This paper will take a look into the movie Amadeus, to see if the film accurately depicts the history of Amadeus and the enlightenment of the characters. The time period that the film takes place in is the 18th century. There is a mixture of social class in this film. There are rulers and commoners shown in this film. The main characters in the film which are Mozart, Salieri, and Emperor Joseph represent actual historical figures. The film was made in 1984.
The film was somewhat accurate with the characters and the time, but for the most part the film never stated what year everything was happening in. Someone could tell that the time frame of the film was the 18th century, but you really couldnt tell the exact year it was happening. For example in one scene where Mozarts father comes to see him and his wife, we find out that she is pregnant.
Later on in the movie she has a child. There was no reference of time in the film. You can tell that months passed through simple action like that one in the film. Another example would be in the time Amadeus took to make his works. Its hard to tell how long he took to make his operas, the way the filmed showed. As for the characters the film depicted them well. There were some things that did seem right. For the way they showed Salieri to kill Mozart.
Looking at information on this, I couldnt find a fact to state that Salieri killed Mozart. As stated in Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia he died of typhoid fever in Venna on Dec. 5 1791; his burial was attended by few friends and the place of his grave is unmarked. This states nothing that Salieri was the reason for Amadeus death. The film is trying to market the film as a tale of murder. But there really wasnt any murder in this film. More like a man willing to die to finish something he believed as a work of art.
The film Amadeus 3depicts Mozart more to killing him self then Salieri murdering him. Someone could argue that Salieri did kill Mozart by dressing like his father to make the final opera. But this was Mozart own doing, as his obsession with having perfect music took him over. Not to get me wrong the film did a good job in showing Mozart. It had historical value and entertainment. This film can be viewed as a quick historical view of Mozart not a detail work of Mozart. Enlightenment is shown many times through this film.
For example when Emperor Joseph wanted Amadeus to stay in Vienna to make an opera he also wanted him to stay because it would upset the bishop. There were also many ideas that Mozart showed Joseph. Joseph allowed these works to happen showed his enlightenment. These idea were seen wrong in the social class in Vienna, but Joseph still accept these ideas. One example was the first opera that Mozart did for Joseph. Amadeus wanted to do the opera in German. This was seen as unmoral cause all operas were in Italian. Also Mozart wanted to use a setting of Turkey. This idea was accepted by Joseph.
The ideas that Joseph accepted looked to be the most risky. These idea showed that he was an enlighten Despot. Another example was when Mozart was plan on doing an opera on The Marriage of Figaro. This was a very risqu opera. Mozart promised that it not going to be a vulgar opera. Joseph again agreed to this opera, even do his subjects didnt agree. Then during rehearsals there was ballet in the opera which was against the law to have in the opera. This law was made by Joseph. Then after seeing the play without it, he wanted it in because it didnt look right. He basically changed his own law, to the displeased of his subjects again. Emperor Joseph showed enlightenment many times in this film.
Amadeus Mozart can be viewed as an enlightenment hero. He stood against the opposition of the church and the convention. For example Mozart showed his displease of what the bishop said by showing him how much the people loved him. Also Mozarts actions were totally different to the social class. He was a vulgar young man that followed his own beliefs. When Salieri was looking for him, he played a game with himself. To see if Mozarts famous works can be shown by his personality. Salieri seen a young perverted young man that he couldnt believe was the genius known as Mozart. This was a good example of the free actioned person that Mozart was, not like the social class that was around him. Mozart love to make his work risqu. Through out this film Mozart was always looked down by the people of the emperor, but he still did his work that way he wanted.
Salieri had two relationships in the film. One was with God and the other was with Mozart. Salieri loved music to a point where he prayed to God to give him a chance to be a great musician. God gave him this dream once Salieri father died. The Death of his father helps bring him closer to music because his father didnt want him to be into music. His love for music was so strong that he promised God that if he gave him the dream he wants he wouldnt have any sex. This man had a strong love for music. Years later Salieri became a music teacher to Emperor Joseph. He had everything that he wanted.
Then Mozart came to Vienna. At that point of the film we begin to see Salieri hate both God and Mozart more by each day. Saleiri couldnt see why God would give a gift to Mozart in the form of his talent to a bad manner person. There was a difference between Mozart and god. Salieri hated god for giving him Amadeus 5so much and then he brought Mozart. He believed that God broke his promise to him. Salieri didnt hate Mozart for something that he did, but his hate was of jealously. He was jealous of the genius that Mozart was and that he wasnt even his equal.
The scene where Mozarts wife came to Salieri with his notes, he was in shock. His shock was because that these notes were originals. That Mozart never made mistakes. This was an important because this is where Salieri had no more fate in god. He put a crucifix in a fire place to burn. Salieri also wanted Mozart to fail in all his works. He tries his best to make Mozarts time in Vienna to be hard. But yet Salieri loved to hear Mozarts music. As much as he hates this man he loved the music that he did. Another thing that he hates about Mozart was his freedom. This man has a great talent and was perverted and yet god gave him this gift. Salieri felt that Mozart shouldnt have these gifts.
A good example of this was the scene where Amadeus had a woman singing in his opera that was a student of Salieri. Salieri said that he loved this woman and yet couldnt see how they meet. Then we find out that Mozart had this woman. Salieri was upset because the man he envied had the talent he wanted and the women he wanted. Salieri hate Mozart so much that he began calling him this creature. He even wanted to kill Mozart. Salieri plan was simple. He was going to drive Mozart to madness with the help of his father death. That end Salieri wanted to help Mozart finish this masterpiece, because Salieris love for music was stronger than his hate for Mozart.
Salieris biggest irony was that Mozart died and his music is remembered, while he is alive and his music is forgotten. It looks like Salieris is the one who is dead while Mozart is now immortal by his music. Basically the depiction of Salieris relationship to Amadeus 6God differs from Mozart because Salieri didnt envy God he hated God for giving Mozart this gift. He did envy Mozart because he was everything he wanted to be.
In conclusion this film gave a good depiction of Mozart. Some of the points in the film werent that accurate. Many little feature could of helped the film in be more of a accurate historical film. This wasnt a historical film, it was more for entertainment value. If this film was not an entertaining film like it was then it would have never have been should an award winning movie. This was a great film. I enjoyed it, found it funny, and moving at times.
I know little about Mozart before. After seeing the film I did learn more about Mozart. This was not a boring film as I wanted to see what is going to happen. I would recommend this film to be seen. If someone wants to be entertained they should see it. If someone wants to learn a little about Mozart they should see the film, but if you want to learn Amadeuss whole life this film will not do this. So basically watch this film for enjoyment and to learn the general information about Mozart.
