may i be absolved of my mediocrity?
The titular Mozart plays the protagonist in Amadeus, but really, the movie was about his rival, Salieri. The narrative takes the form of a confession by the elderly Salieri to a priest about his purported murder of Mozart. Salieri, imbued with a hunger to write good music, becomes pious, celibate, and industrious so that God may speak through his music. Instead, Salieri sees God speaking through the music of the irreverent, womanising, and debaucherous Mozart; he then renounces his faith and vows to silence Mozart. This poignant tale of the hardworking and virtuous (albeit jealous) underdog (Salieri) being completely crushed by the talented good-for-nothing (Mozart) is something we can all relate to. Indeed, Salieri calls himself the patron-saint of mediocrity. While Salieri('s music) may have been entirely forgettable, Murray Abraham's portrayal of him was anything but. One of the best biopics I've watched.
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