Released in 1984, “Amadeus” is a romanticized reinterpretation of history, adopted from the eponymous play by Peter Shaffer as a variation of Alexander Pushkin’s play “Mozart and Salieri”. It was directed by Milos Forman and an ensemble of respected character actors, most notably F. Murray Abraham as Salieri and Tom Hulce as Mozart.
The story is told from the perspective of Antonio Salieri, court composer for Austrian Emperor Joseph II, now incarcerated in a mental institution after attempting suicide. Salieri is of ill health, and a young minister visits him in order to hear his confession. Salieri warms to the young priest and bares his soul to him. He confesses to being guilt stricken for “killing Mozart”, and proceeds to recount his life’s story and his relationship to Mozart. Salieri was a devout Christian who believed that God spoke through him by giving him his musical talent. He is a fan of Mozart and when the young prodigy visits Vienna Salieri is anxious to meet him, expecting another humble Christian doing God’s work. He is outraged to realize that young Mozart is a loud, vain man who indulges in lewd, scandalous behavior. He is also way more talented than Salieri will ever be. He struggles to come to terms with this knowledge, finally seeing as a test of faith from God and the sign of his own vanity thrown right back in his face. Ultimately he begins to despise Mozart and begins to plot to have him murdered and take credit for his final work.
Even though it performed modestly at the box office, “Amadeus” was a huge hit with the critics, receiving 11 Academy Awards nominations and winning eight of them – including best picture and best actor (Both Abraham and Hulce were nominated in the best actor category, but Abraham ultimately won).