StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Amadeus the Film - Movie Review Example

Cite this document
Summary
Amadeus the film is as much the story of Antonio Salieri as of Wolfgang Mozart. Soul mates on one level and rivals on another (at least in Salieri's perception), their fortunes remained intertwined ever since Salieri had first heard Mozart play in his father's parlor…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.6% of users find it useful
Amadeus the Film
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Amadeus the Film"

Download file to see previous pages

The atrocities of the royal couple in France are well - known. Marie apparently influenced Joseph to keep a strict control on any art and culture developments in Austria, which might turn subversive. These facts seep casually into the narrative through Joseph II's dialogues. An otherwise liberal man, Joseph had an Italian triumvirate to advise him on 'proper' entertainment. Salieri was part of this trio. The handful of musicians and artists who enjoyed royal patronage stayed on the right side of royalty and composed pieces in Italian that very few understood, eschewed ballet as debauched and favored themes that would offend no one and cause no one to think.

The film shows this beautifully, through skillfully chosen characters, their pompous stance and carefully cultivated expressions. It was in this atmosphere that Wolfgang arrived in Vienna, freshly banished by the Archbishop at Salzburg. Unrepentant and arrogant, he did not believe he had any rivals. He was simply the best while others composed rubbish. Mozart is the polar opposite of a serious composer. The audacious Amadeus and his artless wife giggled their way through mindless entertainment, were very bad debtors and yet had a strange dignity about them; there was self belief and belief in each other.

Constanza took in her stride her husband's lack of practical sense, gently coaxed and cajoled him into doing things to earn money, was ready to trade her body for a night to buy him a tutorship to royalty, but was impractical enough to estrange a concerned and well-heeled father in law. Of course, the movie has taken liberties with facts, for instance, Mozart's sister Nannerl, who was actually quite an influence on him is completely done away with, as are the many children that Mozart and Constanza had.

Retaining them in the story would have underscored the pathos of his isolation and gradual slide into drunken desperation. However, none of this prevents him from composing brilliantly. One of his first commissions was to write the score for an opera - a Turkish folk story set in a harem (Mozart's choice of subject) in German (the emperor's choice of language). The turca-allegro form uses sopranos for the fun element and a heavily textured orchestra. This was the first of many deviations that Mozart would insist on.

The film, which opens with one of his famous tutti with a signature tremolo and a heavy orchestra scores, is peppered with snatches of his work -the conventional chamber music to entertain the royal family, writing Masses and so on. They are rightly not mentioned prominently because of their huge numbers; but they are representative of Mozart's style of playing upon a single note or phrase before launching into symphony. The movie gives music lovers and aficionados a delicious slice of the music of the classical era through Mozart's pieces.

Both the sonata allegro and the sonata rondo are in evidence. The Marriage of Figaro is trademark Mozart - rich in notes, too much for the untutored Viennese public to take. The emperor famously remarked that it had too many notes to which Mozart had made the equally famous reply that it had not one note too many and had gone on to audaciously ask -which would you have me remove, superbly establishing himself as the master of his craft . Figaro, with it risqu Italian intrigue was originally rejected as subject (apparently it had caused unrest against the royalty in France) but later allowed.

The same fate met the ballet in the marriage

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Amadeus the Film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1524238-amadeus-the-film
(Amadeus the Film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1524238-amadeus-the-film.
“Amadeus the Film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1524238-amadeus-the-film.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Amadeus the Film

Wildlife Photography for the Amateur

Photography, especially nature photography is addictive.... It could be an exciting pursuit for amateurs and non-professionals as the experience and the product output are both rewarding and at the same time, challenging. There are certain ingredients in nature photography (which include outdoors and wildlife photography) that make it appealing to both amateurs and professionals: commune with nature, adventure, a continuous learning process, endless possibilities, work of art, possible income, extra physical and logistics challenge, danger, delight, fun, and sharing. … Wildlife photography is not recommended for the uninitiated....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This paper will discuss Mozart as he is presented in the film however true to life it may be.... the film tells the incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his story is one that is truly incredible.... The characters in the film are adorned in lavish costumes that seem almost outlandish at times.... The story flows and the characters are relevant to the end of the film.... the film deals mainly with Mozart but it includes many different aspects of his life....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Analysis of Amadeus Film

The author focuses on the film Amadeus the driving conflict of which was Mozart's need to explore his creativity.... As the film demonstrated, his only chance at self-expression was through begging.... rdquo; Even the darkest music presented in the film, the final scene of Don Giovanni, is presented as a heavenly voice.... the film also reflects how Mozart constantly challenged traditional musical conventions.... the film brings this shock-factor out by focusing on Mozart's sometimes bizarre behavior and outlandish outfits....
1 Pages (250 words) Movie Review

Review On Film Amadeus

The writer of the paper "Review On Film Amadeus" gives the personal impression of the film and characteristic of the plot.... hellip; The title of the film I chose to review is “Amadeus”.... The director of the film is Milos Forman and its screenplay writer is Peter Shaffer.... the film is adapted from 'Amadeus' which was a stage play by Shaffer, which was staged in 1979.... 750165 The of the film I chose to review is “Amadeus”....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Film Mozart by Milos Forman

This movie was more than a fictional… hical account of the rivalry between two composers, it was a study in religious faith and the battle for the soul of the man named Salieri who was doomed to live his life in the shadow of Mozart regardless of how hard he tried to make a name for himself. Starring Tom Hulce as A Film Critique of the film Amadeus The Milos Forman contemporary ic film Mozart won several academy awards for its excellent yet fictional portrayal of the life and times of the composer Wofgang Amadeus Mozart as seen through the eyes of his rival composer Salieri....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Amadeus: A Play By Peter Shaffer

The play was a drama/tragedy about the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio… It had undergone several revisions on its plot and other details since the original play (Shaffer). Shaffer used a combination of fiction and history on the life and tragic death of Mozart and the twists and Motaz Jamal William Grandgeorge Core 105: Visual Arts and film Studies 2 April Amadeus “Amadeus”, inspired by a short play from 1890'swas originally written by Peter Shaffer in 1970's and was premiered at the National Theater in London, England in 1979....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Analysis Movie Amadeus

This is perhaps the reason why music is used in films to express further the messages… One of the most illustrious movies ever made that employs and exhibits various musical performances is amadeus.... The movie is the main subject of this analysis and the investigation will focus not amadeus tells the story of the great musician, Wolfgang amadeus Mozart....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Reportage Documentaries

rdquo; (Zapruder) the film would beunavailable to the public for years, confiscated for 'national security' reasons and hidden until a time when the fall-out would be thought to have less impact.... t can be argued that the first amateur film report to make an impact on American news would be the Zapruder film of the assassination of John F.... This film, which lasts all of twenty-six seconds, is listed on IMDB, the Internet Movie Data Base, as evidence of its credibility and importance as a document of reported history....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us