Critiquing Amadeus by Peter Shaffer

686 Words2 Pages

Critiquing Amadeus by Peter Shaffer

I believe that there are two ways to critique Peter Shaffer's Amadeus.

The first, and the easiest for me, is as an artistic work only.

As an artistic endeavor, Amadeus is a triumph. Particularly stunning is

F. Murray Abraham's performance as the tortured Court Composer Antonio

Salieri. Abraham portrays a talented yet mediocre musician who, having

revered God all his life, shows us clearly that "pride goeth before the

fall". It is Salieri's greed for fame, and pride in his own "moral

goodness" that lead him to denounce Mozart as a "fiend". When God

continues to shower favor upon mozart, Salieri renounces God, and vows

that he will be the instrument to thwart God. Salieri's Fall from Grace

is brilliantly documented, and Abraham's performance utterly believable.

Tom Hulce does a splendid job portraying Shaffer's Mozart. His wild

antics and child-like behavior are charming, his laugh infectious and

singular, and his mannerisms unique. However, it is the moments when a

different Mozart is glimpsed -- the tender father, the infuriated court

composer, and the dying genius -- that Hulce's talent shines through.

To play a buffoon well is one thing, and to show a serious side to that

buffoon another. To do it all convincingly is the key to the range of

Hulce's abilities.

Additionally, the film is beautifully shot, the costumes enchanting and

the set design marvelously detailed. The lighting in the final scene

(depicted above), with its contrasting dark shadows and harsh glare, is

especially creative. This Academy Award-winning film was crafted with

great skill, and is worthy of the acclaim it received.

------------------------------...

... middle of paper ...

...oung music student, hearing Salieri describe the beauty

of this piece -- the clarity of the oboe, and the lovely tune of the

clarinet -- and becoming just as entranced myself by its long,

mesmerizing journey to a final cadence.

Also impressive is the inclusion of the Requiem, K. 626, in its

entirety. The death-bed composition scene in Amadeus may be a bit

unbelievable, but the use of various movements to accompany Mozart's

dying, Constanze's return, and Salieri's passion is clever.

The movie begins with the furious Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183,

and ends with the deceptively simple Piano Concerto in D minor, K. 466,

2nd movement. So begins and ends Mozart's life, in Peter Shaffer's

Amadeus, and perhaps so begin and end we all: starting off in a fury of

noise and vigor, and in the end, slipping away quietly with time-taking

ease.

Open Document