As we see movies that we find memorable, overwhelming and involving, we usually desire to know the background of their filming, to hear the cast, crew as well as the director what their experiences and their intentions were. Foremost, however, we are willing to get to know some hidden "cream" pieces of information from behind the "curtain" of camera. And that satisfying way of executing these facts is included in this remarkable documentary on filming one of the most significant and controversial movies that Hollywood ever produced, AMADEUS (1984) by Milos Forman.
The documentary, though not long, provides a viewer with a very clear view of the movie: its filming, its background, its intentions. First of all, Milos Forman, the director, Saul Zaentz, the producer and Peter Shaffer, the author of the book tell us lots of interesting facts about making the movie in Czechoslovakia. For instance, it seems pretty astonishing to realize the importance of Prague City in the whole production. The crew were allowed to shoot the movie in the wooden opera house where Mozart himself was at the premiere of his opera DON GIOVANNI in 1787. How nice it appears to know what their experience was.
Moreover, what I find really innovative is the way Mr Forman gives an interview as a director. He tells us, for instance, what a director should consider important in casting and dealing with actors while filming, for instance. I loved, here, the sentence he says about talk and confusion... What is more, he memorably reminds us all of a distinctive nature of plays in the theater and movies. Milos as well as Peter are very emotional and genuine in what they recall from that significant enterprise...and that is what I like best.
Besides, of course, we hear lots of cast who took part in the production about the impact of their roles. That is foremost the marvelous actor Tom Hulce who embodied Mozart so memorably that some people have since then associated Mozart's many portraits with Tom's face and, more to say, his characteristic laughter. He tells us, for instance, about getting used to portraying the composer and playing the piano as an actor... Among the main cast, that is also sympathetic actor F. Murray Abraham who played Antonio Salieri, including the young man filled with jealousy but also lots of plans for career and the old man discouraged, filled with bitterness and the tragic perception of endless loss. How could the two rivals, the two talents put up with each other behind the curtain? Here, an unforgettable scene is discussed: the dictation of CONFUTATIS from MOZART REQUIEM MASS. Besides, we get wonderful moments with Elizabeth Berridge (Constanza), Jeffrey Jones (Emperor Joseph), Vincent Schiavelli (a supporting role) who recall plenty of vivid events that one is not able to know elsewhere.
Putting it in a nutshell, this documentary is a memorable insight into how AMADEUS was being made, provides facts, emotions as well as true desire for tribute, artists' tribute to genius of geniuses, Wolfgang Ama Deus Mozart. Highly recommended!
Just as Peter Shaffer says at the end, we should say with him: "The thing that pleases me is the number of young people who discover the man, I think, was the greatest composer in the world."
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