Bobby J. Wilkerson
Dr. Krista Friedrich
Music 131 29 April 2015 Amadeus (The Love of God) This movie is about a man named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and how he came about, his early life, glory days, and death. It is told from the standpoint of Antonio Salieri, who is the court musician of Vienna at the time. He tries to destroy Mozart's gifts in music, though secretly and regretfully admiring Mozart's work at the same time. The story begins as the elderly Salieri attempts suicide by slitting his throat while loudly begging forgiveness for having killed Mozart, in association with the playing of Don Giovanni. Placed in an asylum, Salieri is visited by a young priest. Salieri is uninterested but eventually warms to the priest and begins to unburden himself. He reminisces about his youth, and pledges to God to remain celibate as a sacrifice if he can somehow devote his life to music. He describes how his father's sudden death, who choked to death during a meal, was "a miracle" that allowed him to pursue a career in music. He is suddenly an adult joining the 18th century cultural elite in Vienna, the "city of musicians." He is content as the court composer for Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. Mozart arrives in Vienna with his patron, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. Salieri secretly observes Mozart at the Archbishop's palace, but they are not properly introduced. He also first recognizes the enormous talent displayed in the adult works of Mozart. When Mozart meets the Emperor, Salieri presents Mozart with a "March of Welcome," which he worked to create. After hearing the march only once, Mozart plays it from memory, critiques it, and transforms it into The Marriage of Figaro. Salieri's struggles with God and Mozart are inserted with scenes showing Mozart's own misfortunes. Mozart becomes more desperate as the family's expenses increase and his commissions decrease. When Salieri sees Mozart’s musical scores with no corrections, he realizes that the music is perfect. When Salieri learns of Mozart's financial straits, he poses as his friend while plotting against him, sabotaging productions and blocking appointments by placing a woman in his rival's household as a spy. Salieri hatches a complex plot to gain ultimate victory over Mozart and God. He disguises himself in a mask and costume and commissions Mozart to write a requiem mass, giving him a down payment and the promise of an enormous sum upon completion. Mozart begins to write the piece, the Requiem Mass in D minor, unaware of the true identity of his mysterious patron thinking the visitor was a messenger from beyond the grave. Constanze leaves him and takes their son with her. His health worsens and he collapses during the premiere performance of The Magic Flute. Salieri takes the stricken Mozart home and convinces him to work on the Requiem. Mozart, only 35 on his deathbed, dictates the final pages of his great "Requiem" to Salieri, sitting at the foot of the bed with quill and manuscript, dragging the notes from Mozart's fevered brain. “Have you got it? - You go too fast, you go too fast”. Constanze arrives home from her trip moments before Mozart dies. Salieri, dismissing the priest without completing his confession or accepting the priest’s offer of forgiveness from God, proclaims himself the “patron saint of mediocrities everywhere”. The last sound heard before the credits roll is Mozart's high-pitched laughter. Salieri’s descriptions of Mozart’s music are eloquent and heartfelt. Mozart’s overwhelming music is the first and last things we hear in this film. The music plays an incredible part in this movie and it’s a star of its own; truly “sublime”.