I love that Salieri's confession isn't that he killed Mozart. He confesses, "He was my idol." As if Salieri had been waiting his whole life to admit the degree to which he adored Mozart's mind and his music.
Nicholas Joost - I had never thought about that. So he might've not talked about how he was inspired by Mozart, but rather confessed how he idolised Mozart's music his whole life, even when he did everything to stand in his way and even tried to kill him.
Yes, and people who criticize the movie for popularizing the myth "Salieri murdered Mozart" fail to recognize this. Before his suicide attempt, Salieri does cry out, "Mozart, forgive your assassin! I confess I killed you." However, the reason for Salieri's actions is explained in another version of Amadeus (it's a BBC recording here on UA-cam). His suicide attempt, accompanied by his false confession of murdering Mozart, is Saleri's final attempt to achieve victory over God. He wished to be like Mozart. Mozart's fame is now immortalized because of the music he wrote in his lifetime. Salieri sees his fame in Europe no longer exists and that his music is doomed to fade into obscurity. So his suicide attempt is actually an attempt to immortalize him self, if not through fame, then through *infamy* -- as the man who murdered Mozart.
SethBlizzard I always thought that most of us are very good at something but eventually we all meet somebody who puts us to shame. It’s a universal human experience.
Salieri actually was great & even Beethoven dedicated several of his works to him. Mozart was simply a prodigy. It's more about when taught talent meets natural genius talent.
You said everything in a nutshell ! Good is not great ! Mozart was great ! We’re still listening to his music to this day! We’re still listening over 300 years , think about it . 300 years ! That is GREAT !
This conversation is so natural that you'd think it was really happening in front of you. It's easy to forget that these are actors playing a role. Simply amazing.
I would like to have seen the original stage version with Paul Scofield as Salieri, as all who saw it (and I include many of our legendary British actors who are still around), all testify that it was the finest performance on stage they have ever seen. There is a brief clip here on UA-cam with him doing the scene where Salieri first hears Mozarts music in the hall, but thats all thats available. A real shame. ua-cam.com/video/rvPIjzp9NPc/v-deo.html
Really? Which Salieri's music do you remember now, without going to google, that's cheating? You get a few accords of "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" and you can finish the rest :D
Call me childish, but I tear up a bit when Salieri asks, "can you recall no melody of mine?" Salieri, despite being a prominent composer, his status diminished over time, while Mozart's only grew.
That's what the final scene of the movie is all about. Salieri is wheeled down the hallway of the asylum, forgiving people's mediocrity while Mozart's tune plays in his head and he hears Mozart's unique laugh. In the end, though Salieri may have succeeded in bringing down Mozart, Mozart still had the last laugh. People remembered him, while Salieri lived long enough to watch himself fade into relative obscurity.
He knew the outcome. He knew the priest wouldn't know anything that he made but would know Mozart. He wanted to prove, right there to that priest, that in God's eyes, men are not equal.
It's in everyone's personal responsibility to be in good terms with their deeds without depending on sympathies. This is not a good person who wasn't lucky, but an attention seeker.
@@mikem9384 Exactly this! How can people be equal when one sweats blood to achieve something, and the other has god dictating him the most divine music.
Great performance by F. Murray Abraham. When he accepted his Oscar he stated, "Why isn't Tom Hulce [who played Mozart] up here with me?!" He got tremendous applause.
"Are they?" and "I didn't". It always fascinates me how Murray Abraham's perfect vocal delivery and eye expression could convey so much meaning to these two banal sentences. You get to know so much about the character, his relationship to himself, to God and to Mozart right then and there, and the movie has barely begun. Now that was an Oscar well earned.
“Are they?” Two simple words. But those two words form the basis of the whole movie. Why God chose the ‘obscene little creature on the floor’ as his instrument… and made Salieri mute.
I actually learned to appreciate classical music even more because of Salieri in this film. He's so passionate about it, it seems to rub off, allowing the audience to live vicariously through him. This makes the film even more of a tragedy, you really sympathize with Salieri (even though the film differs from actual history).
Zachary Rose There were plenty of ok to bad movies that won Best Picture before Amadeus and many masterpieces that were snubbed. I think you’re caught in a romantic delusion of the past.
I love how this scene puts us in the position of the priest, who fails to know Salieri’s work but instantly recognizes Mozart’s. Already a perfect beggining!
As a cinematic piece definitely. In reality however that priest would have been as ignorant to Mozart's music as he was to Salieri's during this time. Bear in mind only the rich at this time could afford to listen to symphonies and full orchestras. Regular people, priests included, only knew the popular songs people sang during their time and drinking songs.
Well I study opera and I definitely recognised Salieri. It's just that while Salieri's works are only known amongst musicians of certain education levels, Mozart's can be recognised by the common public, literally anyone.
It’s like the separation of the chaff from the wheat, and how time erases most things but retains others. Mozart’s work is timeless, it endures where others fall away.
That light effect crescendo from 0:42 to 0:52 when the priest offers Gods forgiveness was golden. Terrific movie, just found out that it was filmed in 1984(thought it was in mid to late 90s) AND won 8 Oscars as it deserved. One of the best movies of all times IMO.
The way he delivers that line... “That was Mozart...” God... reverence, fury, envy, love, admiration, hatred, all of it captured in a single brief sentence and a glance upward. Perfect acting.
Something else. He glanced upward and nodded right as he said the word Amadeus - which is Latin for 'beloved by God'. The crux of the whole movie was how he felt that God unjustly preferred Mozart over him, even though Salieri considered himself a devout Christian while Mozart was a heathen undeserving child.
@@chillstreem ohhh, brilliant observation, the more I learn of this film the more I adore it from moment to shining moment. Every frame a painting, every line a poem.
I watched behind the scenes of this! All the scenes with Salieri as an old man were filmed first. Imo it stands as a testament to Abraham's acting. He said in an interview that these scenes were shot first, and that it kept him separated from the rest of the cast for the first bit of filming, giving him a sense of alienation. He himself said it helped him to fit into the role better, being away from everyone. Kinda sad, but really cool how he devoted to the role like that!
And I will never forget the night F. Murray Abraham accepted his Oscar with the words that he wished Tom Hulce could be there to have one with him. Sheer class!
Don't feel too bad for him. His real lot in life, as well as his relationship with Mozart, were a lot more pleasant, and this film kicked off a HUGE revival of interest in Salieri's works.
Jackson Rushing no, there is no evidence they ever had physical contact with eachother. This whole movie is based on a play, not real life. They respected each others work in real life, but no evidence to suggest they actually met
I hate people who are their favorite people and throw you out of the spot light and they used you up burn you out and take you out of the picture when they have had enough of you and betrayed by the ones you love your friends are gone and no more and your completely alone! I have to side with Salieri on this because he was jealous of Mozart and then Salieri is out of the picture and mocked and laughed at! I can understand why he hated Mozart, Mozart was a shit a complete shit in the end Mozart's talent killed him and then Salieri ends up going insane! Both parties lost!
For anyone sympathetic to Salieri, rest assure the man made his mark despite doing everything in his power to expunge himself from the musical canon. Something that isn't well known is that Salieri wrote hundreds on hundreds of etudes for harpsichord and helped the instrument reach its peaks of facility
After “32 years of torture” he meets with a priest.. and shazaam! The priest doesn’t recognize any of his melodies but instantly recognizes one by Mozart. More humiliation for Salieri. It never ends.
Not " God loving", but "loves God" ( Amat Deum).It's the same to "Louva-Deus" ( laudat Deum) in portuguese. Louva-Deus is " Praying Mantis" in english. All have the same idea and structure.
Along with The Godfather, Goodfellas and Shawshank Redemption, this film is in the category of cinematic perfection. Masterful performances, sublime plot. Cinematography beyond compare.
I've seen this movie so many times that I've actually memorized the dialogue between Salieri and the priest at the beginning of the movie word for word! One of my favorite movies of all time.
I know F. Murray Abraham is the big star of this scene (and entire movie), but I would just like to acknowledge how great Richard Frank is (the actor who plays the priest). He has that kind of acting-charisma that I always love to see in a performance, and it's such a shame he's not with us anymore.
@@eduardovieira7001 Wow, I've never thought of that, but you're absolutely right. In fact, apart from Abraham, Hulce, Jones and Schiavelli, I haven't seen any of the actors in other films. But everyone plays their part extraordinary.
Salieri, in the film, was proud, envious, spoiled and vane. He was blind to his deficiencies as a human being, and same blindness prevented him to realise his deficiencies as a musician. He had never improved in that area either, while Mozart took any opportunity to do it. Salieri did not realise he is liked not because he has a tremendous, God-given talent, but because he is well connected at the court, and likes to compose fashionable things that suit people's twinkling tastes. Mozart, on the other hand, composed pieces that challenged the audience, and searched ever new beauty; that struggle gave Mozart strength to improve as a human being too. In the film he confesses, "Forgive me, Majesty. I'm a vulgar man. But I assure you, my music is not.". Salieri never did that.
Not triggered at all. He just pounced upon a flaw (as he saw it) in the priest's logic. That Mozart simply was BETTER than Salieri, for no reason that Salieri could see. That god was unjust, as Salieri saw it, for making Mozart better than him. He did have a point.
Yes. :) I especially enjoy the look the priest gives as Salieri starts conducting! From that look alone, you can tell that the priest is thinking, "OMG this dude is off his rocker."
@@itwontcomeout5678 The actor playing the Priest is good. The Priest, however, cannot hide his 'OH NO FOR GOODNESS SAKE' when Toni prepares to play the third sample.
Flawless. F. Murray Abraham's acting in this entire movie was absolutely flawless. It was this scene near the beginning of the movie though, watching him here that I realized, buckle up, this is going to be a great ride. Even though he rightfully won the academy award, I never knew why his career never skyrocketed after that.
Grayfox---you said it perfectly!! The only other leading role performance that's in the same ballpark for dramatic intensity IMHO is Jack Nicholson's performance in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Just a guess---but I would say that F. Murray Abraham's career faded out of the limelight for 2 reasons: 1) An actor of his depth and talent is not going to want to be a part of the rubbish that Hollywood spews out today 2) More poignantly: How in the world can you top the performance he gave as Salieri?!! It's like asking Michelangelo to top the Sistine Chapel!!
+grayfoxfive "Flawless. F. Murray Abraham's acting" LOL, I just got finished writing a comment about him. Sorry, didn't mean to basically duplicate what you wrote. But yes, he lit that movie up. I like to see an actor who gets mostly small parts, land a role like this and really get a chance to show what he could do. Like bringing a bench player in to pinch hit in the 9th inning and he hits a game-winning home run. I'm surprised he didn't get more leading roles after this, too. I can think of lots of characters he would have been able to do well. And he could come off as a good guy as well as a bad guy. Sorry, but as good as he is, Robert DeNiro is far more convincing as Satan than he is as a priest. Abraham would have no trouble playing either.
i disagree with you, i saw him in a some b movies such as Thir13en Ghost and i cudnt believe why isn't he like jack or anthony queen he is the best in my opinion
Amadeus is the longest confession in the history of confessions. If he's been in the confession box at church, the line up would have gone on forever lol.
Such a fantastic movie, such a wonderful performance. I know Salieri is the 'villain' but you just can't help but sympathize with him. He was a man who worked hard and dedicated himself to his profession. He believed he did everything right and paid his dues. And then discovers that all his hard work and dedication are nothing when compared to pure blinding talent. What he does is certainly wrong and his anger is misplaced, but he is just so damn human. You can't help but feel for him.
The story is told from Salieri's eyes. In reality, Mozart is the villain. Mozart comes off as a carefree child with no discipline or right to his craft because that's how Salieri saw him, but at the same time he absolutely loved every note of his music, and he hated him for it.
I love Richard Frank (the Priest) in this movie. He and Murray Abraham got a good chemistry. I remember watching this scene for the first time, admiring the acting of both of them and said to myself "this movie gonna be great", and feeling so excited to see what comes next. Truly one of the best film i've ever watch.
Salieri had thought of a hundred refutations to “all men are equal in God’s eyes” while this priest was still in diapers. He toyed with his prey like a cat, but the fleeting moment of amusement passed - reminded again of his bitterness. The young priest had no hope of breaking through decades’ worth of that.
Zach Scarbrough Today's cinema has regressed much actually. Not as sublime as this old one...no thanks to a generation who'd rather see everything flashy and shallow.
I watched this movie for the first time last night. Really great movie, my 5 year old son woke up a little over half way through and I let him watch the rest. He even like it and sat through all of it
As well as the flashbacks to Salieri in his prime being tragic, I love that they didn't relegate depictions of his music to little piano sketches. We were shown that Salieri's music was rich and powerful, not that he was any kind of incompetent bungler; just sadly eclipsed by even greater talent.
It definitely suggests Mozart's music is better. The fact in this scene the Priest instantly recognizes Mozart's and none of Sal's is showing how much more memorable Mozart's is. When Sal says "it is as if Mozart was receiving dictation directly from God", that speaks not just to his ease of composition but to his music being divinely inspired/at another level.
He emphasizes the meaning of the word, indicating to the priest, who also must have had a knowledge of Latin, that even his given name seemed to have prophesied the talent God bestowed on him.
This dude has two timeless masterpieces... This role and Omar Suarez in Scarface. The fact that the same actor played both and absolutely killed in both is just amazing.
@@kathrynmolesa1641 Yes, in real life, Mozart and Salieri were actually great friends. They were just rivals. Mozart died and his wife Constanze became a widow. Women couldn't make much money at the time, so Salieri paid for the well-being of the family.
@@kathrynmolesa1641 Except the story was about jealousy turned to rage and hate and how they destroy. It would not have worked because this was not meant to be historically accurate.
I love reading comments to clips of this movie. This is such a perfect film. I'll offer my own tiny observation: I like the cut away to the priest on the third try when Saileri says "here, what about *this* one" and he lets out a little sigh, as if he doesn't want to disappoint this nice old man yet again. Great acting from the priest. You can look at any moment of this film under a microscope and it's a masterpiece.
This movies tells us that “Regardless of the time and era, there will always be someone who were so gifted that no one can be above them” and “many will not reach the height of the most talented and overshadowed by them.”
The editing here is flawless! Displace one cut and there would be diminishment; displace one shot and the structure would fall. The shock cut to the singer on the stairs gives me chills each time
Yeah as an editor myself I'm absolutely in love with that cut. It was like being slammed into your seat and someone putting a seatbelt on for you. Like. HERE WE GO.
And with that line the stage is set for one of the most emotionally moving films ever produced anywhere!! 30 plus years later this movie (and in particular F. Murray Abraham's performance as Salieri) gives me such incredible chills---I can't even begin to describe it!!
Alan Watts is great and yes, that is the ultimate truth. Some people are spiritual virtuosos in the way Mozart was a creative one, however. That's how I can relate to this.
Well all philosophers they have almost thousands various in their opinions about life and faith! Why want to choice the Alan Watts one sides opinions and choices? Because he speak "good" or almost "sophisticate" without true and without to proves? Alan Watts he is ridiculous idiot!
I love the lighting changes. When some form of the grace of God is mentioned the lighting gets brighter, when Salieri rejects it, or goes into his own dark thoughts, the light dims. I hadn't noticed it at first.
This whole movie is essentially perfect. I'm sure there are minute things that could have been done to correct mostly unnoticed thing only detected if you go through a frame by frame analysis. But it wouldn't improve the film in any discernable way. I have watched this countless times and still watch it multiple times a year just to remind myself what good cinema is. I would watch the only other film I hold to this regard, but I have seen Schindler's list only twice. And I can't watch it again.
The interesting thing is that Beethoven studied under both Mozart and Salieri. I believe he went to Salieri because he and Mozart had personalities that did not mesh well. My memory may be in error, but that is my recall of the story.
@@jayt9608 It’s doubtful he ever met Mozart and even if he did it was only on one occasion, there was no formal teaching. However salieri and Haydn both formerly taught and influenced Beethoven in many ways. Beethoven did admire Mozart extensively though, even questioning his pieces constantly thinking that he was plagiarizing Mozart in some way.
I like how the sunlight intensifies when the priest says he can offer him God's forgiveness, and then it diminishes right at the moment Salieri is going to speak. Perhaps intentional but neat either way.
+megaplatypus Neat! Thanks for observation. I'm pretty sure something like that would be intentional. You'd have to specifically tell someone to brighten, then dim the lights. Otherwise, I'm sure they would've saved that someone the trouble and just had a stable light there. Defintely a masterful touch!
There is very little in a movie that is unintentional (outside of very bad, very cheap movies that is), everything is meticulously controlled and micromanaged by huge teams of people to make sure everything in the scene that was supposed to happen happens. Lighting is especially important and not something that would be overlooked in scenes like this.
"perhaps intentional" Well, they are in a studio where the cinematographers are in full control of the lighting haha, but I get what you mean. It's neat.
"All men are created equal in gods eyes." Salieri dedicated himself to his passion and profession of music. Countless hours, numerous sacrifices, decades of dedication and perserverence to his craft until finally his skills were honed to as sharp a point as they could get. Salieri considered himself one of, if not the best, composers in his world and took great pride in that fact. Until Mozart entered his world, a man with gifts so blessed that his musical talent not only surpassed Salieri's, but he effortlessly did so and at a level that Salieri could never reach even if he had 2 lifetimes to try. So talented that even Salieri could see the spark of the divine in Mozarts music, and recognize that no matter how hard he worked or how strong his desire, this was music Salieri could never hope to equal. And Mozart was able to access this transcendant ability seemingly at a whim, like a cat who capriciously wanders in to a neighbours yard. A talent that Salieri wanted more than anything in his life, but would never be able to achieve. A fact that would torment Salieri until his death. But go ahead father, tell this man who has witnessed the touch of the divine that god doesnt play favorites.
@@oxherder9061 Salieri tries to be humble. He credits God for his inspiration, he sees the touch of God in the genius of Mozart's work. Salieri humbles himself before God after writing the welcome march. And what happens? Mozart humiliates him while giggling.
@@oxherder9061 Salieri is not mad about his downfall. Saliere is mad (in this film, real life is a different matter) about Mozart‘s insane talent and its being completely independent of effort. Salieri is an expert and as an expert he recognizes that Mozart is lightyears above him or any living composer. And notably, that‘s also not egotistical at all. And egotistical person would convince themselves they are just as good, or better. Not Salieri. He gets it. He gets that what Mozart writes is so mind-bogglingly brilliant that people would still listen to it centuries later. But Salieri is also a professional and Mozart is not. He is dilligent and Mozart is not. And he knows that all his effort and virtue can never create the same kind of work Mozart can. And of course that knowledge is incredibly frustrating, and it downright disproves any sense of cosmic justice. And incidentally it‘s not just frustrating for Salieri the professional, but also for Salieri the Mozart-fan (if we take him at his word), because those incredibly unhelpful and destructive traits that Mozarts talent is paired with are what kills Mozart and remove his talent from the world. And remove the possibility of his work continuing or maturing.
@@pavarottiaardvark3431I always though that Mozart was God’s way of saying “No” to Salieri, from the moment when he was a child where he prayed to God to be a musician, God was trying to get Salieri to realise that he was called to something different but Salieri didn’t want to hear it so God tried to get him to reason in the most humiliating way, Mozart. The end when he faded away into obscurity was basically God’s punishment for his stubbornness
One of the many wonderful and subtle things about this scene is how Salieri's interest is so aroused when the priest blandly claims that all men are equal in God's eyes. "Are they?"
When this movie came out it didn't sound interesting to me. My parents said it was great and we watched it on video and it was GREAT! And Wolfies wife was a hottie and she had big... um... chupacabras! Oh yeah. Truly great movie.
I live in india. Far away from europe. I have no knowledgd of european art culture and music. I dont even belong to art community. But even i have heard mozart's music without knowing it was mozart!!!
You should take advantage of youtube and its resources in music. I would recommend starting with high classical music: Clementi, Mozart and Haydn. You may also consider piano lessons.
This scene and the actors' performances are really at the state of the art itself. So meticulously delicate acting, and every word, and every moving is full of feelings the characters have.
I’d heard about this movie, then finally rented it (this was many years ago, obviously). This is the scene that had he hooked. The cut to the opera in his younger days was so simple and effective. All these years later and this is still one of my favorite movies of all time.
Yes, but as good as the movie was, the Broadway play was even better. I saw it in 1981, it was the most engrossing piece of theater i have ever seen. You left the theater emotionally spent. Even now, 40 years later, i still recall it vividly. The movie is great, the play was astounding.
I remember seeing this in a music class in high school and just being blown away by this scene especially at the start. The cut from Salieri conducting in his room to the singer coming down the stairs gives me chills every single time, it’s so intense I’d do anything to watch it again for the first time. When you aren’t expecting to be overwhelmed by such a smack in the face like that. This movie is just so amazing and probably was the one that put me in a right direction of films, I remember going to the cinema to see fast and furious etc then this sparked something in me and I started seeking out the same feelings and watching all the classics and things that challenge you
I think his hatred was towards GOD. He blamed God for only giving him the ability to recognize Mozart's greatness and giving that greatness to what he considered a spoiled brat. To him the music of Mozart was the voice of God. So at the end he wanted to destroy God which is why he went mad when Mozart dies.
doug avila yes when he had said it was as if Mozarts writing was just taking dictation he meant taking dictation for God and he was probably correct in assuming that.
The movie is mostly fiction. It makes a good story but it's not historically accurate especially about the actual relationship between Mozart and Salieri.
Just watched this on Netflix. I remember as a kid in elementary, watching this in my music class that felt like over 100 times. Now as an adult I watched it and I really enjoy this more than when I was a kid
1:45 I remember as a kid how this scene took my breath away. One second you're listening to the ramblings of an insane asylum inmate, then next you're transported into a fantastical, bygone era.
The priest, “I’m sorry I didn’t know you wrote that.” Salieri, “I didn’t. That was Mozart. Wolfgang.... Amadeus.... Mozart.” Then after the priest pleaded with him to confess (for murdering Mozart), Salieri replied, “He was my idol.” For me, that was the most poignant moment in the movie.
Murray Abraham was marvelous in that movie. His character was largely contrived, but they needed someone to tie the narrative together, so they sort of "borrowed" Salieri. Even though I knew they took a lot of liberty with historical facts, it worked very well for the movie. I liked the idea of an antagonist being the inspiring voice for Mozart's music.
Chris E FLores Yes, I know that. I read the Alfred Einstein biography on Mozart several years before the movie was released. IIRC, there was hardly a mention of Salieri.
Also: 1) Salieri was married and had 8 children. 2) The age gap between them wasn't that big. 3) Despite occasionally competing against each other, Salieri and Mozart were close friends who deeply respected one other. 4) Mozart, while a prodigy, was not a super-genius who could revise and improve upon someone else's work after looking at it once. His musical creations went through several revisions and changes like any other composer. 5) Salieri was Beethoven's teacher. Mozart even proudly declared that the boy would go on to surpass both of them - which he did. 6) After Mozart died, Salieri fought tooth and nail to keep his friend's legacy alive. He even took one of Mozart's sons as a music student. 7) The depiction of Emperor Joseph is WILDLY inaccurate: he was a smart, charming man with a strong understanding of (and appreciation for) fine music who personally championed Mozart's creations even when his advisers tried to convince him not to.
Jackson Rushing "Mozart, while a prodigy, was not a super-genius who could revise and improve upon someone else's work after looking at it once. His musical creations went through several revisions and changes like any other composer." Where did you get that information? While there are apocryphal tales about great people, it was well-documented that he had seemingly super-human musical abilities. He wowed people everywhere with his improvisations and spontaneous variations, even when he was a child. He was also well-known for his extraordinary musical memory, and he allegedly wrote the entire "Haffner" symphony, (#35, K385), in six days without ever going to the keyboard. There was also the story of an overture which he traveled to another city to present its debut. The sheet music was lost just a couple of days before the performance. He hurriedly wrote a replacement. The musicians had to share the sheet music because there wasn't time to make copies of each part. Some time after the performance, someone found the original score. Someone alertly noticed the great similarity and the two versions were compared. Not one single note or notation was different between them. Do you have evidence that these stories weren't true?
Astrobrant2 Allegedly. That's the key word. Allegedly. As for my evidence, honestly no, but stories from that era can be exaggerated, so don't act surprised if they are. And yes, Mozart was magnificent, but he wasn't a cartoon-level prodigy.
Whenever I lose faith in film's ability to truly provide transcendent experiences, I remind myself of Amadeus. Rarely have I been so affected by *any* work of art, *ever.* It is just magnificent.
This is such a masterful performance. Theatricality held back just enough to allow it to breathe and grounded so as to become true character. It's fierce.
For everyone wondering, Salieri actually was very supportive of Mozart especially early in his career. In fact, Salieri had no need to be jealous of Mozart because Mozart's popularity didn't even skyrocket until after his death. When Mozart perform the Opera the magic flute for Salieri, Mozart says that Salieri would clap and shout Bravo after almost every tune. Salieri's own operas where still hugely popular in Paris even at the time of his death.
This is one of best character introductions ever. I’m not being hyperbolic. The acting, the music, the set pieces. And the editing, the FUCKING editing is perfect.
The editing thoughout this movie was insanely good. The scene where Saliari and Mozart write the final requiem - with the music playing exactly as it’s explained - was nothing short of amazing. Most movies usually forget to use editing as part of the story. This one didn’t.
I love that Salieri's confession isn't that he killed Mozart. He confesses, "He was my idol." As if Salieri had been waiting his whole life to admit the degree to which he adored Mozart's mind and his music.
Nicholas Joost
Wolfgang...Amadeus....
Mozart...
:)
Thats an interesting take, I'd never seen it like that. It is a confession in a sense then.
Nicholas Joost - I had never thought about that. So he might've not talked about how he was inspired by Mozart, but rather confessed how he idolised Mozart's music his whole life, even when he did everything to stand in his way and even tried to kill him.
Yes, and people who criticize the movie for popularizing the myth "Salieri murdered Mozart" fail to recognize this. Before his suicide attempt, Salieri does cry out, "Mozart, forgive your assassin! I confess I killed you." However, the reason for Salieri's actions is explained in another version of Amadeus (it's a BBC recording here on UA-cam). His suicide attempt, accompanied by his false confession of murdering Mozart, is Saleri's final attempt to achieve victory over God. He wished to be like Mozart. Mozart's fame is now immortalized because of the music he wrote in his lifetime. Salieri sees his fame in Europe no longer exists and that his music is doomed to fade into obscurity. So his suicide attempt is actually an attempt to immortalize him self, if not through fame, then through *infamy* -- as the man who murdered Mozart.
Nicholas Joost In his mind that was an exponentially bigger bombshell than actually killing him
This poor priest has no idea he's in for a 24 hour confession from Hell.
But it's a great story. They ought to make a movie out of it! Wait . . .
😅
Reminds me of The Princess Bride narration lmao
666 likes
How is this stuck on 666 likes?! I'm otta here!
I love the way he says "Can you recall no melody of mine?" More of a question, it's a statement. The tone, the stress, it's just perfect.
Yeah, at this point it's a conversation he's had a hundred times. He's leading the child down the path to the dark truth.
0:33 & 3:11... worth a smile... always the crowd pleaser :0)
One of the many reasons he received the Oscar award for best acting.
Stop
Salieri's music is great. He's still very popular in Italy. It' s just that he lived in a time with many great composers.
It’s exactly like Marky Mark Walhberg. Should be an Oscar winner but he’s living in a time with all these great actors
@@dspsblyuth 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 good one.
He wrote funny little tunes
Popular? I wouldn't say so. Maybe he's somewhat popular in Conservatori (institutions in Italy where you study music), certainly not among the people.
his opera europa opened la scala.......an honour for ages
_Amadeus:_ a movie chronicling the agony of being good while knowing you’ll never be great.
A feeling that few people can understand, making it even worse. 🙁
SethBlizzard I always thought that most of us are very good at something but eventually we all meet somebody who puts us to shame. It’s a universal human experience.
@@johnnyfavorite1194 brutally true.
Salieri actually was great & even Beethoven dedicated several of his works to him. Mozart was simply a prodigy.
It's more about when taught talent meets natural genius talent.
You said everything in a nutshell ! Good is not great ! Mozart was great ! We’re still listening to his music to this day! We’re still listening over 300 years , think about it . 300 years ! That is GREAT !
Better get yourself some popcorn and a soda, Father.
Its gonna be a long and bumpy
ride
I doubt those existed in 1800s
This conversation is so natural that you'd think it was really happening in front of you. It's easy to forget that these are actors playing a role. Simply amazing.
I know, right? Astonishing. The priest looks genuinely concerned for Salieri's soul
Yes ..interesting you should say that 👍
F. Murray Abraham's portrayal of Salieri is without a doubt one of the greatest acting performances in modern cinema.
I Concur.
Without a doubt it is.
Ahh I would say that Val Kilmer's take on Doc Holliday is right up there..
I would like to have seen the original stage version with Paul Scofield as Salieri, as all who saw it (and I include many of our legendary British actors who are still around), all testify that it was the finest performance on stage they have ever seen. There is a brief clip here on UA-cam with him doing the scene where Salieri first hears Mozarts music in the hall, but thats all thats available. A real shame.
ua-cam.com/video/rvPIjzp9NPc/v-deo.html
Agreed. Hull really could have gotten the Oscar as well. Rarely in film have two lead performances been so complementary and undeniably first rate.
Ironically, this film caused a massive resurgence of interest in Salieri's music.
Jackson Rushing lol true
Not a great example - Genesis without Gabriel is horrifying xD
Jackson Rushing massive resurgence? By which standards?
Not as bad as Collins without Genesis :D
Really? Which Salieri's music do you remember now, without going to google, that's cheating? You get a few accords of "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" and you can finish the rest :D
Priest: All men are equal in God's eyes
Salieri: ...and I took that personally
Then why does hell exist if we are all equal?
@@bigrealm8156 some people are created equal and opposite
@@dantetejeda1868 can you explain what you mean please?
@@bigrealm8156 There is no hell, that's what Catholics believe.
@@bigrealm8156 We are CREATED equal but have free will to do good or not.
Call me childish, but I tear up a bit when Salieri asks, "can you recall no melody of mine?" Salieri, despite being a prominent composer, his status diminished over time, while Mozart's only grew.
It's so tragic to be the second best at something during your prime and still to have nobody remember you because you simply weren't the best.
That's what the final scene of the movie is all about. Salieri is wheeled down the hallway of the asylum, forgiving people's mediocrity while Mozart's tune plays in his head and he hears Mozart's unique laugh.
In the end, though Salieri may have succeeded in bringing down Mozart, Mozart still had the last laugh. People remembered him, while Salieri lived long enough to watch himself fade into relative obscurity.
He knew the outcome. He knew the priest wouldn't know anything that he made but would know Mozart. He wanted to prove, right there to that priest, that in God's eyes, men are not equal.
It's in everyone's personal responsibility to be in good terms with their deeds without depending on sympathies. This is not a good person who wasn't lucky, but an attention seeker.
@@mikem9384 Exactly this! How can people be equal when one sweats blood to achieve something, and the other has god dictating him the most divine music.
Great performance by F. Murray Abraham. When he accepted his Oscar he stated, "Why isn't Tom Hulce [who played Mozart] up here with me?!" He got tremendous applause.
This is one of the only times BOTH actors should have received the Oscar. They played off each other. One would not be great without the other.
Dan Hitchman
I know, right?? It's EXACTLY like Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels....
...J/K
@@dan_hitchman007 It is still the most recent film to have two nominations in the Academy Award for the Best Actor category.
The irony is great!
The fact that they both carried the scenes where they're in, together or separately, made me shocked so much!
The priest was so professionally cheerful in the beginning; by the end, he is worn down and defeated. Masterful acting .
The loss of the actor was incredibly tragic.
It was a harrowing tale - but also the confession had an unexpected conclusion and the priest was way out of his depth.
@@seanwebb605 He was one of the many casualties of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
@@zach_kjb_bible_believer when did he pass? Isn’t hiv and aids treatable now?
@@CrazyDave318 he died in 1995.
"Are they?" and "I didn't". It always fascinates me how Murray Abraham's perfect vocal delivery and eye expression could convey so much meaning to these two banal sentences. You get to know so much about the character, his relationship to himself, to God and to Mozart right then and there, and the movie has barely begun. Now that was an Oscar well earned.
It truly was ❤️
Indeed it was.
“Are they?” Two simple words. But those two words form the basis of the whole movie. Why God chose the ‘obscene little creature on the floor’ as his instrument… and made Salieri mute.
Yes, he could have well deserved his Oscar just for how he masterfully acted in these two sentences.
That is very, very well observed indeed!
I actually learned to appreciate classical music even more because of Salieri in this film. He's so passionate about it, it seems to rub off, allowing the audience to live vicariously through him. This makes the film even more of a tragedy, you really sympathize with Salieri (even though the film differs from actual history).
Me too! I’ve also embraced my mediocrity!! *bows very low*
Monster hunter brought me to this kind of music.
The film is more based on a play based on an account from one of Salieri's students. In that student's account, Salieri believes he killed Mozart.
This is from a time period in the distant past, when the Academy Award for Best Picture actually went to a good movie.
Name a bad movie that won Best Picture since then.
Zachary Rose There were plenty of ok to bad movies that won Best Picture before Amadeus and many masterpieces that were snubbed. I think you’re caught in a romantic delusion of the past.
"Chariots of Fire" won Best Picture that year.
@@georgeofhamilton Crash
George Hamilton The Shape of Water
I love how this scene puts us in the position of the priest, who fails to know Salieri’s work but instantly recognizes Mozart’s. Already a perfect beggining!
As a cinematic piece definitely. In reality however that priest would have been as ignorant to Mozart's music as he was to Salieri's during this time. Bear in mind only the rich at this time could afford to listen to symphonies and full orchestras. Regular people, priests included, only knew the popular songs people sang during their time and drinking songs.
@@theirondukew.8522
True.
Ye
Well I study opera and I definitely recognised Salieri. It's just that while Salieri's works are only known amongst musicians of certain education levels, Mozart's can be recognised by the common public, literally anyone.
@@theirondukew.8522 ye old pub dweller would definitely be humming “hmm hmm-hmm hmm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hmmm!”
It’s like the separation of the chaff from the wheat, and how time erases most things but retains others. Mozart’s work is timeless, it endures where others fall away.
Definitely one of the best movies ever made.
No question about it
That light effect crescendo from 0:42 to 0:52 when the priest offers Gods forgiveness was golden. Terrific movie, just found out that it was filmed in 1984(thought it was in mid to late 90s) AND won 8 Oscars as it deserved. One of the best movies of all times IMO.
wow
Milos forman was a Genius
Love how you said crescendo 😂
“Crescendo” exists in english too?? Sorry. That was a surprise for me.
@@yuricapelasso1695 music is its own language at this point no? 😂
His flashback to his past performance and the fading claps only adds to the scene's solidarity, sadness and brilliance.
"Son queste le speranze" from "Axur, Re D'Ormus"
It's called butt gravy.
Ace Trainer Josh where can I find this movie?
music hub clicked on it, saw the option to watch, then it redirected me to "win a gift card" and I don't even want to start with that
agree
The way he delivers that line... “That was Mozart...” God... reverence, fury, envy, love, admiration, hatred, all of it captured in a single brief sentence and a glance upward. Perfect acting.
quite - "that" refers to the actual music - which for Salieri - is God speaking through Mozart.
Something else. He glanced upward and nodded right as he said the word Amadeus - which is Latin for 'beloved by God'. The crux of the whole movie was how he felt that God unjustly preferred Mozart over him, even though Salieri considered himself a devout Christian while Mozart was a heathen undeserving child.
@@chillstreem ohhh, brilliant observation, the more I learn of this film the more I adore it from moment to shining moment. Every frame a painting, every line a poem.
I watched behind the scenes of this! All the scenes with Salieri as an old man were filmed first. Imo it stands as a testament to Abraham's acting. He said in an interview that these scenes were shot first, and that it kept him separated from the rest of the cast for the first bit of filming, giving him a sense of alienation. He himself said it helped him to fit into the role better, being away from everyone. Kinda sad, but really cool how he devoted to the role like that!
Are They?
that line sets the tone for the movie. He then proceeds to tell a tale disabusing that notion lol
And I will never forget the night F. Murray Abraham accepted his Oscar with the words that he wished Tom Hulce could be there to have one with him. Sheer class!
F. Murray Abraham's performance is seriously one of the best I've ever seen in any movie. Absolutely masterful. He deserved that Oscar.
The best part is that the average viewer can most identify with the priest's reaction of recognizing Mozart's piece better (or at all) than Salieri's.
truth must be said and i have to admit i belong to this average viewer :p
douchebag siv Me too---I'm just another average mediocrity looking for absolution!!
nyterpfan jajajaja good, me either.-
+DangAssDan its safe to say the opposite just don't exist.
Sadly, you have genius or charisma or you don't have it. You might have a very high IQ, but this does not qualify.
JP (your usual very average Joe)
Salieri has my sympathy. Imagine being the favourite court composer and then Mozart shows up.......
Don't feel too bad for him. His real lot in life, as well as his relationship with Mozart, were a lot more pleasant, and this film kicked off a HUGE revival of interest in Salieri's works.
Jackson Rushing they never even met in real life
BaldManLogan Yeah, I'm pretty sure they did.
Jackson Rushing no, there is no evidence they ever had physical contact with eachother. This whole movie is based on a play, not real life. They respected each others work in real life, but no evidence to suggest they actually met
I hate people who are their favorite people and throw you out of the spot light and they used you up burn you out and take you out of the picture when they have had enough of you and betrayed by the ones you love your friends are gone and no more and your completely alone! I have to side with Salieri on this because he was jealous of Mozart and then Salieri is out of the picture and mocked and laughed at! I can understand why he hated Mozart,
Mozart was a shit a complete shit in the end Mozart's talent killed him and then Salieri ends up going insane! Both parties lost!
For anyone sympathetic to Salieri, rest assure the man made his mark despite doing everything in his power to expunge himself from the musical canon. Something that isn't well known is that Salieri wrote hundreds on hundreds of etudes for harpsichord and helped the instrument reach its peaks of facility
After “32 years of torture” he meets with a priest.. and shazaam! The priest doesn’t recognize any of his melodies but instantly recognizes one by Mozart. More humiliation for Salieri. It never ends.
Self-afflicted humiliation. Salieri creates his own unhappiness by repeatedly comparing himself to Mozart.
I'd given the Oscar based on his eyes/glares alone.
Maybe they did
True
It has been argued to be the greatest role ever played in any movie, certainly a big step up from Scarface ;)
3:18 is my favorite.
Oh yeah. It's amazing how much cynicism and hatred and resentment and envy he forced out of his eyes
"Amadeus" is latin for "loved by god". The way he looks up to the sky with such resentment when he says that name.. Gives the scene a whole new level.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadeus_(name)
Not " loved by God", but "who loves God". " Ama" is the 3° person indicative singular.
"Amadeus" is latin for God Loving, douche
Not " God loving", but "loves God" ( Amat Deum).It's the same to "Louva-Deus" ( laudat Deum) in portuguese. Louva-Deus is " Praying Mantis" in english. All have the same idea and structure.
I like that name
Along with The Godfather, Goodfellas and Shawshank Redemption, this film is in the category of cinematic perfection. Masterful performances, sublime plot. Cinematography beyond compare.
I wish it were more historically accurate, but it's a movie after all
Do not forget ‘Witness’!
Also Apocalypse Now
Barry Lyndon, 2001 Space odyssey, Andrey Rublev, etc there are so many more astonishing movies out there. But yeah Amadeus is a damn good movie.
@@Watchmewatch5752 and Happy Gilmore
"That was joey"
*SHADOW👤WIZARD🧙♂️MONEY💵 GANG👥️️! WE👥️️ LOVE😍 CASTING 💫 SPELLS💯*
BEES MAKE HONEY
Huh
💀
I've seen this movie so many times that I've actually memorized the dialogue between Salieri and the priest at the beginning of the movie word for word! One of my favorite movies of all time.
Same! I love it so much.
I think you will enjoy this Amadeus (rap): ua-cam.com/video/ay6KiasNmF0/v-deo.html
how about the notes played though?
Me too !!!
@Guitar Lessons BobbyCrispy: You should see the play sometime. The script is now in version 7.0. (I think the movie was version 3.0.)
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you wrote that!"
"I didn't."
There's so much pain there, it's almost tangible.
The sorrow of a man who was good, but not great. Destined to forever be outshined by Mozart.
That was Bieber.
Just in bieber.
SHAOLIN FANTASTIC calm down it’s a joke
Yeah it was kinda sad😢
@SHAOLIN FANTASTIC Another stupid comment from a stupid idiot like you.. As well as me. Get the fuck outta here prick
I know F. Murray Abraham is the big star of this scene (and entire movie), but I would just like to acknowledge how great Richard Frank is (the actor who plays the priest). He has that kind of acting-charisma that I always love to see in a performance, and it's such a shame he's not with us anymore.
Very true, I was thinking of that right now, as I watched this clip again...
There are no bad actors in this movie. Maybe it is the best “actor’s movie” in history.
And its interesting that none is a superstar.
@@eduardovieira7001 Wow, I've never thought of that, but you're absolutely right. In fact, apart from Abraham, Hulce, Jones and Schiavelli, I haven't seen any of the actors in other films. But everyone plays their part extraordinary.
bladee in 5 years
Ah shit.
Nah that's gonna be ecco. Bladee is mozart
💀💀💀
"All men are equal in God's eyes."
0:31 "AARRRRREEEE THEYYYY??' *TRIGGERED*
God chooses whom He will to laugh at the world by .. was Salieri's point, I think.
Your Merciful God...
Salieri, in the film, was proud, envious, spoiled and vane. He was blind to his deficiencies as a human being, and same blindness prevented him to realise his deficiencies as a musician. He had never improved in that area either, while Mozart took any opportunity to do it. Salieri did not realise he is liked not because he has a tremendous, God-given talent, but because he is well connected at the court, and likes to compose fashionable things that suit people's twinkling tastes. Mozart, on the other hand, composed pieces that challenged the audience, and searched ever new beauty; that struggle gave Mozart strength to improve as a human being too. In the film he confesses, "Forgive me, Majesty. I'm a vulgar man. But I assure you, my music is not.". Salieri never did that.
Not triggered at all. He just pounced upon a flaw (as he saw it) in the priest's logic. That Mozart simply was BETTER than Salieri, for no reason that Salieri could see. That god was unjust, as Salieri saw it, for making Mozart better than him. He did have a point.
I think that's the definition of triggered :). It was a sore spot with him that Mozart was born with the gifts and he wasn't.
Love the facial expressions throughout this scene.
Yes. :) I especially enjoy the look the priest gives as Salieri starts conducting! From that look alone, you can tell that the priest is thinking, "OMG this dude is off his rocker."
agree
The priest is a good actor haha
@@itwontcomeout5678 The actor playing the Priest is good. The Priest, however, cannot hide his 'OH NO FOR GOODNESS SAKE' when Toni prepares to play the third sample.
This is a fine film for acting students to study. But personally, I think the BEST film with the BEST acting would be "12 Angry Men".
Decades later and this still is such a fantastic scene.
It never ceases to amaze me how instantly mesmerizing this movie is. Even clips like these immediately ensnare your attention
The power of great writing, acting and direction.
Flawless. F. Murray Abraham's acting in this entire movie was absolutely flawless. It was this scene near the beginning of the movie though, watching him here that I realized, buckle up, this is going to be a great ride. Even though he rightfully won the academy award, I never knew why his career never skyrocketed after that.
Grayfox---you said it perfectly!! The only other leading role performance that's in the same ballpark for dramatic intensity IMHO is Jack Nicholson's performance in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Just a guess---but I would say that F. Murray Abraham's career faded out of the limelight for 2 reasons: 1) An actor of his depth and talent is not going to want to be a part of the rubbish that Hollywood spews out today 2) More poignantly: How in the world can you top the performance he gave as Salieri?!! It's like asking Michelangelo to top the Sistine Chapel!!
+grayfoxfive "Flawless. F. Murray Abraham's acting"
LOL, I just got finished writing a comment about him. Sorry, didn't mean to basically duplicate what you wrote.
But yes, he lit that movie up. I like to see an actor who gets mostly small parts, land a role like this and really get a chance to show what he could do. Like bringing a bench player in to pinch hit in the 9th inning and he hits a game-winning home run.
I'm surprised he didn't get more leading roles after this, too. I can think of lots of characters he would have been able to do well. And he could come off as a good guy as well as a bad guy. Sorry, but as good as he is, Robert DeNiro is far more convincing as Satan than he is as a priest. Abraham would have no trouble playing either.
agree
i disagree with you, i saw him in a some b movies such as Thir13en Ghost and i cudnt believe why isn't he like jack or anthony queen
he is the best in my opinion
grayfoxfive He did an amazing job
Amadeus is the longest confession in the history of confessions. If he's been in the confession box at church, the line up would have gone on forever lol.
Exactly. The whole movie is Salieri's confession.
Such a fantastic movie, such a wonderful performance. I know Salieri is the 'villain' but you just can't help but sympathize with him. He was a man who worked hard and dedicated himself to his profession. He believed he did everything right and paid his dues. And then discovers that all his hard work and dedication are nothing when compared to pure blinding talent. What he does is certainly wrong and his anger is misplaced, but he is just so damn human. You can't help but feel for him.
The story is told from Salieri's eyes. In reality, Mozart is the villain. Mozart comes off as a carefree child with no discipline or right to his craft because that's how Salieri saw him, but at the same time he absolutely loved every note of his music, and he hated him for it.
I love Richard Frank (the Priest) in this movie. He and Murray Abraham got a good chemistry. I remember watching this scene for the first time, admiring the acting of both of them and said to myself "this movie gonna be great", and feeling so excited to see what comes next. Truly one of the best film i've ever watch.
Same here
2:54 salieri's like "you fell right in my trap"
tristan hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahah
So true!!
Big brain brain very large
It's what makes the scene.
Salieri had thought of a hundred refutations to “all men are equal in God’s eyes” while this priest was still in diapers. He toyed with his prey like a cat, but the fleeting moment of amusement passed - reminded again of his bitterness. The young priest had no hope of breaking through decades’ worth of that.
this was an incredible movie and anyone who has not seen this should most definitely.
+Joseph Meastas Completely agree. It was released in 1984 and still looks great today.
+Joseph Meastas
i bought new dvd with the movie for 6 or 7 euros. great deal for great movie.
+RobertKaydoo Wait, this movie was made in the 80's?! It looks like something that would be made today!
Zach Scarbrough Today's cinema has regressed much actually. Not as sublime as this old one...no thanks to a generation who'd rather see everything flashy and shallow.
My 1st date with my wife was seeing Amadeus. A good luck movie for me.
I watched this movie for the first time last night. Really great movie, my 5 year old son woke up a little over half way through and I let him watch the rest. He even like it and sat through all of it
"I didn't."
The smile, the slight head tilt, oh my god this movie is so goddamn good
S class
As well as the flashbacks to Salieri in his prime being tragic, I love that they didn't relegate depictions of his music to little piano sketches. We were shown that Salieri's music was rich and powerful, not that he was any kind of incompetent bungler; just sadly eclipsed by even greater talent.
The movie doesn't even depict Mozart's music as better, just that it comes so easily.
@@redrick8900 so true!
@@redrick8900 No. Lo! Mozart's music sounds much better.
@@karllieck9064 It does not.
It definitely suggests Mozart's music is better. The fact in this scene the Priest instantly recognizes Mozart's and none of Sal's is showing how much more memorable Mozart's is. When Sal says "it is as if Mozart was receiving dictation directly from God", that speaks not just to his ease of composition but to his music being divinely inspired/at another level.
I know it's a minor, insignificant detail, but I love how he pronounces his middle name "Amadeus" in seemingly fluent Latin
I also noticed that
Well, Salieri is Italian.
He emphasizes the meaning of the word, indicating to the priest, who also must have had a knowledge of Latin, that even his given name seemed to have prophesied the talent God bestowed on him.
@@godsrealname Salieri knows the significance of Wolfy’s middle name. He’s not amused.
@@Tempusverum so?
I just said i also noticed his proper pronounce of amadeus
This dude has two timeless masterpieces... This role and Omar Suarez in Scarface. The fact that the same actor played both and absolutely killed in both is just amazing.
E ainda tem o inquisidor Bernardo Guy em "O nome da Rosa", com um Sean Connory magistral. Dois gigantes !
That was joey
Salieri paid for the well-being of Mozart’s children after Mozart died.
Really?
@@kathrynmolesa1641 Yes, in real life, Mozart and Salieri were actually great friends. They were just rivals. Mozart died and his wife Constanze became a widow. Women couldn't make much money at the time, so Salieri paid for the well-being of the family.
Henarthur I
Now that would have been a great ending to the movie.
@@kathrynmolesa1641 Except the story was about jealousy turned to rage and hate and how they destroy. It would not have worked because this was not meant to be historically accurate.
Dan Hitchman
Not if he married Mozart's widow.
"This one brought down the house, the first time we played it..." salieri was just a rock star
Even the Emperor forgot to yawn.
I love reading comments to clips of this movie. This is such a perfect film. I'll offer my own tiny observation:
I like the cut away to the priest on the third try when Saileri says "here, what about *this* one" and he lets out a little sigh, as if he doesn't want to disappoint this nice old man yet again. Great acting from the priest. You can look at any moment of this film under a microscope and it's a masterpiece.
This movies tells us that “Regardless of the time and era, there will always be someone who were so gifted that no one can be above them” and “many will not reach the height of the most talented and overshadowed by them.”
Mozart practised 40 hours a day, Salieri only 24 hours.
If you can confess your sins slowly, you can confess your sins fast!
Bruh
Mozart previous incarnation of ling ling confirmed
LING LING
.
The editing here is flawless! Displace one cut and there would be diminishment; displace one shot and the structure would fall. The shock cut to the singer on the stairs gives me chills each time
Yeah as an editor myself I'm absolutely in love with that cut. It was like being slammed into your seat and someone putting a seatbelt on for you. Like. HERE WE GO.
If I remember the movie accurately, you just paraphrased a line from it to compliment the editing.
Well done.
We saw what you did there. Well played.
All men are equal in gods eye the father couldn’t have choose a better quote to get him rambling on
For people searching, the name of the Aria by Salieri it's from the opera "Axur re d'Ormus, Son queste le speranze."
Thank you kindly!
"All men are equal in God's eyes." "ARE they?"
And with that line the stage is set for one of the most emotionally moving films ever produced anywhere!! 30 plus years later this movie (and in particular F. Murray Abraham's performance as Salieri) gives me such incredible chills---I can't even begin to describe it!!
+37Dionysos So much said with so few words. And of course, the superb delivery only adds to the impact.
You should take time to listen to philosopher Alan Watts here, and find out that you are God: each of us is. Try his "Fear of Enlightenment."
Alan Watts is great and yes, that is the ultimate truth. Some people are spiritual virtuosos in the way Mozart was a creative one, however. That's how I can relate to this.
Well all philosophers they have almost thousands various in their opinions about life and faith! Why want to choice the Alan Watts one sides opinions and choices? Because he speak "good" or almost "sophisticate" without true and without to proves? Alan Watts he is ridiculous idiot!
I occasionally come back to this scene to see what true acting and directing looks like, one of the best scenes i've ever watched.
I love the lighting changes. When some form of the grace of God is mentioned the lighting gets brighter, when Salieri rejects it, or goes into his own dark thoughts, the light dims. I hadn't noticed it at first.
True
Watch Loves of a Blonde and The Fireman's Ball.
This whole movie is essentially perfect. I'm sure there are minute things that could have been done to correct mostly unnoticed thing only detected if you go through a frame by frame analysis. But it wouldn't improve the film in any discernable way. I have watched this countless times and still watch it multiple times a year just to remind myself what good cinema is. I would watch the only other film I hold to this regard, but I have seen Schindler's list only twice. And I can't watch it again.
1:43 i'm gonna bleed in the club, i got weed in my lungs
thats what im saying
wtf😂😂
Lmfaoo that's where I saw this scene
I don't get it.
He's just conducting the opera
Every note of this performance is perfect.
"I have always counted myself amongst the greatest admirers of mozart and shall remain so untill my last breath" Beethoven
The interesting thing is that Beethoven studied under both Mozart and Salieri. I believe he went to Salieri because he and Mozart had personalities that did not mesh well. My memory may be in error, but that is my recall of the story.
@@jayt9608 It’s doubtful he ever met Mozart and even if he did it was only on one occasion, there was no formal teaching. However salieri and Haydn both formerly taught and influenced Beethoven in many ways. Beethoven did admire Mozart extensively though, even questioning his pieces constantly thinking that he was plagiarizing Mozart in some way.
Wasn't Beethoven the child in the one scene when Mozart was partying and played requested songs on the piano as penalties?
@@willn8664 yes, but this movie is not historical, it's a theater play and a fictional story
@@19moira90 lol yeah I know but that would be like an interesting easter egg in the movie.
I like how the sunlight intensifies when the priest says he can offer him God's forgiveness, and then it diminishes right at the moment Salieri is going to speak. Perhaps intentional but neat either way.
+megaplatypus Neat! Thanks for observation. I'm pretty sure something like that would be intentional. You'd have to specifically tell someone to brighten, then dim the lights. Otherwise, I'm sure they would've saved that someone the trouble and just had a stable light there. Defintely a masterful touch!
noticed that too...dunno.
Holy shit, thanks for pointing that out. Damn, even the attention to detail is on point in this film.
There is very little in a movie that is unintentional (outside of very bad, very cheap movies that is), everything is meticulously controlled and micromanaged by huge teams of people to make sure everything in the scene that was supposed to happen happens. Lighting is especially important and not something that would be overlooked in scenes like this.
"perhaps intentional"
Well, they are in a studio where the cinematographers are in full control of the lighting haha, but I get what you mean. It's neat.
Great fact about F. Murray Abraham: He boxes in his spare time. A burglar once broke onto one of his movie sets and Abraham took him to school.
"All men are created equal in gods eyes."
Salieri dedicated himself to his passion and profession of music. Countless hours, numerous sacrifices, decades of dedication and perserverence to his craft until finally his skills were honed to as sharp a point as they could get. Salieri considered himself one of, if not the best, composers in his world and took great pride in that fact. Until Mozart entered his world, a man with gifts so blessed that his musical talent not only surpassed Salieri's, but he effortlessly did so and at a level that Salieri could never reach even if he had 2 lifetimes to try. So talented that even Salieri could see the spark of the divine in Mozarts music, and recognize that no matter how hard he worked or how strong his desire, this was music Salieri could never hope to equal. And Mozart was able to access this transcendant ability seemingly at a whim, like a cat who capriciously wanders in to a neighbours yard. A talent that Salieri wanted more than anything in his life, but would never be able to achieve. A fact that would torment Salieri until his death.
But go ahead father, tell this man who has witnessed the touch of the divine that god doesnt play favorites.
He does not. Salieri’s downfall is his ego.
Well said. This film is a masterpiece on all counts.
@@oxherder9061 Salieri tries to be humble. He credits God for his inspiration, he sees the touch of God in the genius of Mozart's work. Salieri humbles himself before God after writing the welcome march. And what happens? Mozart humiliates him while giggling.
@@oxherder9061 Salieri is not mad about his downfall. Saliere is mad (in this film, real life is a different matter) about Mozart‘s insane talent and its being completely independent of effort.
Salieri is an expert and as an expert he recognizes that Mozart is lightyears above him or any living composer. And notably, that‘s also not egotistical at all. And egotistical person would convince themselves they are just as good, or better. Not Salieri. He gets it. He gets that what Mozart writes is so mind-bogglingly brilliant that people would still listen to it centuries later.
But Salieri is also a professional and Mozart is not. He is dilligent and Mozart is not. And he knows that all his effort and virtue can never create the same kind of work Mozart can. And of course that knowledge is incredibly frustrating, and it downright disproves any sense of cosmic justice. And incidentally it‘s not just frustrating for Salieri the professional, but also for Salieri the Mozart-fan (if we take him at his word), because those incredibly unhelpful and destructive traits that Mozarts talent is paired with are what kills Mozart and remove his talent from the world.
And remove the possibility of his work continuing or maturing.
@@pavarottiaardvark3431I always though that Mozart was God’s way of saying “No” to Salieri, from the moment when he was a child where he prayed to God to be a musician, God was trying to get Salieri to realise that he was called to something different but Salieri didn’t want to hear it so God tried to get him to reason in the most humiliating way, Mozart. The end when he faded away into obscurity was basically God’s punishment for his stubbornness
The smile and the pain in his eyes... What an actor ... Well done!!!
That is what affected me most, the pain in him. All these years after watching the movie I am still moved by the actor's portrayal in that scene.
Notice how Salieri is so hungry for being remembered and recognized that he actually accepts the rumour that he killed Mozart with joy at 3:33
Good catch
Ooooh.... Excellent observation. That had not occurred to me.
Any publicity is good publicity
The best movie ever. The best movie, the best script, the best acting, the best musician, the best everything!!!
No, the best movie is Back to the Future and perhaps Star Wars
One of the many wonderful and subtle things about this scene is how Salieri's interest is so aroused when the priest blandly claims that all men are equal in God's eyes. "Are they?"
my favourite movie ever.
You mean John Williams music and Star Wars wasn't good enough for you ;)
When this movie came out it didn't sound interesting to me. My parents said it was great and we watched it on video and it was GREAT! And Wolfies wife was a hottie and she had big... um... chupacabras! Oh yeah. Truly great movie.
I live in india. Far away from europe. I have no knowledgd of european art culture and music.
I dont even belong to art community.
But even i have heard mozart's music without knowing it was mozart!!!
Om Namah Shivaya
@@enkianunnaki2967 :)
@Eduardo Mendez ha ha
You should take advantage of youtube and its resources in music. I would recommend starting with high classical music: Clementi, Mozart and Haydn. You may also consider piano lessons.
@@dgontar thank you
This scene and the actors' performances are really at the state of the art itself.
So meticulously delicate acting, and every word, and every moving is full of feelings the characters have.
I’d heard about this movie, then finally rented it (this was many years ago, obviously). This is the scene that had he hooked. The cut to the opera in his younger days was so simple and effective. All these years later and this is still one of my favorite movies of all time.
I thought this was going to be the scene where he says "that was Mozart! That giggling, dirty/minded creature I had just seen, CRAWLING ON THE FLOOR"
Inspired Milk same 😂
Everyone needs to see this film at least once
and go for Amadeus Live. They shows the film with live orchestra playing along; it was amazing
I got the Directors Cut lucky me
Yes, but as good as the movie was, the Broadway play was even better. I saw it in 1981, it was the most engrossing piece of theater i have ever seen. You left the theater emotionally spent. Even now, 40 years later, i still recall it vividly. The movie is great, the play was astounding.
I remember seeing this in a music class in high school and just being blown away by this scene especially at the start. The cut from Salieri conducting in his room to the singer coming down the stairs gives me chills every single time, it’s so intense I’d do anything to watch it again for the first time. When you aren’t expecting to be overwhelmed by such a smack in the face like that. This movie is just so amazing and probably was the one that put me in a right direction of films, I remember going to the cinema to see fast and furious etc then this sparked something in me and I started seeking out the same feelings and watching all the classics and things that challenge you
That transition is an amazing part, still great on second viewing.
Whoever uploaded the 'Amadaeus' clips, THANK YOU!!! F. Murray Abraham's portrayal of Salieri is simply beautiful and wonderful to behold
I think his hatred was towards GOD. He blamed God for only giving him the ability to recognize Mozart's greatness and giving that greatness to what he considered a spoiled brat. To him the music of Mozart was the voice of God. So at the end he wanted to destroy God which is why he went mad when Mozart dies.
You think? He actually says exactly that in the fucking movie.
doug avila mozart was many things, but a spoiled brat he was not
doug avila yes when he had said it was as if Mozarts writing was just taking dictation he meant taking dictation for God and he was probably correct in assuming that.
And yet, I wonder who is happier now.
The movie is mostly fiction. It makes a good story but it's not historically accurate especially about the actual relationship between Mozart and Salieri.
One of the BEST scenes in cinematic history!!
Lots of them in this movie.
Just watched this on Netflix. I remember as a kid in elementary, watching this in my music class that felt like over 100 times. Now as an adult I watched it and I really enjoy this more than when I was a kid
1:45 I remember as a kid how this scene took my breath away. One second you're listening to the ramblings of an insane asylum inmate, then next you're transported into a fantastical, bygone era.
What was the name of this piece of Salieri?
@@jesusenriquez1236 Antonio Salieri - Axur, re d'Ormus - Aria di Aspasia - Come fuggir... Son queste le speranze
@@wolfie8748 thank youuuuuuuu I was looking for the name
The priest, “I’m sorry I didn’t know you wrote that.”
Salieri, “I didn’t. That was Mozart. Wolfgang.... Amadeus.... Mozart.”
Then after the priest pleaded with him to confess (for murdering Mozart), Salieri replied, “He was my idol.”
For me, that was the most poignant moment in the movie.
Kinda lackluster tbh
"I didnt, that was joeyy"
airing out your block im like mrbeast
how well do you know the soundcloud game?
Murray Abraham was marvelous in that movie. His character was largely contrived, but they needed someone to tie the narrative together, so they sort of "borrowed" Salieri. Even though I knew they took a lot of liberty with historical facts, it worked very well for the movie. I liked the idea of an antagonist being the inspiring voice for Mozart's music.
+Astrobrant2 In reality there was no evidence of Salieri killing the man, only speculation. It drove Salieri mad.
Chris E FLores Yes, I know that. I read the Alfred Einstein biography on Mozart several years before the movie was released. IIRC, there was hardly a mention of Salieri.
Also:
1) Salieri was married and had 8 children.
2) The age gap between them wasn't that big.
3) Despite occasionally competing against each other, Salieri and Mozart were close friends who deeply respected one other.
4) Mozart, while a prodigy, was not a super-genius who could revise and improve upon someone else's work after looking at it once. His musical creations went through several revisions and changes like any other composer.
5) Salieri was Beethoven's teacher. Mozart even proudly declared that the boy would go on to surpass both of them - which he did.
6) After Mozart died, Salieri fought tooth and nail to keep his friend's legacy alive. He even took one of Mozart's sons as a music student.
7) The depiction of Emperor Joseph is WILDLY inaccurate: he was a smart, charming man with a strong understanding of (and appreciation for) fine music who personally championed Mozart's creations even when his advisers tried to convince him not to.
Jackson Rushing "Mozart, while a prodigy, was not a super-genius who could revise and improve upon someone else's work after looking at it once. His musical creations went through several revisions and changes like any other composer."
Where did you get that information? While there are apocryphal tales about great people, it was well-documented that he had seemingly super-human musical abilities. He wowed people everywhere with his improvisations and spontaneous variations, even when he was a child. He was also well-known for his extraordinary musical memory, and he allegedly wrote the entire "Haffner" symphony, (#35, K385), in six days without ever going to the keyboard.
There was also the story of an overture which he traveled to another city to present its debut. The sheet music was lost just a couple of days before the performance. He hurriedly wrote a replacement. The musicians had to share the sheet music because there wasn't time to make copies of each part. Some time after the performance, someone found the original score. Someone alertly noticed the great similarity and the two versions were compared. Not one single note or notation was different between them.
Do you have evidence that these stories weren't true?
Astrobrant2 Allegedly. That's the key word. Allegedly. As for my evidence, honestly no, but stories from that era can be exaggerated, so don't act surprised if they are. And yes, Mozart was magnificent, but he wasn't a cartoon-level prodigy.
Whenever I lose faith in film's ability to truly provide transcendent experiences, I remind myself of Amadeus. Rarely have I been so affected by *any* work of art, *ever.* It is just magnificent.
This is such a masterful performance. Theatricality held back just enough to allow it to breathe and grounded so as to become true character. It's fierce.
Salieri sure knows how to bring down the house
This film is a masterpiece!
Mr. Abraham's conducting movements are natural and positive. Tom Hulce looked like a condor that had died in the sky and was falling to earth.
I believe that was the intent. Flamboyant and expressive...
For everyone wondering, Salieri actually was very supportive of Mozart especially early in his career. In fact, Salieri had no need to be jealous of Mozart because Mozart's popularity didn't even skyrocket until after his death. When Mozart perform the Opera the magic flute for Salieri, Mozart says that Salieri would clap and shout Bravo after almost every tune. Salieri's own operas where still hugely popular in Paris even at the time of his death.
In the movie he's the only one that knows Mozart is a genius and he's still jealous. It's between Salieri, Mozart, and God.
i got weeeeeed in my lungsssssssssssssss
i dont neeeed any loveeee!!! i cant feel when im druuuunk!!!!
Tom Hulce gave an incredible performance, as Mozart. I saw this film, when it came out, when living in Miami, with my Mother. Brilliant !
This is one of best character introductions ever. I’m not being hyperbolic. The acting, the music, the set pieces. And the editing, the FUCKING editing is perfect.
The editing thoughout this movie was insanely good. The scene where Saliari and Mozart write the final requiem - with the music playing exactly as it’s explained - was nothing short of amazing. Most movies usually forget to use editing as part of the story. This one didn’t.
Couldn't reply w/out using the "F word", could you? Try a little self-control...lol
A stellar performance by F. Murray Abraham that rightfully earned him the Oscar for the role.
Anybody else feel sorry for the priest feeling really awkward not knowing any of his music lol.
2:32 "Can you recall no melody of mine? I was the most famous composer in Europe. I wrote 40 operas alone."
Guess what xD No one cared about! Mozart is life!
@@hxdtl8317 Salieri didn't actually kill Mozart.
@@hxdtl8317 many people care, son.