Jan Tomas Forman is the artist name for Amadeus. The film director was born on February 18, 1932. He is an American screenwriter and actor although he is of Czechoslovakian origin. He was a married man of four children. He has produced other works apart from Amadeus, which include One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Valmont, and Man on the Moon. He also won Oscar director’s award for One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Object’s Year, Date, Critical Reception
The film Amadeus
is a 1984 production after an adaptation of the same book. Vienna Austria is the setting of the story while the production takes place in Czechoslovakia. The film aims to underscore the historical bitter rivalry that was witnessed in Europe at the time between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. According to historians, the conflict depicted in the film between the aforementioned antagonists is inaccurate and wrong. In the film, Foreman portrays Antonio Salieri as the one responsible for causing the death of Mozart. Tomas actually intensifies this fact by opening the first scene of the film with Antonio attempting suicide as he cuts himself with a razor blade. He is full of guilt for having caused the death of Mozart. The foregrounding that the director asserts here only aims to underscore the fact that Antonio indeed murdered Mozart which historian view as untrue. According to Burton-Hill, “…nobody seriously thinks Salieri murdered Mozart. And for all the academic imperfections of Amadeus, the essence of the film is irrefutable. Salieri was a perfectly reasonable court composer, capable of writing the odd good tune here and there; Mozart was a genius”
On the other hand, some scholars view the work of art as an invention and dramatic fabrication of the life of Salieri and Mozart. For instance, while in the film Salieri lives a chastity life and fails to declare his coveted love for Katarina Cavalier, historical facts reveal that the duo actually fell in love (Eggert).
Significant Cultural/Social/Political Unfolding at the Time of Creation
The film has a wide significance to the historical time within which the director produced the film. It tries to analyze the assumption that there existed bitter rivalry between two singers, Salieri and Mozart. The film further underscores the penalty of that rivalry and vengeance that sees Salieri into murdering Mozart. According to Salieri, he equally has a talent but wonders why only Mozart’s production is cherished and blessed. He wonders aloud whether his composition is not God given, as it seems to be for Mozart whose songs thrill audience.
The film director does not exaggerate the conflict to unveil the little known facts but he does so to capture the audience and to appreciate the talented and genius work of the two men. In addition, he intends to bridge and brings into a conclusion the antagonism between the artists herein. According to Simon Callow, the first stage character of Mozart, the film adaption of Amadeus is, “a vast meditation on the relationship between genius and talent” (Burton-Hill). The confession that Salieri makes for killing Mozart further explains the important of forgiveness. The director portrays Salieri in this manner to offer a morale lesson that vengeance and rivalry only kills art and renders guilt to the perpetrators. However, the film raises questions such as, should artists exaggerate known facts to provide pleasure in drama? In addition, is it true that Salieri murdered Mozart as the film indicates?
Works Cited
Burton-Hill, Clemency. What Amadeus gets wrong. 24 February 2015. 14 October 2018 .
Eggert, Brian. Amadeus. 24 March 2012. 14 October 2018 .
