talented Amadeus who is the main Protagonist (Shaffer, 1980)
The main driving conflict in the piece is based on uncontrollable envy. Salieri who is a musician learns about a young musician whose work is excellent than his. Salieri loves Mozart’s music so much that he believes such composition from a young Mozart to be a God-sent gift. He comprehends the incredible qualities Amadeus uses in his music. Music means much to Salieri, he once said that when he was ten years old any sound would make him feel dizzy and fall. He looks forward to meeting the young composer. To his amazement he finds Mozart to be self-centered, immature, and very young. He despises him and wonders why God could give the search a talent to a person like Mozart who did not conform to Catholic traditions. He renounces God and jealousy drives him to make a ploy to murder Mozart. By using a spy, he plans on paying Amadeus to compose him a hymn. His plans did not succeed when Mozart dies and Salieri does not get any fame at all (Shaffer, 1980)
The acting of the film is a first-rate work. Tom Hulce out did himself in acting Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, his weird laughs bring comic relief. F Murray Abraham gave the film the best acting talent required to postulate Salieri clearly making him win an Academy Award for the Best Actor. Jones and Elizabeth are charming when they act Emperor Joseph and wife Constanze. Needless to say, each actor was stunning.
The directing of the film was really a big task. Milos Foreman translated Peter Shaffer’s script to be screened in an awesome manner. His storyboard and breakdown of the scenes adds credit to his production dexterity. The sensational aspect of cinematography brings forth the aesthetic touch and craft techniques in continuity, sequencing, and lighting balance.
The set design and costumes used in the shooting of the film was colorful and somehow lavish with the help of the lighting. In essence, the costumes and set designs used were opera premiered and brought the style and affluence of the class evident in the 18th and early 19th century. Costumes are vibrantly decorated displaying exaggerated for example, the wigs, ample banded skirts, lace and silk, tight corsets, and feathery hats and veils. The set design of individual characters is remarkable, the make-ups on F. Murray Abraham transforms him to impersonate Salieri’s old nature and Mozarts wigs are excellent (Wilkins, 2009)
Most importantly excellent acting of the cast members brings forth the quality of the film to the limelight of Drama and Choreography. There was a clever choice of the stage, this contributed to the overall production quality of the movie. Although the film was rated ‘Best’ there were some weaknesses evident for example the film is set in Venice, actors being Antonio and Wolfang, but the actors are all speaking in English, with that heavy colorful costumes, it would have been more satisfactory and real to act in the original tongue of the playwright characters! The film is quite long and other characters are not allowed enough screen time. The play majorly centers upon Mozart’s life, it would have been better to us more of his master pieces than opera performances that would make one dizzy.
References
Shaffer, P. (1980). Amadeus: A Drama (1st ed.). Harper Perennial.
Wilkins, D., Schultz, B. L., & Katheryn, M. (2008). Art Past, Art Present (6th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall.