Amadeus - A Movie Everyone Should See

Not only is Milos Forman's Amadeus my favorite movie, but I think it is a must see for everyone. I first saw the movie when I was ten, and I have never forgotten it. It sparked a love for classical music that has remained with me to this day. As I have aged, the movie has become more meaningful to me. It is not just a great piece of art, filled with incredible music and outstanding performances. What makes Amadeus great is the plot behind the plot - the spiritual struggle between Salieri and God.

When Salieri recollects his memories of Mozart to the priest, he admits that Mozart was his "idol." Of course, not wanting to indict himself before a man of the cloth, he quickly adds that he was really jealous of Mozart's "father, who had taught him everything." We soon come to realize, though, that Salieri's obsession and idolization is in the fact the boy "prodigy."

When Salieri finally meets Mozart, he is shocked with the "giggling, dirty-minded creature, crawling on the floor." His disgust at Mozart's behavior compels him to question God: "But why! Why would God choose..." It is Salieri's struggle with God's Providence and giftings that create the real drama in Amadeus. The idolization, contempt, and jealousy for Mozart are merely incidental. After all, would not God be a better God if He gifted an upright, chaste composer, like Salieri?

Salieri's downward spiral gets worse. After Mozart memorizes Salieri's original piece on "one hearing only," he improves it, drawing attention and accalades from those within and without the chamber. This causes Salieri to give his hanging crucifix a stern, quasi-evil eye. "Gracias, Senor," is all he could say in rebellion and jealousy. He then asks the question, "What was God up to?" when he discovers Mozart fornicated with his "darling girl." It is almost as if God is using Mozart's evil to chasten Salieri, revealing his inner heart, which questions God justice. Forman wrote this movie with brilliance.

The final separation between Salieri and God comes when Constanza, Mozart's wife, secretly brings her husband's work to be viewed. Salieri is shocked that Mozart "doesn't make copies" of his compositions. Why is it so shocking? "They showed no corrections of any kind! Page after page of it! As if just taking dictation!" Studying Mozart's original works enraptures Salieri, causing him to drop them on the floor. Although he agrees the works are "miraculous," Salieri refuses to help Constanza. He leaves her on the floor without help.

"From now on we are enemies. You and I. Because you choose..." These are the next words we hear from Salieri's mouth. They are a sign that he is fed with God's bestowing musical gifts to Mozart, leaving him only the "ability to recognize the incarnation." He removes the crucifix from the wall and burns it in the fire, promising to "ruin Your incarnation."

Pride, self-righteousness, jealousy, God's Providence and giftings, and the eternal struggle between God's Mind and man's mind combine to make Amadeus much more than an Academy Award winning picture. It is a testament to great art, and a story that continues to both inspire and bewilder the true humanist.