Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

90% Tomatometer 153 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Resenting Mozart for both his hedonistic lifestyle and his undeniable talent, the highly religious Salieri is gradually consumed by his jealousy and becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall, leading to a devious scheme that has dire consequences for both men.

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Amadeus

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Critics Consensus

Amadeus' liberties with history may rankle some, but the creative marriage of Miloš Forman and Peter Shaffer yields a divinely diabolical myth of genius and mediocrity, buoyed by inspired casting and Mozart's rapturous music.

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Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Jay Scott Globe and Mail Decorated with a powdered-sugar sweetness and creamy lavishness unseen since the days of Josef von Sternberg, and performed by an eager to please, rootin'-tootin' American cast that would be comfortable in Oklahoma!, Amadeus is junk food par excellence. Aug 8, 2022 Full Review Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune The subject of artistic creation is typically handled badly in the movies... [Amadeus] treats the subject of creativity in a fresh way. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 11, 2022 Full Review Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times This is Mozart as an eighteenth-century Bruce Springsteen, and yet (here is the genius of the movie) there is nothing cheap or unworthy about the approach. Rated: 4/4 Jul 11, 2022 Full Review Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Stephen Silver The SS Ben Hecht Found an irresistible angle in telling the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by routing it through the bitter jealousy and hatred of his less-talented rival, Antonio Salieri (40th anniversary) Rated: 4.5/5 Sep 20, 2024 Full Review Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A grandly entertaining period piece. Rated: 3.5/4 May 18, 2024 Full Review Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Mark Johnson Awards Daily Lavish and flamboyant in every manner. F. Murray Abraham’s vile and sinister performance as the envious Salieri, a man with more desire to produce music than God gave him talent to create, is one for the ages. Jun 8, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Micah H I didn’t like it all that much, but there’s no denying the quality of Amadeus. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/05/24 Full Review Alex r A masterpiece of a movie. A character based movie that sings. The music, acting, characters, and setting work. And the best part of the movie was how real antonio Salieri felt. The hatred he had in his heart felt real, and the envy he felt for Mozart made him relatable. Both his young and old self was interesting, relatable, and human. The music was excellent. And the plot worked. Mozart felt like a genius child prodigy who was immature. Who was controlled by his father until he married and became man out of his depths with his marriage. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Omar Q Uff que buena película, por años tuve un poco de miedo de verla pero cuando me animé no hubo vuelta atrás y fue un viaje que disfruté demasiado.Ahora que si no te gusta la música “clásica”, el teatro y ese tipo de cosas dudo que te encante.Pero definitivamente es grandiosa película ! Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Kyle M Ever gave a film a second chance, and found the viewing somehow more enjoyable? During my early venturing in broadening my filmic horizons, I approached Milos Forman’s 1984 Academy Award Best Picture winner “Amadeus” out of both recommendation amid the categorical trek, only to find it distastefully overwhelming with production merits in the aesthetic edges. Through many discoveries and attended film studies since high school through college, not only my appreciation for film gotten more opened but also critically sharpened as noted with some revisitations receiving corrected ratings with flaws and qualities seen much clearer than before. Opportunely prompted, “Amadeus” is a periodical art worth revisiting, tolerably backed up more critically. Its very form remains intact and admittedly turned out better, by a slight margin.As a young lad, Antonio Salieri became aspired, determined and disciplined to pursue a path as a composer who would give back to the deity he prayed to with apparent spiritual loyalty at grateful heights. He soon admired and learned from other sounds across some chords, with one of them being Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s divine and miraculous music that surpasses his own. For a hardworking devout he’s become, Salieri is shocked to witness Mozart’s true personality outside the orchestra platform: vulgar in frolicking with others, and free-spirited in deflecting societal seriousness. This unexpected discovery, though personal for Mozart, who shows unworthy stature behind a genius push Salieri further into disbelief on why God favored Mozart over his devoted prayer, eventually becoming a religious enemy as vengefully turned his back with obsessive envy in sabotaging his rival’s downfall. The devious unorthodox scheme he puts into play becomes a pretentious friendship that Mozart would cherish, blinded by the deception that would seal the fate for both men who sought through their passions only to be blindsided costly.Forman was concerned about the film’s exposure during the culture’s transfiguration regarding tastes in music becoming further appealing to younger generations – as the industrial demographics filtered more youthfully in passing eras. The period drama strives artistically and aesthetically with evident objective ambitions indulging in elaborative designs with natural lighting, consisting of a meticulously sensed one-sided rivalry and elegant discourse in the mixture of passionate creativity conflictingly challenging strict norms (recent viewing of “Chevalier” provoked a scolding scoff towards that very aspect). Those production merits are doubtlessly admirable qualities assisting as acoustic echoes with polished screenplay by Peter Shaffer transitioning his 1981 play onto screen, leaving the artistic license in determining additional lengths that certainly add onto the fictional imaginary clash. In addition, you have immersive cinematography of the spacious void filled by replicative music as transportive link. The boundless expression here may be proven overwhelming to disjoint engagement by topical disinterest as ideally forewarned with lingering curiosity to identify elliptical lapses in narrative judgement. From that, the entire picture functions mainly as buildup towards the symbolically layered conclusion, brewing impactful power at captivating peak which furthers the haunting affection.Albeit attributed towards the critical power, selective, typically soulful performances are memorable. F. Murray Abraham as Salieri steadily delves into the human condition’s dangerous embrace under envy, a sin he deviously personifies supposedly his defining height. His opposite in meaningful form Tom Hulce as Mozart has been the most affecting, not to mention under central haunting attribution, in embodying the morally ambitious spirit and heartened innocence that strikes resonance over the intolerant circumstances. While the main pair [specially] gained further recognition afterwards, Elizabeth Berridge as Mozart’s caring wife Conastanzee is noted comparably inactive, but her performance shows critical characterization with pure, clean consciousness.Did I enjoy “Amadeus” the first time? Not really. Was it worth giving it another chance once enough timespan has passed? Yes, since I appreciate the overall craft more and found how tolerable objectivity varies. The contexts are bold and striking when properly grasped rather than initially faded into the powerful haze, and exceptionally designed through the overall art direction neatly reviving periodical history. Aside from those, the film more so invites than recommends, narrowing admirers as the sole demographic who actually acknowledge, evaluating its faithfulness, of the performed material, alongside admiration towards the specialized art serving respective monumental legacies. Per the critical lenses, and considering the acclaimed consensus, “Amadeus” is a jarring presentation ranged acceptably at decent enjoyment. (B) Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review David S There are not much movies which can entertain me and challenge me on the highest level. But this one certainly can! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Kathy U This is my all time favourite movie ever. Love costumes music above ALL….. the actors were unbelievable!!!! Why can’t they make more movies like this????? Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/24/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Milos Forman Director F. Murray Abraham Antonio Salieri Tom Hulce Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Jeffrey Jones Emperor Joseph II Elizabeth Berridge Constanze Mozart Simon Callow Emanuel Schikaneder
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Synopsis Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Resenting Mozart for both his hedonistic lifestyle and his undeniable talent, the highly religious Salieri is gradually consumed by his jealousy and becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall, leading to a devious scheme that has dire consequences for both men.

Director
Milos Forman

Producer
Saul Zaentz

Screenwriter
Peter Shaffer

Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Orion Pictures

Production Co
AMLF

Rating
PG

Genre
Biography, History, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 13, 1984, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
May 18, 2016

Runtime
2h 38m

Sound Mix
Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Surround, Dolby

Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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Amadeus | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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