What Amadeus gets wrong

BBC Culture ^ | 2/24/2015 | Clemency Burton-Hill

[re_nortex]

Here's my favorite clip from the movie, edited down to the essential parts: Mozart Vs Salieri. One of the YouTube comments is spot on IMHO and aptly characterizes Mozart's genius but his naivety:

Mozart is unaware that he has just humilliated Salieri; he honestly thought he was helping him.

In spite of taking, ahem, liberties with the biographies, it remains an enduring, always enjoyable film.

[MilesVeritatis]

I guess this was to be expected. Hollywood remakes old moveis. Critics rehash old critiques.

When the movie came out, everyone from musicians, historians, and even Siskel & Ebert pointed out that that much license had been taken in creating the film and especially with regard to the creation of Salieri’s obsession/antagonism. Nothing new here.

[a fool in paradise]

Missed it by 8 seconds!

[Borges]

Mozart really was rather callow towards his fellow musicians. His letters are filled with accounts of other musicians coming up short in some way and him describing how he ‘laughed till I fell over’ or ‘could have died laughing’. He was not a good colleague.

[chajin]

How about, one of the big errors is that Mozart died young?

I can't get the link to work right now, but maybe it will soon: www.astroamerica.com/mozart.html. The theory is that Nissen, Mrs. Mozart's second husband, was actually Mozart, who faked his own death in order to avoid the politics of Vienna that were about to have him killed anyway, then engaged in identity theft by "becoming" Nissen. One of the pieces of circumstantial evidence is that Nissen spends most of the rest of his life writing Mozart's bio, and let's admit it, who spends decades writing the bio of one's wife's previous husband?

[IronJack]

Bach standing on one side of God’s throne and Beethoven on the other

Beethoven would have been behind the throne ... whispering in God's ear. And Bach would have been replaced by Haydn.

[SamAdams76]

I think all films are entitled to some artistic license. Otherwise it becomes a boring documentary. The fact is, very few people have a life that would make an interesting film that people would want to spend money to see. Some dramatic tension often needs to get introduced to make the film compelling.

There are documentaries on Mozart for those who are inclined.

[Borges]

You think Haydn was a greater composer than Bach?

[real saxophonist]

Rock me Amadeus. I’m actually listinening to Gustav Holst

[dfwgator]

F. Murray Abraham

Gee, what did Murray Abraham ever do to you? ;)

[dasboot]

Excellent.

[Hot Tabasco]

What about Godzilla? How many movies have they made about Mozart? One. How many movies have they made about Godzilla? Dozens.

Ya got a point there, can't argue against it.........

[JewishRighter]

Bingo! That’s the money line!

[dasboot]

My ears tell me Telemann was father to them all.

[dasboot]

“You think Haydn was a greater composer than Bach?”

Yeah...I don’t get it either.

[Calvin Locke]

Gee, what did Murray Abraham ever do to you?

Well, since you asked:

Shark Swarm and Bloodmonkey.

[IronJack]

Have your ears checked.

[dasboot]

LOL

[BwanaNdege]

If you want 'facts' watch a documentary.

Have you watched any "Documentaries" from the History Channel lately?

These are almost as historically accurate as Von Daniken's "Chariots of the Gods."

(where's the photo of that wild haired guy?)

:-)

[fieldmarshaldj]