Amadeus of 1984 - the Leading Complex Characters - Essay Example

Running Head: AMADEUS (1984) Amadeus (1984) Name Institution Date Table of Contents Running Head: AMADEUS (1984) 1 Amadeus (1984) 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 The plot of Amadeus’s movie 3 Use of editing and writing 4 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction Amadeus is a film that presents the tragic story of both life and death of a certain person known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Top Hulce), a commonly German composer and on how he eventually dies within the hands of another individual known as Anton Salieri (F. Murray) in accordance to the movie. This Amadeus film basically started as the play in the year 1979 by a certain man known as Peter Shaffer and it was later on adapted for the film (Mersmann, 1972). Although Amadeus movie appears to be practically three hours long in presentation, its movement is very fast. While an individual is watching the movie, he or she becomes drawn so much within the minds of the key characters, for instance, particularly Salieri who is seen narrating the story and as a result whose opinion it is then told. Amadeus largely covers the final 10 years that presents the life of Mozart, such a time that was entirely spent in Vienna. This film also chronicles the triumphs as well as failures of Mozart as a composer as witnessed by Salieri who is a Court Composer. Amadeus film starts in 1820s, led by the aging Salieri who currently confined within the insane asylum due to the suicide attempt as he offers his confession to the priest. The tale of Salieri forms the large contents of this movie’s narrative (Brown, 1992). The plot of Amadeus’s movie Amadeus movie sets up with Salieri who is in a certain insane asylum in 1820s. He is seen confessing to the assassination of Mozart as he tells the whole story of the Mozart’s life in his opinion. It becomes evident that Mozart was raised in Vienna and emerged to be the Holy Roman Empire referred to as Joseph II’s court composer. Coincidentally, Salieri who was preciously a great fan of Mozart’s music though currently gravely upset by his personality that reflects a perverted child meets him at a royal court. Having been successfully brought up through a deep religious Catholic background, Salieri is not in a position to comprehend how God endowed Mozart with this incredible talent in music as well as giving him such a very boorish personality. In addition, although Salieri is very famous due to his musical compositions, he largely feels so inferior to Mozart (Braunbehrens, 1990). As a result, Sariel declares to extend his hatred to God and gets everything done through his power in order to destroy Mozart. Salieri decides to employ a certain woman purposely to spy on his counter part Mozart. Additionally, he masquerades as if he is a friend to Mozart. However, he takes the advantage of his influence to tactfully discredit him to the best of his capability. Eventually, Salieri blows Mozart so as to disguise himself emerging to be the ghost of his newly-deceased father and order him to compose own death requiem. Mozart accepts his responsibility, unfortunately he passes away prior to his finishing the task assigned to him. It can be acknowledged that within the years that have followed his death, Mozart’s music increasingly becomes more and more famous, while Salieri continuously sinks into his obscurity as he eventually goes insane. Use of editing and writing The cultural significance of Amadeus indicates that it won some eight Academy Awards which included the Best Picture of the year 1984. Amadeus’s classical music that was basically composed by Mozart was entirely featured on the soundtrack as it emerged to be quite popular. Amadeus is arguably the leading motion picture that its production involved the process of creation as well as the creator. Through deciding not to continue in the traditional bio-pic direction, Milos Forman the director of the Amadeus movie and his fellow screenwriter Peter Shaffer greatly crafted a very amazing portrait of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which dominated with rich details, commanding score and so powerful drama. The leading complex character in the Amadeus movie is Salieri. Although she is a mediocre composer though his rights, Salieri is very much gifted to recognize the really genius at the time he discovers it and later obtains it in Mozart (Braunbehrens, 1990). In adding indignity to the injury, Salieri has appropriately played the part for pious life such as avoiding women, devoting himself to the service of both man and God and shunning drink. However, the existence of Mozart has all a long been through excess as well as debauchery. As reflected in the movie, Mozart seems to be a spoiled child within the grown man’s body. For instance, while Mozart is popularly known as the master of music, most of the other areas in his entire life are observed to be stuck within the arrested adolescence state. Similar to the most modern-day rock stars, he lucratively strides heedlessly across the world as he expects it to be conventional to him as well as living far much his means. In addition, Mozart displays the streak of a cruelty which is born not out of malice, but through idleness as it evidenced at the time he is seen mocking Salieri without noticing the availability of his rival. He is also devoted to his own father but he is seen so much haunted by own memory when his father, an old man passes away (Malgorzata, 1998). The Mozart’s music is another character in the movie that suffuse almost in every frame. Both Forman and Shaffer made careful selection and the placement of each piece, locating it to a place that amplification of the on-screen action can be easily observed. For example, the most stirring as well as memorable sequences that are seen occurring late within the film, concerns where Mozart is seen dictating his own requiem to Salieri. This reflects an action of creation within process which is both in Tom Hulce and F.Murray Abraham’s actions and the hearing of how music is being utilized, turns out to be a great moment within this great film. Amadeus movie is not basically intended as the rigorously true representation of a historical Mozart. The filmmakers in this movie undertook numerous liberties in form of drama. At the time he was developing this play, Shaffer used several real and the apocryphal incidents from the life of the composer. However, his main intention was the historical record that can back up his assertion that claims the bitter jealousy of Salieri made him to so much undermine Mozart in every opportunity (McKellen, 2008). Milos Forman as the director keeps this film very much grounded without allowing it to become so heavy. Most of the historical films like this one entirely emerge to be deadly serious pseudo-documentaries which can inform people on periodical events and not certainly entertain them. Therefore, Forman has propelled the film along within a very good pace so as the audiences never become bogged down or get much bored with occurring events. Another way through which Amadeus is draws within the viewers is reflected in its liveliness setting. Forman creates enough connection with the contemporary attitudes so that people or the audiences can easily link to available characters. This is because Amadeus throughout appears to be vibrant as well as full of life concerns. The genius Mozart, the frustrated Salieri with their turbulent relationship forms the centerpieces of the Amadeus film. However, the Vienna setting itself during the hectic end in eighteenth century becomes also a character on its own. This presents an era or period of great creative turbulence though one that nevertheless easily undertook to the Mozart’s dazzling compositions. Conversely, Salieri who is a talented but very conventional and limited was mainly favored by such individuals who had the power to raise artists to the levels of frame (Waxman, 1999). For effective creation of a more dramatic and simple story, both Shaffer and the director Milos Forman opted to make emphasis on the wider aspects that are associated with Mozart as well as the more controlled features of Sarieri. As a result, the complexities of the two men, apparent within more historically-based accounts in the Amadeus film is greatly forfeited to a drama of such exaggerated and in a simplified contrast. This choice resulted into a more exciting as well as popular film that amazes itself for portrayed life of the two classical composers who passed away some two hundred years ago. However, this representation is not a true historical portrait of such men. Probably the leading intriguing statement (Forman) the director and (Shaffer) the author discovered during their study in relation to the existing conflicts between a more romantic Mozart and very enlightenment-oriented Sarieri implies that “for every poet, both the Mozart and Sarieri exists.” The intention was to depict such two men (composers) as individuals who are completely foreign to each other (Malgorzata, 1998). Conclusion Amadeus film, the basically classical music composed by Mozart was entirely featured on the soundtrack and emerged to be quite popular. It is arguably the leading motion picture that its production involved the process of creation as well as the creator. Through deciding not to continue in the traditional bio-pic direction, Milos Forman the director of the Amadeus movie and his fellow screenwriter Peter Shaffer greatly crafted a very amazing portrait of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which dominated with rich details, commanding score and so powerful drama. The genius Mozart, the frustrated Salieri with their turbulent relationship forms the centerpieces of the Amadeus film. The leading complex character in the Amadeus movie is Salieri. Although she is a mediocre composer though his rights, Salieri is very much gifted to recognize the really genius at the time he discovers it and later obtains it in Mozart. Mozart displays the streak of a cruelty which is born not out of malice, but through idleness as it evidenced at the time he is seen mocking Salieri without noticing the availability of his rival. Milos Forman as the director keeps this film very much grounded without allowing it to become so heavy. In addition, he has propelled the film along within a very good pace so as the audiences never become bogged down or get much bored with occurring events. References Brown, A. P. (1992). Amadeus and Mozart: Setting the Record Straight. The American Scholar 61(1). Retrieved January 1, 2011 from,   Braunbehrens, V., (1990). Mozart in Vienna, 1781-1791.  New York. Harper Perennial. McKellen, I., (2008). Amadeus. Ian McKellen Stage. Retrieved January 1, 2011 from, Mersmann, H., Ed.  (1972). Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. New York. Dover. Malgorzata, K., (1998). Peter Shaffer's play 'Amadeus' and its film adaptation by Milos Forman. Retrieved January 1, 2011 from, Waxman, S., (1999). The Oscar Acceptance Speech: By and Large, It's a Lost Art. Washington D.C. Washington Post. Read More