Amadeus

15

An August Bank Holiday Special!

Gleefully taking liberties with historical fact, Forman’s opulent and arresting 18th-century epic is a biopic like no other. In recounting the stand-off between the bitter, ageing Salieri (an Oscar®-winning F. Murray Abraham, whose unforgettable performance frames the narrative) and the youthful, impetuous and precociously talented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce), Forman fashions a memorable ode to creative inspiration, jealousy and the power of the concert hall.

Forman collaborates with his regular cinematographer Miroslav Ondříček, opening our eyes to a lushly imagined iteration of period Vienna that is marked with equal parts beauty and madness. Amadeus was the toast of the 1984 Oscar season, winning eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Forman.