Harmonious Discord: Deconstructing the Masterpiece of Amadeus

 Amadeus, 1984

Directed by: Milos Forman





Link to Trailer


The film “Amadeus” is about the life of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the perspective of his contemporary rival, Antonio Salieri. The story takes place in late 18th-century Vienna, Austria. The respected court composer, Antonio Salieri develops an obsession with the brilliance of the young and brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri, who views Mozart's extraordinary genius as a remarkable gift, is consumed by jealousy and hate.


Salieri grows more jealous of Mozart as he listens to him perform and schemes to ruin his career. Salieri tries to sabotage Mozart's chances in an effort to maintain his own reputation among other musicians. Salieri and Mozart's complicated relationship is explored in the movie, which also highlights how different they are in terms of personality and musical style. Salieri is shown as a careful composer who strives for perfection but lacks the innate genius that Mozart possesses. On the other hand, Mozart is portrayed as an unusual and free-spirited artist who effortlessly produces masterpieces. Salieri's jealousy grows as the narrative develops, pushing him to consider extreme methods to sabotage Mozart. The movie goes into the emotional and psychological conflicts between the two songwriters, which finally have a fatal outcome.


In the movie "Amadeus," there isn't a physical object or goal that drives the plot. But Salieri's resentment of Mozart's brilliance and success is what propels the story. The main themes of the movie revolve around Salieri's inner conflict, his admiration of Mozart's music, and his envy of the composer's natural talent. So, while the concept of envy and rivalry plays a significant role in "Amadeus," there isn't a singular plot device that propels the story forward. Instead, the film focuses on the characters' complex emotional and psychological facets as well as how they interact with one another.


The 3 main acts in Amadeus were when respected court composer Salieri learns of Mozart's amazing talent and becomes fascinated by his music. Salieri develops a growing obsession with Mozart's brilliance and starts to feel envious and resentful of him. Salieri is more envious as he observes Mozart's ongoing fame and success while his own pieces are overshadowed. Salieri develops animosity towards Mozart and a desire to harm him, which taints his enthusiasm for his music. Salieri's actions have consequences, and his shame is more felt. Salieri is conscious of the severity of his jealously-motivated acts and the toll they have had on both Mozart and himself. He feels regret and considers the decisions he made in his effort to eliminate Mozart. The act reveals the depths of Salieri's envy and how it affected Mozart's life as it goes into his inner distress and confession to a priest. Salieri eventually admits his part in Mozart's demise and accepts the never-ending recognition of Mozart's artistic brilliance as the end comes to a close.


The main character changes in Amadeus were at first, Salieri sees Mozart's extraordinary genius and expresses his admiration for his music. He truly admires Mozart's brilliance and believes that Mozart is a channel for God's supernatural inspiration. Salieri initially admired Mozart, but as the story goes on, he starts to feel jealous as he realizes how insignificant he is compared to Mozart's unmatched mind. Salieri acknowledges his limits and accepts his place in the shadow of Mozart's brilliance by the movie's conclusion.


He realizes that Mozart's music has left a lasting legacy that will eternally cast a shadow over him as the person who killed Mozart. As a last-ditch effort at atonement, Salieri tells his story to a priest in an effort to immortalize Mozart's music and ensure that his brilliance would never be forgotten. These character shifts in Salieri indicate how he goes from being a devoted admirer to a vengeful rival driven by envy, and finally to a regretful figure looking for forgiveness. The movie goes into Salieri's innermost thoughts and the negative effects of jealousy in the face of outstanding skill.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Morality in the Dust: Deconstructing 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'"

Image
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, 1966 Directed By: Sergio Leone Link to Trailer The plot of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly begins during the civil war in the setting of the old west. The main characters that are introduced to us are Blondie (aka the good), Angel Eyes (aka the bad) and Tuco (aka the ugly). The main goal of the story is to find a treasure of gold coins. Blondie and Tuco each have a piece of the map and in turn have to work together to reveal the location of the treasure that each of them desire. Meanwhile, the 3rd main character Angel Eyes is searching for the treasure on his own and will stop at no cost to retrieve it. The main Plot Device of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly would be  the main characters' search for the gold treasure. The treasure drives the plot as it is what carries the plot and moves the story along by being the main character's main pursuit. The introduction of the film introduces the main characters to us (Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes) and wh...
Read more

A Closer Look at the West: Once Upon A Time In The West

Image
Once Upon a Time in the West, 1968 Directed By: Sergio Leone Link to Trailer Once Upon a Time in the West begins with a hitman named Frank who works for a man named Mr. Morton on a railroad. Frank is given the task of forcing Jill off the land so that the land can be built and improved. Also, a woman named Harmonica shows up in Flagstone and becomes a major piece of the story. After Harmonica shows up, it becomes more and more clear that she has a personal vendetta against Frank. And in the beginning, the audience is not aware of why just yet. The flashbacks shown in the film provide insight into why certain characters act the way they do and give more context clues into the film. The look into Harmonica's past and her relationship with Frank gives the characters and their interactions a deeper meaning. The Plot Driver/ Device in the film was the land because it was what the entire story centered around. It drives the plot forward because it creates conflicts between different char...
Read more

A Journey Beyond the Silver Screen - A Review of The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Image
The Wizard of Oz, 1939 Directed By: Victor Fleming Link to Trailer The film revolves around Dorothy Gale, a small child who lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a farm in rural Kansas. When a tornado strikes, Dorothy's world is flipped upside down. Dorothy is dissatisfied with her life and longs for adventure outside of the boundaries of the farm. She gets carried away by the tornado while trying to take cover in her home and lands in the wonderful Land of Oz. The Munchkins, the little residents of Oz, welcome Dorothy and express gratitude for accidentally murdering the Wicked Witch of the East by having her house fall on her. She receives the witch's magical ruby shoes from them. Her happiness is brief, though, as the Wicked Witch of the West, the dead witch's sister, shows along and demands the slippers. In order to get assistance from the Wizard of Oz, whom she believes can help her get back to Kansas, Dorothy sets off on a journey to the Emerald City. She runs into...
Read more