Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), court composer to Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones), seeks to destroy bawdy but gifted Mozart: Mozart is very brash and upsets the lesser talented Salieri who wonders if God himself is mocking him through Mozart.

"Costumically lush, and yet a little long winded. The music is nice too, who wrote that?"

"Two and a half hours and no intermission? It's almost as bad as one of Mozart's operas. I could never watch opera for 4 hours."

"Did they get an Oscar for those cows at a funeral? If not why not? It was a bovine triumph!"

"Nice music, shame about the cows at the funeral, it spoilt everything for me. I want my money back."

Salieri helps Mozart finish off his work by writing on the paper as the master composes from his bed. However, Mozart is very ill. His wife (Elizabeth Berridge) refuses to let him continue. Mozart dies.

Salieri goes mad, the whole story is told in super-flashback mode without the wobbly screen fade out.

A consummate production, offering an insight into the life and works of an icon, wine and all. Mozart's music is simply exemplary, but we all know that, it is the way that the subject is covered, so apparently honestly, that inspires one to scream bravisimo in a high pitched screech.

A study of how middle management strove to prevent Mozart's greatest works by ripping the music up before it could be photocopied in the back office 300 years later.

A veritable chandelier and golden door knobic heaven, of glasses perched on the end of noses, of bouffant wiggery to near ceiling height and shaggy dog-ic wideness. Stunning. Miss it at your peril.

"There are too many notes."

"I regretfully have no servants to show you out."

"Mediocrity is everywhere, I absolve you."

This movie won 8 Academy Awards, including best picture, in 1984.

An interesting voyage of discovery back to Mozart's time. The music is familiar but the man isn't, this movie sheds light on the icon that wrote so much good music. How true is it? We have no idea.

October 1 , 2002