Film Review: Amadeus

 "Amadeus"  

**** (out of ****)

Watching Milos Forman's "Amadeus" (1984) - a fictional look at the life of composer Wolfgang  Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and a rivalry with fellow composer, Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) - I thought how sad it is we don't see movies that celebrate art and artists in the joyous way this masterpiece does.

Unfortunately, society is absorbed in conversations that mar the value of art by having political opportunists and activists question and define what is art and what should be its objective? And, what should we do with art from the past that doesn't meet the (pretend) morals of modern day society? 

It also doesn't help that we no longer have strong voices in the film critic community. Voices that would defend art's importance and place value on film history. Who is the "new"  Pauline Kael, Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, Andrew Sarris or Molly Haskell? These individuals and society spoke differently about film. They gave voice to the film community of the 1970s. Is it any wonder than that the 1970s was the last great decade of American cinema? Today's "movie critics" (sheep) are in alignment and/or afraid of the activists! No one wants to face the wrath of an angry Twitter mob.

Although made in that most horrendous of movie decades - the 1980s - "Amadeus" has the spirit of great films of the 1970s. Here is a movie that thoughtfully comments on and examines art's role in society, its relationship to politics and the different ways it is interpreted between the classes. As well as exploring the artist's desire to challenge convention and the tragic consequences of that, resulting in a society that doesn't fully appreciate the great artists of its time. It has become a cliché but here is a movie that couldn't be made today with the same level of wit and artistic merit. 

Notice how our movie begins with Salieri - now in the September of his years - crying out the name of Mozart. Mozart, he pleads, forgive me! He is confessing to Mozart's murder. What is interesting about this sequence and the one that follows is the subtle way director Milos Forman is establishing the theme of art and morality. As Salieri seeks forgiveness notice he does not ask for God's forgiveness, only Mozart's. In the following sequence a Priest (Richard Frank) has been called to listen to Salieri's story - who is now in a Psychiatric Institute after an attempted suicide. The Priest hopes to cleanse Salieri's soul and listen to a confession but Salieri has no interest in redeeming his soul in a religious sense. Remember, he calls out for Mozart's forgiveness. And so notice the mise-en-scene of the sequence. A man (Salieri) sits at a piano and across from him is a priest - art (the piano) and religion / morality (the priest). While Salieri offers a "confession" - an explanation of events - it is not a confession between man and God but rather artist to artist. Forman has taken the familiar setting of a religious confessional and transformed it into something else.

I'm often asked why do I dislike modern day films, here is a prime example why. An individual could have conceivably watched these two sequences in "Amadeus" and not notice the themes at play. While it is stunningly transparent to me, it could be subtle to another viewer. And that is one thing that is missing from today's Hollywood "message movies". Today the "artist" must beat us over the head with their message, especially in today's social / political environment. No one has time for nuance. Hollywood movies appear to lack the confidence that an audience will be able to understand its meaning. The "message movies" of today seem more preoccupied with the political messaging than the art of filmmaking. Movies today aren't a form of artistic expression, they have become a tool for political outreach - notice the rise in popularity of documentaries!

As the "confession" sequence continues pay attention to what Salieri tells the Priest. His love of music was not appreciated or encouraged by his father and so one day, while in church, a young Salieri prays and offers to make a pact with God. He asks God to make him a great composer by using him as a vessel to spread God's word. Now art has taken on another quality. Can art redeem us and provide salvation? Salieri's prayer and hope is that he be famous and immortal through his music. In exchange for this Salieri offers his chastity. 

Milos Forman, who left his home of  (the former) Czechoslovakia, while it was under Communist rule, is no stranger to the relationship between politics and art. It was George Orwell who famously said, "all art is propaganda". It has been an unfortunate marriage that has stained the history of film. Of course today it is the government and political activists influencing and controlling art but in the time of Mozart however it was Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones) who declared what was in "good taste" and morally appropriate. 

Some of the more interesting sequences in "Amadeus" involve court politics and everyone jockeying for favor with the Emperor. From the moment we are introduced to the Emperor we see politics at play. Mozart's praises are being sung to the Emperor in an attempt to make him an offer to be employed at their court. In an effort to lure him the Emperor suggests Mozart be allowed to write an Opera in German - they are in Vienna after all - but the others in the Emperor's council (all Italian) look down upon this idea. Opera should be in Italian they believe. But how do you tell the Emperor this without insulting the German language? Only Salieri is skillful enough to give an answer that satisfies the Emperor while completely avoiding the question of should an Opera be in German.

This relationship between politics and art is further magnified when Mozart describes a German libretto he would like to add music to but meets fierce objection since the story would take place in a harem (I don't believe the title of the Opera is ever mentioned but it might be "The Abduction from the Seraglio") which is far too controversial a setting for a "respectable" Opera. Later Mozart tackles another controversial subject, "The Marriage of Figaro", which the Emperor had banned. While the theme of art and politics is firmly presented here, Forman is now making a commentary on another issue - the artist's desire to sometimes challenge societal conventions. The great Roger Ebert, in his Chicago Sun-Times review, suggested as much by writing "Mozart's wigs do not look like everybody else's. They have just the slightest suggestion of punk, just the smallest shading of pink. Mozart seems more a child of the 1960s than of any other age".

This has of course been the history of art and artists - be it Mozart, Jean-Luc Godard, Jackson Pollock, Lenny Bruce, heck even Michael Moore. These men tried to challenge the form of their artistic medium and faced an old guard ready to stand in their way. For as many artists as there have been in the world there have been just as many critics prepared to question and define, "what is art"? Artists have always yearned for the freedom to be able to express themselves. 

And while the question of what constitutes art is asked, the answer, depending upon social status, may be different. When Mozart writes an Opera its success is dependent upon the Emperor, whom simply with a yawn can cease all future productions of a show. There is a scene however when Mozart, along with his family, watches one of his Operas performed for the common folk. We now see a different interpretation of what passes for entertainment. The working man's entertainment is a bit more vulgar and yet Mozart is told the people love his work. Here is the difference between high art and mainstream.

One of the final themes Forman presents for us in "Amadeus" is the relationship between fathers & sons. As a child Mozart and his father would travel, allowing the father to show off his son's God given talents. Initially this is what Salieri resents about Mozart - his relationship with this father. To Salieri's eyes, here is a man who is encouraging his son's passion for music. This, as previously mentioned, is the polar opposite to Salieri's relationship with his father. But, where Salieri may perceive the father's acts as love and encouragement towards his son Mozart, one could make the case the father is exploiting his son's gifts for his own financial gain. Regardless, Mozart is always chasing after the unicorn of his father's approval. A father that does not approve of Mozart's marriage, his lifestyle or his decision to remain in Vienna. 

The glue holding all of this together is F. Murray Abraham's performance, perhaps the greatest of his career. As presented here Salieri is a tragic figure. He has been blessed to have the ability to recognize greatness but cursed to know he will never be able to achieve it. How sad to go through life desperate to express your feelings but not having a means in which to express them. It makes the character far more interesting for me to study and watch than Hulce's performance as Mozart. The character is operating on so many levels calling for a great range of emotions to be played - anger, jealousy, hatred, resentment, vulnerability, and cunningness. The list goes on and on. And Abraham never seems to miss a note (that wasn't a pun). Pay attention to his mannerisms. I love a moment when he is filled with rage describing Mozart to the Priest and seems to suddenly become a aware of himself and his ungentlemanly behavior. After saying vile things he gently and gracefully smiles. The two sides of mankind - good and bad. Gentleness and destruction.

It isn't fair of me to say Tom Hulce doesn't give an equally interesting performance as Mozart. Hulce makes the audience forget we are watching a wild interpretation of Mozart. We accept him as a wild and arrogant man-child who has no humility. He matter-of-factly states his greatness right to the face of Salieri and describes one of his Operas as the greatest written. Completely unaware or phased how another composer may react to such a statement.  

"Amadeus" nicely fits into the cannon of Milos Forman's work as it explores some of his favorite themes. Forman's work has often been about defying conventions and breaking lose from institutions (both physically and metaphorically). His other films include "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), "Valmont" (1989), his adaptation of "Dangerous Liaisons" and "The People vs. Larry Flynt" (1996). He was one of the eminent filmmakers of the Czech New Wave of the 1960s. I implore you, please see his film, "The Firemen's Ball" (1967), my favorite of his Czech movies. It is a political satire which the Communist government banned.

In total "Amadeus" was nominated for 11 Academy  Awards and won 8 including "Best Picture", "Best Director", "Best Supporting Actor" (Abraham) and "Best Adapted Screenplay". It won in the same categories at the Golden Globes as well. Siskel and Ebert both declared it one of the year's best movies with Ebert placing it in the number 1 spot.

Here is a complete view of an artist, looking at art from all perspectives. It is rare to see a movie as entertaining and thought provoking as "Amadeus". This is a truly significant work of art. One of Milos Forman's best.