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Year One
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Amadeus: Director's Cut
Universal acclaim
Based on 12 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 52 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama
Written by: Peter Shaffer (also play)
Directed by: Milos Forman
Release Date:
Theatrical: April 5, 2002
DVD: December 16, 1997
Running Time: 158 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for brief nudity
Starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, and Charles Kay
The Director's Cut of Milos Forman's Oscar-winning 1984 film about the rivalry between composers Mozart (Hulce) and Salieri (Abraham).
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Hair Man on the Moon One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Ragtime The People vs. Larry Flynt Valmont
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
LA Weekly F. X. Feeney
Remains the most popularly successful film ever to render the inner life of an artist.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
It still soars, but now it seems richer, more expansive. Amadeus reminds us that movies can be lyrical as well as vulgar, ambitious as well as playful, brilliant as well as down and dirty -- just like Amadeus himself.
Read Full Review >New Times (L.A.) Gregory Weinkauf
One of the finest qualities of Amadeus is that it reminds us of those rare occasions when an Oscar sweep is actually merited.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
"Amadeus is about as close to perfection as movies get," I wrote in 1984. Now, it's 20 minutes closer.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
In what was indisputably his finest moment as a filmmaker, Forman summoned the absolute best work of his craftsmen -- costumes, makeup, camerawork, production design -- and merged them with his own storytelling sense and his special way with actors to create what has to stand as cinema's most successful musical epic.
Read Full Review >Variety Staff (Not Credited)
Loaded with pleasures, the greatest of which derive from the on location filming in Prague, the most 18th century of all European cities.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson
The superbly edited original version of Amadeus used overlapping sound cues for a lively flow between scenes, and the new version breaks up some of that flow with lengthy, talky interludes. Still, Ondrícek's breathtaking images and Forman's essential craft are best appreciated on the big screen, and another theatrical run for Amadeus is a welcome gift, no matter how much this edition unnecessarily gilds what's already a near-perfect lily
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
Except for the Mozart music and Tharp movements around the edges, Amadeus plays like a monument to mediocrity. The movie belongs to Salieri.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Ted Mahar
The big-screen reissue offers a rare chance to admire the marvelous production details.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
Amadeus needs an additional 20 minutes running time like "The Magic Flute" needs a drum solo. Though the production is gussied up with more frills and decoration than a Viennese dessert trolley, Forman is generally workmanlike in his visual style and very uneven with his handling of actors.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Dave Kehr
It binds up introductory lessons in music appreciation, Freudian psychology, and fanciful history with a pulp thriller plot.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 52 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Michael A gave it a10:
A celebration in music, cinematography, with witty dialogues, & interesting story, told in the flashback mode from an asylum.
Enzo P. gave it a10:
Amadeus is one of my favorite movies ever a near perfect movie. It's dazzling, very interesting and funny. Also F. Murray Abraham puts on a one of a kind performance.
jay L gave it a10:
Sublime, superb, marvelous-do I need say more?? The whole movie had a rich, creamy, completely finished feel. Everything was perfect, from the philosophical questions right down to the heart-breaking soundtrack who no one could have composed but Mozart. Oh!! The questions it stirred, the way it, not mocks but observes human faults and then the humour!! It somehow found the perfect balance to make you laugh and cry in exact unison. It had me completely hooked. I'd give it an 100000000 if I could. A+.
Bryan H gave it a10:
It had it all; the best acting from the entire cast including competing best actor noms, the best cinematography ever, music (of course, extraordinaire). Costuming, make-up, the finest of any film ever made and a juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy that defines drama.
Rev. Rikard gave it a10:
What a great vehicle for presenting an ancient, yet still relevant theological/existential question: Why does God give gifts of remarkable creativity and ingenuity to those who treat those gifts with such shallow reverence? Furthermore, why does God endow those who passionately desire these gifts with medicore ability? Almost everyone could identify with Salieri.
Jenny G. gave it a10:
this has always been and will forever be my favorite movie of all time. i have honestly seen this movie at least 30 or 40 times; about half of those viewings was when i was a child, not able to even follow the story line completely. i suppose most of what kept me coming back for more was mozart's brilliant compositions, which all have a certain sweetness to them that no other composer has ever been able to duplicate. as i got older and was able to understand everything that was going on in the story, i fell even deeper in love with this film. it was just about six months ago that i bought the director's cut - the deleted scenes (although strange to see after having seen the original dozens and dozens of times) shed a whole new light on the movie that i have basically memorized line for line. truly brilliant.
Fred E. gave it a5:
Great soundtrack. Great choreography. Great excuse to go out and read a decent biography on Mozart to find out that the great genius' story is far more compelling than the simpleton portrayed here. For example, his relationship with the various Weber sisters, resulting in his writing of his best aria to wed the one who was not the famed singer. The fact that he wrote Cosi based on an amusing anecdote the empoeror shared with him, only to see it closed when the empoeror died and the empress shut down the theatre. The fact that most of his major Opera's took on the power of the aristocracy head on, and that his last was in support of his membership with the Masons. And that the so-called evil Salieri tutored Mozar's son (as well as Beethoven). Really, there's a lot more here than giggles and passing gas.
