MovieChat Forums > Amadeus (1984) Discussion > Little things you notice on repeat viewi...

Little things you notice on repeat viewings..*might contain spoilers*


First, allow me to say that I hate how IMDB removed so many great threads especially on this board. I remember having some great and in-depth discussions about this movie with the fellow users but they are all gone:|

Okay, small things I noticed but of by no means small significance I'd like to share:

1.the medallion Emperor Joseph awarded Salieri in the "best opera yet written" scene. Salieri had been wearing it from that moment until the very end when he was old and grey. It was by then the only thing he had to prove his glory.

2.Salieri's butler when he introduced Constanze the second time. You can tell he was displeased with his master but somewhat tried to hide it. But you see the struggle.

3. At the beginning when Sarieli started playing Eine kleine Nachtmusik after the priest failed to recognize his music, you can see from the look of the priest'e eyes that he recognized it after the first three notes. That's how catchy Mozart's music is. :D


4. After playing Sarieli's little march on the piano Mozart bursted out the "laugh". You see the Emperor standing right next to him fliched by the surprise.

5.When Katerina was first introduced in the movie, Salieri totally missed her hand when he greeted her.

6.At the masquerade ball, Salieri was carefulling examing the roasted cow/or some meat right before he was startled by Mozart's laugh.

7.Not a small thing to be exact. But Kappelmeister Bonno(a performance by Patrick Hines btw) looks like Krang from teenage mutant ninja turtles.

8.When Mozart snuck out of his house to have a little party with Schikaneder and some women performers. The tunes they played on the piano were all from "the magic flute". And when the overture was played, Schikaneder started puppeteering a skull to sing.

9.Pretty obvious, as the story goes on, Mozart's costumes, especially his wigs change from light to dark, a reflection of his life going downhill.

10. I can't believe it took me so many viewings to realize that "queen of the night" was actually in English and is slightly slower than the other versions I've listened to. I'm a bit confused as to why. You see the Don Giovanni scene was in Italian.

11. As Mozart was being carried out of the theatre during "the magic flute", you see the cloud and sky background used for "queen of the night", and 3 boys with in angel wings.

There are more of course. I'll add them later when I finish the movie for the 700th time. I'd love to hear what you guys noticed during watching the movie:}

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Good stuff, man!

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Agreed - very good observations. I saw the film for the very first time tonight, and I'm already looking forward to a 2nd viewing. That, for me, is VERY rare.

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[deleted]

Why does IMDB delete threads?
There have been really good threads with no fighting or anything in other movies that are gone.
why is that?

One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.

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I think the IMDB staffs delete threads that haven't been active for a while to save space on their website.

It's sad I know. There used to be so many in-depth discussions about this movie as well as others. All gone.. :(

The best way to try and save the good threads is to keep them somewhat active I guess..

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[deleted]

There's another one I thought of quite a while ago but never took the time to write down.

When Mozart tells Salieri that he threw the "Figaro" score into the fire and that Constanze pulled it out in time, take note of how Salieri says "Thank God." It's very, very dry but dripping with irony at the same time.

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[deleted]

In that precise moment Salieri, a religious man, is thinking about HIS OWN damnation, deserved for what he is doing to Mozart.



Well I think quite the contrary. Salieri is hardly a "religious" man up to this point. He's been defying God ever since Mozart came along.

When Mozart asks the quetion, as being very sick, he is obviously thinking about th possibility of being burned forever for all those responsibilities he has neglected in life, especially those to his father. When Salieri answers "yes" he is yelling queitly in his heart "Of course! Don't you see that this is exactly what I have been suffering - being burned by the fire of jealous that never dies? I am living in hell before I even die!"

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[deleted]

but I don't think this is mutually exclusive with my interpretation



Sure. And that's just another proof how rich the film is.

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When Salieri answers "yes" he is yelling queitly in his heart "Of course! Don't you see that this is exactly what I have been suffering - being burned by the fire of jealous that never dies? I am living in hell before I even die!"


Absolutely. This is exactly the way I've always interpreted Salieri's response. He's been consumed with jealousy and hatred ever since he met Mozart.

I don't think Salieri, at that time, was remotely thinking about going to hell for what he was doing to Mozart, he was too tortured by his own inadequacies and blinded by ambition.

The idea of having to 'pay for his sins' came later, when he was an old man.

What interests me is that Salieri was familiar with Mozart's music, long before he encountered him. Prior to meeting Mozart, he seemed fine - not at all tormented by the other's genius. It was only once he met Mozart that the "madness" began. It was the idea that God could give this genius to a "dirty minded creature" that so repelled Salieri - NOT that someone else was inherently more talented, but that that talent should belong to someone he found so offensive.


So put some spice in my sauce, honey in my tea, an ace up my sleeve and a slinkyplanb

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What interests me is that Salieri was familiar with Mozart's music, long before he encountered him. Prior to meeting Mozart, he seemed fine - not at all tormented by the other's genius. It was only once he met Mozart that the "madness" began. It was the idea that God could give this genius to a "dirty minded creature" that so repelled Salieri - NOT that someone else was inherently more talented, but that that talent should belong to someone he found so offensive.


Now this leads to the very meaning of this film: What is the purpose of talents? Salieri believes that talents are created by God to sing God's high glory on the earth, while the talent of Mozart clearly defies this notion. It is like God shouting at the face of Salieri: Why do I want you to celebrate me, you moron? Celebrat love, and youth, and life. That's the best thing you can do with your telent. That's the reason I endow this extreme talent into this exteremly little man, because he konw how to make the best use of it.

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Interesting thread.

As a character study and an exploration of genius and creativity, this movie is beyond parallel.


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I really love point number 1 (I read them all, honestly!) Such a great detail and you're right, he's always wearing it. I've never noticed before!

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It's the second time i'm watching it I realized that Amadeus is the only wig-wearing male character that changes wig various times, whether the other wig-wearing male charcters use the same wig in the entire movie.
Is this a way to enhance the frivolous and childish person Mozart is?

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I noticed that in some of the scenes when Salieri is talking to the priest at night, half of his face is dark i.e. the lighting only shows on side of his face. Perhaps it was to show his incompleteness or his dual nature: he came off as a perfect gentleman but he had dark thoughts; he also acted as Mozart's friend but sought to destroy him behind his back.

A previous poster mentioned Mozart's wardrobe changing for light to dark to signify his downward spiral. Salieri's clothes however remain mostly the same. In a way this may reflect his stagnation. He does not "change" and this leads to his own downfall.

I noticed and felt that this movie was also advocating the idea that one should not be afraid to "think outside the box". It made me think when watching the film just now that perhaps Mozart's genius was not only his innate musical ability but also his willingness to push boundaries and bring something new to the table. This was something that Salieri throughout the whole film never tried to do. Salieri was so fixated on the idea that Mozart was better that he did not try to think outside the box.

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Thank you, very clever analysis, but I don't recall any scene when Salieri talks to a priest AT NIGHT, but I's probably just me, it's been only like 50 days since last time I watched it it and I'm starting to don't remember it, great... this is the definitive proof that I have the memory of a goldfish.

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NAAAT!

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The priest was in Salieri's hospital room from the morning he arrived until the next daybreak. It took Salieri that long to confess his story.

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