Amadeus (1984) (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

While I have always appreciated classical music, I always prefer to listen to rock stations while driving. While I love movies of all kinds, the period drama has never exactly been my favorite genre. I've never really been a fan of theater or opera either. So how did Amadeus, a movie that combines all of these things, become one of my favorite films? Directed by Milos Forman (director of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), Amadeus is a comedy-drama based on a 1979 play of the same name (which itself is a variation of an earlier play). Unlike most movies of this kind, the story of Amadeus is based on rumors and urban legends surrounding the life and death of the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in particular the rumor that he was murdered by rival musician Antonio Salieri. The story is not historically accurate but makes no attempt to be, something to keep in mind while watching. Like Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, Amadeus is simply using history as a backdrop for a fictional story. As a child, Antonio Salieri begged God for a chance to be a composer, promising to dedicate his entire life to music in return. When his prayers are answered, Salieri keeps his promise. Years later, after becoming court composer for the Holy Roman Emperor, Salieri finally meets the man who's success had inspired him and made him the man he is; Mozart. But the man he meets is far from what he expected. As it turns out, the great Mozart is a childish, arrogant, and extremely unprofessional man. Feeling that the God he had dedicated his life to had betrayed him by choosing someone like Mozart as his instrument, Salieri dedicates his life to ruining Mozart's career which, by extension, will mean triumphing over God himself. The story of Amadeus is absolutely brilliant, and one of the greatest I have ever seen in film. The way the film seamlessly blends comedy and drama while telling the story of these two great men is incredible. The pacing and writing are both flawless and there is not a single moment where I am bored. The cinematography and sets are both fantastic, especially when portions of Mozart's operas are shown. The soundtrack is among the greatest I have ever heard in a movie, although this is hardly surprising considering it consists entirely of Mozart and Salieri's work. The music isn't just tossed into scenes carelessly either, it always suits the scene and mood perfectly. Tom Hulce is great as the obnoxious yet brilliant Mozart. Hulce did an excellent job of showing Mozart's transformation from carefree rockstar to overstressed and on the verge of madness. The supporting cast was great as well, in particular Jeffery Jones as the musically ignorant Emperor. However, the real show-stealer is F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri. Abraham's performance remains the greatest I have ever seen in a film. He plays the character so well that I kept forgetting he was acting. Like Gregory Peck's role as Atticus Finch or Robert De Niro's role as Travis Bickle, this is a character that nobody but Abraham could have played. The film looks fantastic on blu-ray, and I had no problems while watching it. Like many other people have said, I was disappointed that the original cut of the film could not be watched. I have only seen the director's cut and I would have liked to see the original version. Personally I think the pacing is great even with the extra scenes, so this is a minor issue for me, but it is still disappointing. I haven't watched the "Making of Amadeus" documentary yet but I look forward to when I get the chance. I was hoping to see some behind the scenes extras and interviews, but I assume they are all included in the documentary. I will update this review once I have watched the documentary. Amadeus is an absolute masterpiece that more people need to see and at such a low price, there's no excuse. Of course not everyone will love it, but Amadeus is one of those films that every movie fan needs to see at least once.

I have loved this movie since it came out in theatres and have seen it many times! Then I bought it on VHS, then upgraded to DVD. And now I have this perfect version that was digitally restored in 4K in 2024. A lot of care went into the restoration of this 1984 movie and the people involved are given credit on this disc. As you should know if you don't already, this is the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer of some of the most iconic music you will ever hear! It is also the story of Antonio Salieri and his love/hate relationship with Mozart. The acting, the story, the costumes, the sets,and of course, the music is perfect, in this movie that won 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The performances by Tom Hulce (Mozart) and F. Murray Abraham (Salieri), who won an Oscar, are particularly good. This disc also includes a wonderful featurette., "Amadeus: The making of a masterpiece". If you already have this movie on VHS or DVD, it is worth it to upgrade to a 4K version--it looks and sounds amazing!

really good movie

This movie is an absolute masterpiece. The acting is award winning, specifically Mozart, Constanze, Salieri and even the priest who looks absolutely shell shocked at what he is hearing. The theatrical cut is simply better than the director’s cut. It’s twenty minutes shorter and it’s not that those minutes aren’t missed, the movie is better without them. It’s tighter and has greater impact. The DTS-HD soundtrack is stunning and beautiful and the 4k restoration is faithful to the movie as it was presented in 1985. I saw this movie four times in the theater, and this is the release I’ve been waiting for. Bravo!

Packaged well. Good price. Ordered by mistake, so it was an easy return.

While this is a good movie... people need to know that this is only a movie. Mozart wasn't like this at all. He was actually a workaholic, and incredibly prolific: Mozart wrote over 600 pieces of music. And Salieri as a murderer is laughable.

ORIGINAL VERSION. The one that won the Oscar. Just-Okay yet Popular Italian composer Salieri is in love, or lust, with a beautiful singer. Opera singer. Christine Ebersole. Who on earth wouldn't be? But he fears, oh so much, that she instead loves his personal, inner-twisted demon of a surreptitious rival in the bratty, spoiled genius known as Mozart. So on stage, after a great performance, Mozart gives this opera singer, in whom Salieri is, as mentioned, in deep love with, flowers. Then, out of nowhere, Mozart's fat future mother-in-law and most importantly, Mozart's beautiful future bridge-to-be, his lovely fiance, are lifted onto the stage, and introduced. Mozart is a deer caught in headlights as the beautiful singer... No, as Salieri WATCHES the singer slam the flowers at Mozart and STORM like a tempest off the stage. AND NOW WE CUT TO: The old Salieri, who we go back and forth from, saying, "That's when I knew, the creature had had her..." Basically, that's when it was all too clear where the little devil's pitchfork was all along... where he, Salieri, wanted to be. And with the same talent; a gift of God given to a clown, in his opinion. In modern terms: Really Famous Musicians get all the tail. NOW THE DIRECTOR'S CUT: Instead of cutting back to the aged Salieri after the singer shows her passionate jealousy that loudly rivals that of Salieri's silent hatred... The scene doesn't cut, it actually continues. For a long, pointless, boring, plodding while, until the no-longer jealous but now more curious Italian composer visits the singer in her dressing room. Herein, we get a boring, soap operatic seven-minute scene where she finally, says that she slept with MOZART. At this point, his jealousy means nothing. So when we cut back to him telling the priest, "THAT'S when I knew..." It means nothing at all. Sorry fans of the Director's Cut, but the editors, all professionals, KNEW, like Salieri KNEW... what ANYONE WOULD KNOW when to cut that scene and when to KNOW just why the flowers were used as a weapon, and there are other examples as well as other lame characters and disposable avenues added to what was originally, THE ORIGINAL PERFECT FILM, yet this one "creature flower" scene in particular really embodies the differences between the Theatrical movie that won the Oscar and was, from opening night, considered one of the greatest movies of all time, from the Vanity Project Hatched-Job that allowed a once-great director, now old and, obviously out of touch, to spray-paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa. In the eighties, Milos Foreman, who had already won for CUCKOO'S NEST, wasn't blacklisted. He wasn't Orson Welles trying to get his vision across with everyone against him. So what's the problem? Maybe these answers will suffice: 1) Boredom for a director with nothing to do and 2) The Studio makes MORE money with another version, thus making it the ONLY version and... God knows why. Why! WHY!!! Oh well. It's tough to find the ORIGINAL THEATRICAL nowadays; that is, in Blu Ray Remastered format. But I'm telling you, as someone who knows a thing or two about this movie, having seen the original about 100 times since at the theater as a kid, loving to see Pinto from Animal House playing this really talented crazy guy, and then, years later, after so many viewings, sitting in compete awe at the changes and additions that were basically a 20-minute dead third wing on an already soaring angel in flight... The original IS the classic. Always was, and always will be. That's not opinion. It's fact: the movie that played in theaters was the better one. If you weren't there to witness it, you would not know. Which is WHY it is, and was, and always will be, the better and... ONLY ONE to see. For the Director's cut... yes, that's it... What's wrong with the Director's cut is there are simply... Too Many Notes. That God what I saw in theaters so long ago was what I searched to finally see, even though it's the cardboard Warner Brothers old school non-remastered DVD. But so sad for a young generation who will grow up on brilliance ruined by money, driven by mediocrity.

HATED the director cut. First time I can say this as someone that owns thousands of films on multiple formats. Too long and overblown. I sold it after one viewing. Had a DVD that I duped from VHS. So happy to buy this !!! Great transfer too.

Pessimo non funziona. Aspettato tanto per poi non vedere una mazza. Qua si paga per non vedere 🤬

Diese DVD kann nicht abgespielt werden, da es sich um eine Produktion aus dem Ausland handelt!

La calidad de imagen y audio es excelente. Incluye el audio en español latino. La entrega de Amazon se hizo en buen tiempo y forma. La recomiendo.

懸念していたとおり日本語字幕なしでした。LD.DVD.BDと持っているので問題ありませんが、表示すべきかと。画質、音質は良いです。

I have this movie on LD and because I do not have time to fix mechanical problem of LD player I purchased it. Do I like it, yes I do otherwise why to purchase DVD if I did not like the LD version. Is the movie representing composer's life? Well, that is question for another person, but it is entertaining.