← Back to Reviews
in
When the title card for the film came on and underneath Amadeus it said; Director's Cut, I knew I was in for a long-ass movie. Clocking in at 3 hours, the film details the life of Mozart, his genius, the rivalry to Salieri and his demise. They don't make movies like this anymore.
With Godfather Part II, Deer Hunter and Amadeus, I for sure must have the longest runtimes out of everyone. Heck, even Strange Days was almost 2 and a 1/2 hours long. I'll use that as my excuse for why I'm taking so long.
I would see this movie poster as a kid a lot and for some reason always thought it was about Egyptian History. Something akin to a Cleopatra film. Why? No idea, it looks like a menacing Egyptian God on the cover. When I found out what it was really about, my interest depleted. Who wants to watch a long movie about composers in white wigs creating music? I was wrong, as I tend to be in these situations. The film has so much more going for it than that. I won't go into whatever historical inaccuracies there are, probably many, but stick to what works. These changes were obviously made for dramatic effect and they work.
The music is transcending. It's refreshing to hear classical music, is that weird to say? Today we are beaten over the head with repetitive drivel on the radio that we miss the art of music. It's an industry and people turn out music to make a buck, not for the art of it...which is hilarious because that's what is depicted in Amadeus.
The costume design, the set design, the grand scale of this film. Today you'd get a few sets and then the rest would be filled in with CGI. Everything here feels real and lived in. We are witnessing people from the 1700's live their lives, feel jealousy and rage, depression and pressure. Everything that is related to us today, these emotions never leave and unite us all.
In reading about the Director's Cut, there seems to be a pivotal scene omitted from the Theatrical Cut. Mozart's wife is positioned by Salieri, if she wants her husband to get the job, they must sleep together. She arrives at his place, disrobes and Salieri calls his servant while she is topless. This humiliates her and gives more emotional weight to their scene towards the end when she tells him that she doesn't have a servant anymore to show him his way out. Without that context, in the beginning, the ending feels empty.
Amadeus is a beautifully imagined film that I don't suspect I'll be watching again anytime soon...my ass is numb.
Amadeus
When the title card for the film came on and underneath Amadeus it said; Director's Cut, I knew I was in for a long-ass movie. Clocking in at 3 hours, the film details the life of Mozart, his genius, the rivalry to Salieri and his demise. They don't make movies like this anymore.
With Godfather Part II, Deer Hunter and Amadeus, I for sure must have the longest runtimes out of everyone. Heck, even Strange Days was almost 2 and a 1/2 hours long. I'll use that as my excuse for why I'm taking so long.
I would see this movie poster as a kid a lot and for some reason always thought it was about Egyptian History. Something akin to a Cleopatra film. Why? No idea, it looks like a menacing Egyptian God on the cover. When I found out what it was really about, my interest depleted. Who wants to watch a long movie about composers in white wigs creating music? I was wrong, as I tend to be in these situations. The film has so much more going for it than that. I won't go into whatever historical inaccuracies there are, probably many, but stick to what works. These changes were obviously made for dramatic effect and they work.
The music is transcending. It's refreshing to hear classical music, is that weird to say? Today we are beaten over the head with repetitive drivel on the radio that we miss the art of music. It's an industry and people turn out music to make a buck, not for the art of it...which is hilarious because that's what is depicted in Amadeus.
The costume design, the set design, the grand scale of this film. Today you'd get a few sets and then the rest would be filled in with CGI. Everything here feels real and lived in. We are witnessing people from the 1700's live their lives, feel jealousy and rage, depression and pressure. Everything that is related to us today, these emotions never leave and unite us all.
In reading about the Director's Cut, there seems to be a pivotal scene omitted from the Theatrical Cut. Mozart's wife is positioned by Salieri, if she wants her husband to get the job, they must sleep together. She arrives at his place, disrobes and Salieri calls his servant while she is topless. This humiliates her and gives more emotional weight to their scene towards the end when she tells him that she doesn't have a servant anymore to show him his way out. Without that context, in the beginning, the ending feels empty.
Amadeus is a beautifully imagined film that I don't suspect I'll be watching again anytime soon...my ass is numb.