How terrible it is to be merely talented when you stand in the presence of genius. That’s the lovely conceit at the heart of Amadeus. I never thought of it as a bio-pic because the narrator is so ingrained into the narrative, instead of merely reporting on the amazing person they’re living alongside. It’s more like a buddy pic that defies the genre’s conventions. Right up to the end, they hate and admire each other in equal measure.
That interplay keeps Amadeus exciting. Salieri is the only person who recognizes and properly appreciate Mozart’s genius (which he connects to the voice of God.) He never misses a performance and only criticizes the music when it gives him an advantage. Meanwhile the narration confesses how much he bows to the vulgar maestro’s effortless brilliance. There’s great inner turmoil as Salieri vows to murder the competition, knowing this will bring an end to the music he so greatly admires. It’s the most compelling costume drama about classical music you could imagine.
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