Amadeus Biopic Essay Example for Free

Amadeus Biopic EssayTold from the flash back perspective of an aged Antonio Salieri in an insane asylum to a priest for a confession, the moving picture reveals Antonios foundation to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his professional career with Mozart, and his bitter rivalry and betrayal of Mozart. The film depicts an inaccurate account of Mozarts life but nevertheless delivers on the fractions which he composed. passim the film, were exposed to what are clearly historical inaccuracies. I understand that this film is an adaptation of the original Peter Shaffers Amadeus performed on Broad government agency in the 1980s and for purely theatrical purposes to endow the write up with a plot, these changes had to either be implemented or fitting purely fabricated in order for the story to make sense. However, some of the erroneous interpretations of Mozarts life are just impossible to ignore for anyone who even had even the simplest understanding of his life, such as myself.The prepo nderant trait of Mozart that stuck out to me like a sore thumb was his high pitched cackling jestter. The movies laugh for Amadeus was constructed from letters that referenced Mozart having an infectious, giddy laugh much like metal scraping glass according to Forman. However, Robert L. Marsh in all, author of Film as Musicology Amadeus, discredits this notion as at that place were no citations that provided the existence of such letters. Since Mozart lived over two centuries ago, theres no possible way to know exactly how he sounded.However, the brilliant Mozart in the film is supposed to be Gods creature (The Latin translation of Amadeus translates to lover of God or beloved by God) that usurps the mediocre Salieris position as the voice of God. So in effect, his laugh is God mocking Salieri in his mediocrity which further drives the frustration and anger of Salieri towards Mozart thus pushing the plot along. patch were on that subject, there is little evidence that Mozart and Salieri actually rivaled each opposite to the extreme that the movie depicts. Certainly, they were rivals, but they were professional rivals.By professional rivals, I mean that even though they often butted heads in their pursuit of music and their attempted publicity of their works, they still admired and respected each other greatly. Despite Salieri being the inferior musician, he still pooled great respect from Emperor Joseph II and his subjects and served as court composer, director of the Italian opera, and court conductor. Mozart on the other hand came as an noncitizen therefore did not possess the same influence or reputation as Salieri. To me, this just appears to be the politics of music its not what you know, its who you know.Regardless, Salieri really didnt have a reason to hate Mozart as much as the movie shows because his influence alone virtually neutralized Mozart as a threat. Im sure when Mozart attempted to get his operas on the Italian stages it must have certain ly irked Salieri, but never to the point of violence. However, in one case again the fiction is created in order to develop a sensical plot line. Without that aggressive rivalry, theres no movie. One last thing that I personally found confusing is that absence of Joesph Haydn from the entire movie.History tells us that Mozart and Haydn met somewhere 1783 or 1784 and instantly hit it off. They both admired each others work immensely and Mozart even went as far as to dedicate six gear quartets to Haydn as a tribute to the father of the string quartet. Throughout their lives, they were in correspondence with one another up until Mozarts death. However, despite this documented historical position, Haydn is still left out of the movie. The movie itself is some two famous classical composers so why not add Haydn to attract Haydn fans to the play or movie?One can only dissemble as to why that is. Perhaps Forman thought that the addition of another prominent classical composer would ult imately lessen the importance of the feud between Mozart and Salieri. But Forman fashion other characters throughout the film in order to serve roles that further drove the plot, so why not use Haydn instead? Or at least mention him? At one point in the film, Mozart mentions that he doesnt care for Gluck (which is also inaccurate, he was an admirer of Gluck), but nevertheless, he still at least mentions the name.At this point its all speculation and I cant find anywhere an explanation for his absence. The movie is riddle with other inaccuracies that raise a lot of questions, but if anything I learned in English is true, its that in order to read any lit thats fiction or watch any movie, youre supposed to suspend yourself in willful disbelief meaning that enjoy it for what it is without dissecting it too much, which I can honestly and wholeheartedly say I did. Although it doesnt give an accurate portrayal of Mozart, Salieri or the setting its supposed to be move in, it still gives a n gratifying experience.Despite the erroneous depiction, the musical pieces revealed chronologically throughout the film are in fact the offspring of Mozarts genius. Whilst enjoying each piece as much as the next, I dont have the musical ear or expertise to discern which piece is being contend in which scene, aside from the operas. However, the films composer John Strauss created a two disc soundtrack for the film and I have to admit, even though I lack the expertise, I am astounded by Mozarts ability.Luckily, between the internet and my own mothers personal love for music (Fortunately, she had a library of CDs that included many of Mozarts work), I was able to essentially find each individual piece within the movie. I have to say, my favorite musical piece offered in the movie is the closing of the Don Giovanni. Perhaps some of it is because of the twist that Salieri puts on it that only he understood that the horrifying apparition was Leopald raised from the dead The inference t hat I took from that between the monolithic sounding music and the fervently conducting Mozart in the scene is that Mozart poured his personal misfortune of not living up to his fathers expectations in his work. It just makes it take care to be so personal, so passionate. I know that was the movies intent for me to feel that way, but I couldnt help getting sucked in, between seeing the elephantine black commander singing in the deep bass voice is what seems to me to be such an accusing tone allegorically accusing his son in front of the world as Salieri puts it.All the while the plot twists during this play, as the madness grew within Salieri as he discovers such a simple way to destroy Mozart. Its just so epic, for lack of better words. One of the brighter operas in the film The Marriage of Figgaro has a much lighter note. Despite all of the red tape Mozart endures, he nevertheless through the exceptionally brilliance of his music and borderline arrogance persuades the emperor to allow him to perform his opera.While we plainly never get to see the whole thing, the music and performance we do see is good. I wouldnt say I particularly cared for it. The colors, the notes, the lighting, its just too bright. However, the most impressive part of it is that his confidence in his music allowed him to break the traditional rules in order for his perform his opera. This seems metaphorically to portray the fact that Mozarts music didnt follow these contemporary musical rules of the sentence which contributed to his genius.Perhaps thats a long stretch, but thats immediately what came to mind. While the movie is composed (Pun intended) of Mozarts work, it would take an entire separate paper to dissect each one individually. Regardless, each piece performed in the play is enjoyable from one degree to another. Overall, I have to say I was more than happy with this movie. For a while, I dreaded watching the movie thinking it would be a long drawn out boring biographic fi lm, but to my surprise it shared little characteristics with a biography.The central thematic message of the movie is mostly if not entirely fictitious, but still lays a foundation in which the movie tells factual information about Mozart and sets a stage in which one can hear the pieces and enjoy them chronologically. To be frank and honest, if these fabrications of the bitter rivalry between Salieri and Mozart werent there, I would have had a hard time truly appreciating the Mozart as seen in the movie. Not to say his music is bad, its brilliant, but the underlying plot is what made the movie so interesting. Ultimately, if youre feel for historical facts about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, look elsewhere. If youre looking for a movie thats interesting and loosely based on one of the worlds greatest composers who ever lived, look no further.