Amadeus

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Amadeus

PG

1984

2h 40m

Biography

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

159 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri. Resenting Mozart for both his hedonistic lifestyle and his undeniable talent, the highly religious Salieri is gradually consumed by his jealousy and becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall, leading to a devious scheme that has dire consequences for both men.

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Critics Consensus

Amadeus' liberties with history may rankle some, but the creative marriage of Miloš Forman and Peter Shaffer yields a divinely diabolical myth of genius and mediocrity, buoyed by inspired casting and Mozart's rapturous music.

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

The Times (UK)

Jul 29, 2025

5/5

It may be titled simply Amadeus but this hugely fun 1980s classic didn’t win eight Oscars for being a straight-up biopic. What made it an enduring cultural touchstone is the framing.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Jul 23, 2025

5/5

Amadeus really is mesmeric (as well as deliciously exciting) and watching it again I went into exactly the trance I experienced the first time.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Feb 23, 2025

Amadeus is one of the greatest film portraits of an artist for capturing the essence of their work.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Mar 13, 2026

One of my favorite best picture winners ever made

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Clotilde Chinnici

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jul 29, 2025

3/5

If the movie never had any intention of actually portraying Mozart’s life—or his music for that matter—then this begs the question: was it even worth making this about Mozart at all?

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

Jul 11, 2025

Forman and Schaffer’s film (based on Schaffer’s play) uses the lives of Mozart and his suggested historical rival, Salieri, to create a biting, decades-spanning treatise on the nature of genius and creating art.

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Darrell K

@RT04944422 3 days ago

Dude it's so good!

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Mary L

@maryalexandragracelogan Oct 19, 2026

One of my favorite films of all time!!

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 25, 2026

Amadeus = a *5* star Movie!

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Romas M

@Romas Jun 24, 2026

Greetings from Lithuania. "Amadeus" (1984) is a great movie. It tells somewhat true and at the same time fictional story about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rivalry with Antonio Salieri. This is a great movie which I have seen couple of times, and latest one on 4K UHD disk that I bought. Performances by both leads F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce were spectacular. Directing by Miloš Forman is among his few best. This is a very entertaining film that on paper sounds like a boring one, but actually grabs a viewer by surprise with excellent screenplay, great pacing, and of course spectacular music. Costumes were amazing as well. Overall, ""Amadeus" is one of those classic that needs to be watched and rewatched to truly appreciate it. This is a great film on every level. No wonder it won so many Oscars back in the day and was a big commercial success.

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Jackie G

@jackiegia Jun 7, 2026

With the reboot series now on STARZ, I felt compelled to talk about the 1984 film, Amadeus, one of my favorite films EVER! (& I only have 1k characters.) Amadeus is an American period drama film directed by Miloš Forman. Peter Shaffer adapted it from his 1979 stage play, inspired by Alexander Pushkin's 1830 play Mozart (Tom Hulce) and Salieri (F Murray Abraham). If you've ever wanted to witness a live-action altercation between SpongeBob and Squidward, this is it. This really is one of my favorite movies, and while the story is about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, F. Murray Abraham IS the movie. Watching everything unfold from Salieri's point of view is an absolute roller coaster. Have you ever been so jealous of someone that they consumed your every waking thought? If so, you're probably going to enjoy this. It is rather long, just FYI. (I don't care—I loved every minute of it.) Any Disney fans out there? Fun fact: Tom Hulce also voiced Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996.

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David M.

@Dmesuda May 29, 2026

One of my top 5 and the most deserved Oscar in history for Abraham.

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Milos Forman

Director

F. Murray Abraham

Antonio Salieri

Tom Hulce

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Jeffrey Jones

Emperor Joseph II

Elizabeth Berridge

Constanze Mozart

Simon Callow

Emanuel Schikaneder

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Synopsis

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri. Resenting Mozart for both his hedonistic lifestyle and his undeniable talent, the highly religious Salieri is gradually consumed by his jealousy and becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall, leading to a devious scheme that has dire consequences for both men.

Director: Milos Forman
Producer: Saul Zaentz
Screenwriter: Peter Shaffer
Distributor: Orion Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: AMLF
Rating: PG
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 13, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 18, 2016
Runtime: 2h 40m
Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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