I believe that there are two ways to critique Amadeus. The first, and the easiest for me, is as an artistic work only. As an artistic endeavor, Amadeus is a triumph. Particularly stunning is F. Murray Abraham's performance as the tortured Court Composer Antonio Salieri. Abraham portrays a talented yet mediocre musician who, having revered God all his life, shows us clearly that pride goes before the fall. It is Salieri's greed for fame, and …showed first 75 words of 758 total…

…showed last 75 words of 758 total…a bit unbelievable, but the use of various movements to accompany Mozart's dying, Constanze's return, and Salieri's passion is clever. The movie begins with the furious Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183, and ends with the deceptively simple Piano Concerto in D minor, K. 466, 2nd movement. So begins and ends Mozart's life, in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, starting off in a fury of noise and vigor, and in the end, slipping away quietly with time-taking ease.