Is this as good as Amadeus?

This is a better than average film, but Amadeus is a gem. It deservedly won the Best Picture prize of 1984 against great competition-for instance, A Passage To India, Places In The Heart, A Soldier's Story (also starring Howard Rollins, Jr.), and The Killing Fields. And Amadeus is listed on the American Film Institute's roster of the all-time greatest films made in the twentieth century, proof of its worthiness. Ragtime, although very well done, has been forgotten by most film fans and is not considered to be among the two-time Academy-award winner Director Milos Forman's five finest. These would have to be One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (#20 on the AFI list), Amadeus (#77), The People vs. Larry Flynt (which did not win any Oscars because it was too controversial), Valmont (a different version of Dangerous Laisions, with Colin Firth in the John Malkovich role, hence the title), and the groundbreaking 1970s musical Hair.

Forman does have an audio commentary track on the Ragtime DVD, however, which indicates that he is proud of the work he did, particularly with the legendary James Cagney. Ragtime deserves a wider audience: it was not for nothing that this film was nominated for eight Oscars. Although believable in the plum part of the dazzling Evelyn Nesbit, McGovern (who won raves as a cross between Liz Taylor and Lady Di) was clearly outshone by the great Cagney and the terrific Howard Rollins, Jr. I was not surprised when the under-rated Rollins later gave an even better performance in A Soldier's Story, which was nominated for three Academy awards and lost all of them. What a pity he was not nominated for Best Actor in Ragtime. His was clearly the starring role.

It is very beautiful to look at and it has a very lovely soundtrack, but it might have done better as a mini-series. The time restraints of a feature film meant that several important subplots had to be left out, which disturbed the finely balanced structure of Doctorow's original story, (the title being a reference to the musical genre and to the harmonic interplay of the individual storylines) ... this meant that the Coalhouse Walker story completely dominated the second half of the film to its detriment...but certainly worth a look for its fine acting, beautiful photography and music, and great sets and costumes.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.

not even close

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

No, it most definitely not in the same league as "Amadeus". It is a good film but there are elements that were glossed over, unexplained and puzzling.

Amadeus is, perhaps, a little more entertaining or easy-to-watch, but Ragtime is, I would argue, deeper and more rewarding. It's pretty much even between the two (I'd actually rank both ahead of Cuckoo's Nest).

It's better. "Amadeus" portrayed Mozart as a giggling idiot savant, a cartoon character, which is absurd.