Amadeus: Theatrical Cut
[4k/Digital Code]
Remember that movie Last Action Hero? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should check it out. It’s a smart action movie parodying the big action/comedy movies of the 80s and 90s. Some say Last Action Hero also killed that genre of movies, but they’re wrong. Just look at the Fast & Furious franchise. There will always be a market for big dumb movies. But anyway, I loved Last Action Hero when I saw it as a kid and felt super smart when I got the references it was making. But, at one point, the “sidekick” of the movie points at F Murray Abraham’s character in the movie and says, “He killed Mozart! Amadeus – it won eight Oscars!”
That movie is so great I just had to stop writing this review to rewatch the LAPD scene of Last Action Hero!
But, yes, Amadeus! I didn’t get that reference as a kid, and yes, it did win 8 Oscars! But now I’ve watched it, and I love the movie, and I love Last Action Hero even MORE.
There are just too many great things about Amadeus that everyone has already talked about so let me just list a few. The performances are some of the greatest ever put on film. At least, that’s what I think reviewers are supposed to say when they really like them. I recognize F Murray Abraham as THAT guy in many roles, but I guess he’s known as THIS guy. Salieri is played with subtlety and complexity and he’s captivating in every scene. Mozart, on the other hand, is played by someone I’d never heard of, and is the perfect foil for Salieri. Young and reckless, his brilliance comes from his fearlessness and self-assuredness. The two are the yin and yang bringing the movie balance. Also, the grandeur and pomp is kind of spectacular to see, especially as a backdrop to the dynamic script: always moving and developing. I’m a bit sad that this is the theatrical cut on 4K and not the extended director’s cut, which is 3 hours long, simply because the story is so tight that you barely notice it go by. Also, the stuff that was cut out (Mozart’s wife “embarrassing” herself in front of Salieri) is kind of important to the plot, in my opinion.
Look, Amadeus caught me by surprise which makes me love it even more. I don’t like classical music, knew nothing about Mozart and even I was able to appreciate it. It might be a bit forgotten nowadays, which makes watching it even more urgent. Thank you, Warned Brothers, for doing a 4K, now release both cuts in a box sets and go hog-wild!
