A deadly rivalry that never was, a dried-up bachelor who was actually a father of eight, and flops that were hits in reality … even getting Mozart's toilet humour right cannot redeem it

Director: Milos Forman

Entertainment grade: D

History grade: D+



Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who went on to become one of the greatest composers of all time before dying at 35.

Rumours persist about his rivalry with fellow composer Antonio Salieri.

Illness

Salieri (F Murray Abraham) opens the film by cutting his own throat. This is based on a rumour spread by Ludwig van Beethoven's nephew, Karl, but there is no evidence for it – meaning Amadeus gets its first inaccuracy in before the opening credits. Salieri did reportedly sustain a minor knife wound to his neck after being committed to Vienna's general hospital on suffering a breakdown in 1823. In his deranged state, he was also said to have confessed to killing Mozart – though, when he regained some of his senses, he denied it. In the film, a priest arrives at the hospital to hear his confession, and gets an earful about how God reneged on a pact Salieri made: he would offer God his chastity, and God would give him musical genius. In real life, this wouldn't have worked too well. Salieri was not, as the film suggests, a sexually frustrated, dried-up old bachelor. He had eight children by his wife, and is reputed to have had at least one mistress.

People

Life of the party … Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

The film flashes back to 1781, when Mozart (Tom Hulce) arrives in Vienna. Salieri hides behind what appears to be the tower of Ferrero Rocher from the ambassador's reception to watch Mozart cavort with Constanze Weber. Mozart's wooing consists of fart jokes, which Constanze finds so irresistible she allows him to dive face-first into her prodigious bosom. The refined Salieri is aghast, but this portrayal of Mozart is justifiable: he was known for crass humour and pranks. Among his works is a canon for six voices in B flat called Leck mich im Arsch (K231), translating literally as "Lick me in the arse". Had there been a South Park musical in the 18th century, Mozart probably would have given his fluffiest wig to write the score.

Rivalry

Night at the opera … Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

Vague rumours of a rivalry between Mozart and Salieri were whipped up by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin, whose short play Mozart and Salieri (1830) depicted the latter murdering the former onstage. Amadeus takes up Pushkin's theme of deadly rivalry, though it isn't quite as inaccurate. Instead, it shows Salieri sabotaging Mozart's career. At one point, Mozart did believe that a "cabal" opposed him, but neither Salieri nor anyone else succeeded in making Mozart's operas fail. So enraptured were the audiences of The Marriage of Figaro, which the film implies was a flop, that the emperor was obliged to restrict its encores after the first three performances. Don Giovanni, shown in the film as an even floppier flop, was an immediate and sensational hit.

Death

Amanuensis, not

A couple of hours into the movie, all but the most saintly of viewers will have had enough of Mozart's toilet humour, boundless arrogance and intensely irritating laugh; a few may even be hoping Salieri will just poison the gibbering nitwit already. He doesn't, but he does try to freak Mozart out by dressing up as his dead father and commissioning the Requiem. The Requiem was really commissioned by Count Walsegg-Stuppach, who did try to keep it a secret, though Mozart almost certainly knew his identity. Salieri did not, as the film suggests, assist in writing it, though Franz Xaver Süssmayr did. Meanwhile, Mozart was on good terms with Salieri at the time of his death, inviting him to The Magic Flute and writing warmly of him in his diary. Later, Salieri gave his bereaved younger son free music lessons.

Verdict

Genius and giggles … Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

Some fine research into Mozart's annoying personality doesn't really make up for the fact that the entire premise of this film – that Salieri loathed Mozart and plotted his demise – is probably not true.