Rarely can I think of a more worthy multi-award winning performance than that from F. Murray Abraham in this masterfully crafted - if entirely speculative - retrospective on the life and times of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (portrayed here by the astonishingly effective Tom Hulce). Abraham portrays the duplicitous, envious and malevolent Antonio Salieri, the court composer to Emperor Joseph II of Austria (Jeffery Jones). He is talented, up to point, and settled in his politically influential and wealthy role, but growing up, he has always been aware of this other young boy who can play, perfectly, composing as he goes. Initially in awe of this man's predigious talent, it isn't long before the green eyed monster starts to rear it's ugly head, and jealousy soon starts to drive his every waking moment. Meantime, the young maestro is attracting more and more attention, acclaim and is soon rivalling Salieri for the attentions of the Emperor himself. At this stage, Salieri must act. How? Well fortunately he is ably assisted by Mozart's own self-destructive character. As a child, compared to a performing monkey, he always had issues with his father (Roy Dotrice) and even when married to Stanzi (Elizabeth Berridge) with his own child, we feel that he is always in search of adulation, appreciation and love whilst treading a very fine line between despair and a chronic fear of poverty and failure - one which leads him to an increasingly addictive existence. What is also striking here, is the extent to which Mozart's music has become pervasive in not just cinema history, but in our broader environment too. I found myself familiar - to varying degrees - with much of the superbly delivered soundtrack. It's all told via a rather apposite "confession" between Salieri and a priest who, as the story develops, struggles with his own faith and his belief that all sins can be forgiven. Perhaps some can't? The attention to detail here is fantastic: the sets, costumes and the location photography contribute hugely to the wonderfully rich look and feel of a film that just oozes style and confidence. Hulce's portrayal of the creative virtuoso as he descends into a maelstrom of misery is thoroughly convincing, and by the end - historical fact being adhered to, at least in this - I felt emotionally drained by the strength of these two tours de forces. A big screen with big sound is a must here, and I think you will find the three hours that this lasts will just fly by.
