Any movie about Mozart better have some great music.
... And Amadeus delivered. Right from the beginning this film was a blend of comedy, tragedy, honesty, lies, solemnity and music.
Throughout, the image is pristine. The shots are artful and help tell the story. They also hold a lot of perceived distance. The colors and patterns of the period had something to do with this, being lyrical themselves, but there was often movement in the background of the scenes to help with depth. The framing was pleasing to the eye, and put you in the story more than what has become normal. There were simple tricks: put the camera at eye-level, then above the actor in his time of weakness, and below when he has power. The camera also did a fine job of tracking the characters through crowds. It was not too obvious, but you know who you are supposed to be watching.
The music was fantastic, as would be expected. The timing in the film was essential to purvey the story. I believe, as did Salieri, that music has a soulful property. When one can make good use of music in a story, the story has more in it than can be told. Music operates at it's own level.
The sets were astounding. Few were actually constructed for the film. The opera scenes were most impressive. I have no idea how many shots went into all of those, but it must have been grueling. Now I have a great desire to see these operas, only in English if possible.
The acting was interesting. I have not found whether the laugh of Mozart was the actor's or a fake. To quote Salieri, it was an "obscene giggle." There is support for both theories. Either way, it added to his character immensely. I also noticed there was quite a mix in accents. Apparently the main characters were encouraged to keep their accents and put more energy into the acting, or so IMdB tells me. I thought all the main characters were played very well. (Bonus fun facts: the man who played Mozart, Tom Hulce, was born in Detroit, MI and played The Hunchback of Notre-Dame's Quasimodo.)
This film did a wonderful job of telling it's own story. There was a lot of religion involved, a lot of hard questions were asked, and it didn't turn out with a pleasant ending. The amount of work that went into the film is astounding. Just watching the credits can give you a decent idea of what was going on. Truly, this was an amazing piece.
The acting was interesting. I have not found whether the laugh of Mozart was the actor's or a fake. To quote Salieri, it was an "obscene giggle." There is support for both theories. Either way, it added to his character immensely. I also noticed there was quite a mix in accents. Apparently the main characters were encouraged to keep their accents and put more energy into the acting, or so IMdB tells me. I thought all the main characters were played very well. (Bonus fun facts: the man who played Mozart, Tom Hulce, was born in Detroit, MI and played The Hunchback of Notre-Dame's Quasimodo.)