Amadeus

Follow the life of Wolfgang A. Mozart, through the eyes of his rival and contemporary Antonio Salieri. The plot is driven by Salieri's jealousy of Mozart's talent. Salieri's attempted suicide lands him in a sanetorium. A priest visits him to hear his confession, and gets an earful as Salieri confesses to lifelong jealousy, behind-the-scenes backstabbing and possibly the murder of Mozart. Through Salieri's eyes we learn of Mozart's prodigious childhood, the control his father excercized on his life, his marriage to Constance and his fancy for wine, women and song. We also get an excellent lesson in the twists and turns of Mozart's career from court composer, folk opera composer, and his genius in composition. We see first-hand how Mozart is plagued by the "child star" syndrome; after a famous and successful childhood, Mozart is ill-equipped to handle the pressures of adulthood. In the end, Constance leaves Mozart out of frustration, only to return to find Salieri, whom she has never trusted, helping a very sick Mozart finish a commissioned requiem, in hopes of benefiting himself. While Mozart is, at times, presented as a caricature, it teaches much about this man, his music, and his life.