Mozart: The Great Mass DVD

Advantages: Bright, colourful, gripping story
Disadvantages: May seem dated, purely fictional story

...film, but instead 'a new work, another fulfilment of the same impulse which had created the original.' And it does this. The storyline is similar to the original, but with additions rather than edits. Antonio Salieri is an old man, visited in an asylum by a young vicar. As he is dying, to this young innocent audience Salieri pours out his sins in his final confession… who killed Mozart? How? Why did they do it? The plot is clever and has surprising twists. It is a great cinematic tragedy that ends (famously) with the untimely and surprising death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, complete with pauper's grave, pouring rain, and the dramatic 'Requiem Mass for the dead' bringing it all together. * * * * * It is always difficult to write a review without giving away too much of the story… Wolfgang Mozart is played by Tom Hulce (who also appeared... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Superb music, script, sets, acting
Disadvantages: None

...for the opportunity to worship God through music, praying for a sign – even offering his chastity and industry to God if he should grant this deepest wish. Taking the sudden death of his father to be that sign, he set off to Vienna to begin his musical career and eventually become the court composer to Emperor Joseph II (played by Jeffrey Jones). Despite Salieri’s great admiration of Mozart he had never met him. Anxious to do so he attended a performance at the residence of Mozart’s employer, where he tried to guess which one of the many men in the room had been granted this talent. In a side room he voyeuristically sees an uncouth young man frolicking with a lady friend. This may have been a thrill to him until music can be heard in the background and the man gets up hurriedly and says “my music, they’ve started without me”. At this point Salieri... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Stunning music, script, story , acting and cinematography
Disadvantages: 8 Oscars - So what could possibly be wrong?

...The title refers to Antonio Salieri (played by F. Murray Abraham who won best actor) , the narrator in flashback , of this stunning 1984 film directed by Milos Forman, winning of eight academy awards , including best picture. Based on Peter Shaffer’s play with a superb score of Mozart and Salieri music performed by Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted and supervised by Sir Neville Mariner. I am reviewing this because I purchased it from Amazon (9.99 GBP) on DVD. The DVD is a two sider which includes copious production notes, biographies and a music only soundtrack. It runs for around two and half hours, an absolute bargain. The story is told as a confession by Salieri to the priest in the asylum where he now housed. He tells of how he was court composer, but his position was threatened by the upstart hooligan Mozart... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful