Amadeus (1984)

Amadeus is a 1984 American period drama film directed by Miloš Forman. Peter Shaffer adapted it from his 1979 stage play, inspired by Alexander Pushkin's 1830 play Mozart and Salieri. Shaffer described it as a "fantasia on [a real-life] theme", as it imagines a orchestral rivalry between two 18th-century Vienna composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Salieri struggles to reconcile his professional admiration and jealous hatred for Mozart, and resolves to ruin Mozart's career as his form of vengeance against God.

Amadeus received its world premiere in Los Angeles on September 6, 1984. It was released by Orion Pictures thirteen days later to widespread critical acclaim and box office success, grossing over $90 million. It was nominated for 53 awards and won 40, including 8 Academy Awards (including Best Picture), four BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama). Abraham and Hulce were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, with Abraham winning. In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked it 53rd on its 100 Years... 100 Movies list. In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".