Revisiting AMADEUS in 4K

AMADEUS (4K UHD)

1984 / 160 min

From Warner Bros #InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Mr. Paws😸

When this disc arrived for review, I set it on the kitchen counter while I went through the rest of our mail. A few minutes later, one of my daughters came in, took one look at the cover and immediately went:

“Amadeus, Amadeus…Amadeus;

Amadeus, Amadeus…Amadeus…”

She was, of course, recalling the chorus of that insanely catchy Falco song, “Rock Me Amadeus,” a massive hit a few decades before she was even born (and I’ll bet it’s stuck in your head right now). The song was initially inspired by this film, which sort of serves as a testament to the latter’s surprising influence on pop culture. It even sparked renewed interest in Mozart's music. Biographical period pieces, including those that nab fistfuls of Oscars, seldom become massively popular.

But Amadeus wasn’t Gandhi, or The Last Emperor, or Out of Africa…Oscar-winning artistic achievements from the same decade most of us felt obligated to check-off our watchlist to feel better about ourselves. Amadeus was (and still is) a completely captivating film in every aspect. Not only aesthetically gorgeous, its narrative is built on an irresistible premise, that of the alleged one-sided rivalry between respected-but-unremarkable composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) and the brilliant-but-irresponsible young genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Thomas Hulce).

Someone needs a Band-Aid.

I say ‘alleged’ because neither director Milos Foreman nor playwright/screenwriter Peter Shaffer ever made clams of historical accuracy, which seldom makes great drama (no matter what sticklers for such things might claim). Any actual acrimony between the two composers serves as a springboard for a compelling story full of deception, betrayal, jealously and a surprising amount of humor. Because of this, Amadeus remains massively entertaining, even when venturing into dark places.

Just missing its 40th Anniversary by a year, Amadeus is now on 4K Ultra HD. Perhaps more significantly, this edition contains the original theatrical cut, which has been unavailable on home video for years. For a movie that prominently features striking production design and gobs of Mozart’s timeless music, the disc serves up a fine transfer. The disc is fairly light on bonus material, but in addition to an excellent archival doc, there’s an all new retrospective featuring Abraham, Hulce and a few others, all of whom offer some entertaining insights about their experiences making the film. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

AMADEUS: THE MAKING OF A MASTERPIECE - This is an all new 23 minute retrospective look at Amadeus featuring actors F. Murray Abraham, Thomas Hulce & Christine Ebersole and production designer Patriza von Brandenstein. Done entirely through virtual interviews, it’s fairly interesting.

THE MAKING OF AMADEUS - An extensive hour-long archival making-of documentary.

DIGITAL COPY