For this film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's Broadway hit, director Milos Forman returned to the city of Prague that he'd left behind during the Czech political crises of 1968, bringing along his usual cinematographer and fellow Czech expatriate, Miroslav Ondrícek. Amadeus is an expansion of a Viennese "urban legend" concerning the death of 18th century musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From the vantage point of an insane asylum, aging royal composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) recalls the events of three decades earlier, when the young Mozart (Tom Hulce) first gained favor in the court of Austrian emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). Salieri was incensed that God would bless so vulgar and obnoxious a young snipe as Mozart with divine genius. Why was Salieri -- so disciplined, so devoted to his art, and so willing to toady to his superiors -- not touched by God? Unable to match Mozart's talent, Salieri uses his influence in court to sabotage the young upstart's career. Disguising himself as a mysterious benefactor, Salieri commissions the backbreaking Requiem, which eventually costs Mozart his health, wealth, and life. Among the film's many pearls of dialogue, the best line goes to the emperor, who rejects a Mozart composition on the grounds that it has "too many notes." Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham. In 2002, the film received a theatrical re-release as "Amadeus: The Director's Cut," a version that includes 20 minutes of additional footage. Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Genre: Comedy Drama
- Category Musical Drama, Biopic [feature], Period Film
- Theme: Bohemian Life, Musician's Life, Child Prodigies, Tortured Genius
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- Run Time: 02 hr 08 min
- Language: German, French, English, Italian, Spanish
- Subtitle Language: German, Spanish, Italian, English, Finnish, French
- Picture Format: widescreen
- Format: Blu-ray
- Release Date: February 2, 2010
- Lead Actor: Roy Dotrice, F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow
- Supporting Actor: Roderick Cook, Martin Cavani, John Strauss, Jonathan Moore, Cynthia Nixon, Brian Pettifer, Patrick Hines, Karl-Heinz Teuber, Douglas Seale, Miroslav Sekera, Herman Meckler, Vincent Schiavelli, Kenny Baker, Philip Lenkowsky, Nicholas Kepros, Charles Kay, Jeffrey Jones, Barbara Byrne, Lisbeth Bartlett, Christine Ebersole
- Director: Milos Forman
awards
- Awards: Academy Awards (8), Golden Globe Awards (3)
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Makeup, 1984, Paul LeBlanc, Dick Smith
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Adapted Screenplay, 1984, Peter Shaffer
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Sound, 1984, Todd Boekelheide, Tom Scott, Chris Newman, Mark Berger
- Winner: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, 1984, F. Murray Abraham
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Director, 1984, Milos Forman
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Costume Design, 1984, Theodor Pistek
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Picture, 1984, Saul Zaentz
- Winner: Golden Globe Awards, Best Director, 1984, Milos Forman
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Art Direction, 1984, Patrizia Von Brandenstein, Karel Cerny
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Actor, 1984, F. Murray Abraham
- Winner: Golden Globe Awards, Best Screenplay, 1984, Peter Shaffer
- Nominations: Academy Awards (3), Golden Globe Awards (2)
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Cinematography, 1984, Miroslav Ondrícek
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, 1984, Tom Hulce
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Editing, 1984, Michael Chandler, Nena Danevic
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, 1984, Jeffrey Jones
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Actor, 1984, Tom Hulce
