Antonio Salieri - a pious, polite working musician - allows himself to be utterly corrupted by the sting of professional jealousy. Comfortable in his position as Emperor Joseph II's court composer, Salieri is intoxicated by the delicate, masterful work of a contemporary, then repulsed to learn of the man's crude, lascivious personality.

The object of this adjoining scorn and adoration, of course, is the famed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the very essence of his being offends Salieri to the core. In Mozart, he sees affirmation of both God's majesty (the sublime compositions) and inequality (granting such gifts to one who appears so unworthy), a bald contradiction which drives him to renounce his faith and lash out at man and maker alike. Why should one work so hard, stressing and grinding to perfect a single phrase, when another seemingly plucks finished masterpieces from thin air, giggling and mocking all the while?

It's an excellent subject, subtle but profound, that's masterfully realized on the screen. F. Murray Abraham plays Salieri, stiff and conceited but also visibly moved by the music of the moment. An orchestra has the power to deliver a spiritual experience for some, and Abraham doesn't just make us believe he's feeling it; he helps us feel it, too. Tom Hulce is his counter-balance, the raw and mercurial Mozart. Hulce breezily personifies the duplicity that frustrates his rival, directing an opera with vigor and passion and then almost immediately spoiling the mood with a bad joke and a loud, shrill, inappropriate laugh. Mozart's laugh is like a bucket of cold water, dumped over the room. It alone speaks to why he's never accepted into polite society, despite the wonders he weaves on the podium.

These twin leads make for an exciting contrast, each lifted by the presence of the other. No wonder they were both nominated for the same Academy Award. They *are* these roles. Similarly small wonder that the film itself took home the prize for 1984's Best Picture. It's a moving, enveloping work that doesn't feel half as long as its imposing run time, nor as stiff as its classical origins.

Rarely can I think of a more worthy multi-award winning performance than that from F. Murray Abraham in this masterfully crafted - if entirely speculative - retrospective on the life and times of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (portrayed here by the astonishingly effective Tom Hulce). Abraham portrays the duplicitous, envious and malevolent Antonio Salieri, the court composer to Emperor Joseph II of Austria (Jeffery Jones). He is talented, up to point, and settled in his politically influential and wealthy role, but growing up, he has always been aware of this other young boy who can play, perfectly, composing as he goes. Initially in awe of this man's predigious talent, it isn't long before the green eyed monster starts to rear it's ugly head, and jealousy soon starts to drive his every waking moment. Meantime, the young maestro is attracting more and more attention, acclaim and is soon rivalling Salieri for the attentions of the Emperor himself. At this stage, Salieri must act. How? Well fortunately he is ably assisted by Mozart's own self-destructive character. As a child, compared to a performing monkey, he always had issues with his father (Roy Dotrice) and even when married to Stanzi (Elizabeth Berridge) with his own child, we feel that he is always in search of adulation, appreciation and love whilst treading a very fine line between despair and a chronic fear of poverty and failure - one which leads him to an increasingly addictive existence. What is also striking here, is the extent to which Mozart's music has become pervasive in not just cinema history, but in our broader environment too. I found myself familiar - to varying degrees - with much of the superbly delivered soundtrack. It's all told via a rather apposite "confession" between Salieri and a priest who, as the story develops, struggles with his own faith and his belief that all sins can be forgiven. Perhaps some can't? The attention to detail here is fantastic: the sets, costumes and the location photography contribute hugely to the wonderfully rich look and feel of a film that just oozes style and confidence. Hulce's portrayal of the creative virtuoso as he descends into a maelstrom of misery is thoroughly convincing, and by the end - historical fact being adhered to, at least in this - I felt emotionally drained by the strength of these two tours de forces. A big screen with big sound is a must here, and I think you will find the three hours that this lasts will just fly by.

_**Lively costume biography about Mozart’s last nine years in Austria**_

Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) is a competent but mediocre composer in Vienna, Austria, in the late 1700s. He recognizes the God-given genius of the younger Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and struggles with bitter envy. The story is told in flashback as Salieri shares it with a cleric decades later at an asylum.

“Amadeus” (1984) is an entertaining costume drama that successfully takes you back to Vienna from 1783-1791. Mozart was basically the rock star of the era and some of his dynamic music even evokes certain modern rock styles. Giving the main characters personality helps bring the events alive and the flashback structure makes for compelling storytelling.

On the feminine front, Elizabeth Berridge plays Amadeus’ cute & feisty wife, Constanze, while Christine Ebersole is on hand as a ravishing opera singer, sorta reminiscent of Tina Root of Switchblade Symphony (albeit taller).

The original Broadway play concentrated on character motivation with music in the background while the movie focuses a little too much on it. Unless you’re an opera aficionado, the extensive scenes of Mozart's and Salieri's operas being performed become tiresome after a while and unnecessarily bloat the film, somewhat muting the story. When the Emperor yawns during a performance of “Figaro” I could relate because a lot of opera music sounds the same to me.

Nonetheless, this is an informative and amusing biography of Wolfgang’s last nine years; very well done.

The movie runs 2 hours, 40 minutes and was shot mostly in the Czech Republic.

GRADE: B+/A-