What Makes "Amadeus" Great.

This 1984 Best Picture winner may not be one for historical accuracy, but in terms of entertainment, it's absolutely masterful. The film tells a compelling story of jealousy and self-destruction, in an epic tragedy that seems like something Mozart would have originated.

Elderly former composer Antonio Salieri recounts his admiration and jealousy of the late Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. As Salieri continues to witness his own mediocrity compared to the immature and obscene Mozart, Salieri vows to destroy Mozart, who he believes is a vile creature God created to torment him.

Anchored by two titanic performances from F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce, Amadeus is a fascinating character study of 2 men. Abraham shines as both the elder Salieri and the younger Salieri. What makes Salieri so interesting is his inner conflict regarding Mozart. On the one hand, he hates Mozart for his gluttonous and immature behavior, but he can't help but praise him for his music, which likely fuels his hatred. Tom Hulce as Mozart exhibits a carefree and often egotistical personality, but like Salieri, it's his inner battle with himself, most notably his alcoholism and his relationship with his father that causes his downfall. Seeing the different ways these two men choose to deal with their turmoil is so fascinating to see unravel. By the end of the film, we see Salieri help an overworked and sick Mozart (ironically brought up by Salieri himself), we see the two open up to each other. It's through this pivotal scene we see that if circumstances were different, these two could have been friends. In the end, Mozart dies and is buried in an unceremonious way, and Salieri is left a bitter old man with no legacy for people to remember him by.

Director Milos Forman and his technical team also knocked it out of the park. The Cinematography, the production design, the costumes, and the music consisting entirely of opera all just pop off the screen. The opera sequences have so much energy and detail, that I can't think of anything else that has made me more interested in seeing a live opera than this film.

Amadeus stands among some of the greatest historical pieces of all time. It's the filmmaking craft at its most elegant. To quote Saleri, " It is miraculous".