Amadeus (1984)
95%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Won 8 Oscars
43 wins & 15 nominations total
A lavish, entertaining, powerful film about the life and influence, both positive and negative, of one of Western culture’s great artists.
This flick is a total baller! It’s got everything you could want in a movie – drama, humor, and some serious power moves. It’s all about this big shot artist from back in the day and how he made his mark on the world. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows – there’s some real talk about the good and bad stuff he did. Overall, it’s a total feast for the eyes and ears. You won’t want to miss it!
Production Company(ies)
AMLF The Saul Zaentz Company,
Distributor
Orion Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1984
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 38m
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Language(s):English, Italian, Latin, German
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 13, 1984 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 24, 2002
Genre(s)
Biography
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $52,066,791
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $152,468,669
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 828
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 16,626,900
US/Canada gross: $51,973,029
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $152,194,103
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 511
US/Canada opening weekend: $505,276
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,479,614
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,235
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $18,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $52,709,913
Production budget ranking: 756
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $28,384,288
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $71,374,467
ROI to date (est.): 88%
ROI ranking: 987
F. Murray Abraham – Antonio Salieri
Tom Hulce – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Jeffrey Jones – Emperor Joseph II
Elizabeth Berridge – Constanze Mozart
Simon Callow – Emanuel Schikaneder, Papageno
Roy Dotrice – Leopold Mozart
Director(s)
Milos Forman
Writer(s)
Peter Shaffer
Producer(s)
Saul Zaentz
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 8 Oscars
43 wins & 15 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Art Direction Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Costume Design Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Directing Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Winners, Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (103) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (96) | Rotten (7)
Tom HuIce’s brattish Mozart builds in strength and sensitivity as the film proceeds; F. Murray Abraham’s Salieri impresses immediately.
January 22, 2020
Geoff Brown
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Amadeus isn’t meant to be a biography of the composer’s life, but a bawdy, black fantasy, a fiction based on a few curious facts. Peter Shaffer adapted the screenplay from his own stage play: What was intimate is now opulent.
January 22, 2020
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
A substantial achievement — and graced by an uncommonly distinguished score.
January 22, 2020
Tim Pulleine
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
What starts as an absorbing study of historical characters and situations ends as just another elaborate and over-long Hollywood style costume-piece.
January 22, 2020
Patrick Gibbs
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The skill of Amadeus is in making you sympathize with Salieri, as slimy and despicable as he is, because of his flaws. He appeals to your sense of democracy, even though you know that talent — certainly genius — isn’t parceled out democratically.
April 26, 2018
Bruce McCabe
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
[Forman’s] is a genuine adaptation, not only because the play is permitted to stretch its legs beyond the pop-up book confines of a proscenium arch, but because he has leavened its High Art pretensions with a dash of showbiz raciness.
March 3, 2015
Gilbert Adair
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
There is hardly an element here that is not used to absolute perfection, and it is all the more enjoyable when one is able to take in a deeply rich story about the artistic struggles between two complex characters.
May 25, 2022 | Rating: 10/10
Josh Parham
Next Best Picture
As a historical biography, there are few motion pictures that take greater liberties with history; yet as a dramatic piece of cinema, there are few that match its splendors and delight.
March 2, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
If film is adrenaline, then Amadeus is three cans of Red Bull and a gigantic slice of extra-chocolate chocolate cake.
February 11, 2022
Cory Woodroof
615 Film
Amadeus is not only one of the best films made about professional jealousy and classical music, it’s also – rather uniquely – a young person’s movie.
November 19, 2020
Andrew Parker
The Gate
…a case study for the theological notion of common grace.
October 8, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
From the first few seconds of the film, it’s evident that the music will guide it to cinematic perfection.
August 31, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
Antonio Salieri believes that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music is divine and miraculous. He wishes he was himself as good a musician as Mozart so that he can praise the Lord through composing. He began his career as a devout man who believes his success and talent as a composer are God’s rewards for his piety. He’s also content as the respected, financially well-off, court composer of Austrian Emperor Joseph II. But he’s shocked to learn that Mozart is such a vulgar creature, and can’t understand why God favored Mozart to be his instrument. Salieri’s envy has made him an enemy of God whose greatness was evident in Mozart. He is ready to take revenge against God and Mozart for his own musical mediocrity.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
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