Amadeus

Amadeus

1984:

• January: The Macintosh personal computer goes on sale
• April: Researchers in the United States announce their discovery of the AIDS virus
  
• November: Band Aid records ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

Trivia:

When presenting the Best Picture award to Amadeus, Laurence Olivier simply walked up to the podium, opened the envelope and read the winner; he neglected to read the list of nominees first.

Will:

Amadeus is a triumph. It is a film that is full of energy and excitement, colour and character. The central performances from Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham, as Mozart and Salieri, seem effortless in their humour and nuance; they are the jewel in the metaphorical crown. I couldn’t help being dazzled and exuberantly intoxicated by it, as Mozart is by Vienna. Amadeus willingly swept me up with its virtuoso story-telling and comedy.

Rating: 9/10

Mark:

One of the joys of watching every Best Picture is that sometimes you come across a film you wish you’d seen many times before. Amadeus is such a film. Funny, interesting and tense; it tells a brilliant story of creative genius and the emotions that such creativity sparks in others. An absolute triumph and a film I will certainly watch again.

Rating: 9/10

Combined rating: 9/10

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