4K Blu-Ray Review: Amadeus

The Film

Amadeus is a masterpiece. There isn't a single false note in it. Everything from the stupendous opening sequence, where Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) cries out for forgiveness in the dead of the night, to the monumental closing shot is perfect.

I've seen Amadeus nearly every year for the past 25 years. I was introduced to it in junior high, where our art teacher showed us a clip of Salieri going through Mozart's (Tom Hulce) sheets of music. We hear the music through his thoughts, and the pain of jealousy is so overwhelming he eventually can't even hold the sheets in his hands anymore. You could start Amadeus from any scene in the film and it would nail you in place. There would be no alternative than to finish watching, and then start over to see what you missed.

Directed by Milos Forman, who had already made a masterpiece in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, and who went on to make excellent films for the rest of his career, Amadeus stands tall as a high watermark in his filmography. Sadly, over the past few decades, we've had to contend with the lesser Director's Cut, which never was Forman's preferred version. Instead, the studio put it together as an opportunity to double dip on the film, and it took until now for the original – superior – cut to re-emerge.

This is a tighter, subtler, and more nuanced version of the story. If the Director's Cut were the only version to exist, Amadeus would simply be an excellent film. At almost a half hour shorter, it soars.

Presented here in the definitive format, it roars back to life, untouched by time. It is beyond a biopic or period drama. It is a portrait of losers, has-beens, the never-was, and the flickering moments of brilliance people remember throughout the ages. It says much about our failings as people, and even more about the corrupting power of ego and arrogance.

Video

Amadeus arrives on 4K as a pristine and gorgeous restoration thanks to the work of the George Lucas Family Foundation, The Saul Zentz Company, Teatro Della Pace Films, and The Film Foundation. Each of whom had a hand in bringing Amadeus back from the dead.

The restoration retains the gorgeous film grain, the slight softness of the vintage lenses used to shoot the film, and the sublime weight the natural lighting in 1980s Prague gives to the production. Every element of the frame is a beauty. Just watch how wonderfully the lens vignettes the snow in the opening rush through the town, or how the heavy costumes of the era stand out in texture in the crowd scenes.

HDR10 works wonders here, as well. Look at, for example, the final sequence where Salieri bids goodbye to his newfound disciples, and how the light from the outside cuts through the darkened hallways. Elsewhere, the sumptuous shadows and hazy shafts of rays frame the decadent lifestyle that Mozart leads in an attempt to escape his strict upbringing.

Amadeus is reference quality 4K work, and one of the greatest examples of how important physical media is for preserving works of art like this. It is essential viewing for everyone, everywhere.

Audio

Similarly, the audio track – a joyous Master Audio mix – is perfection. For a movie like this, nothing less would do, and the restoration team has created wonders.

It's a terrifically punchy and bombastic track, one that assaults the viewer in the best kind of way from the opening scene onward. For reference, check out any of the operas the film features heavily in the middle portion. Or, if you want something truly divine, skip right ahead to Don Giovanni and turn the dial way up.

Elsewhere, the audio work remains exquisite, as dialog is clear and beautifully mixed together. Crowd sequences stand out, but it's the city ambience that always brings a smile to my face, as it creates a perfectly immersive fantasy of a world hundreds of years in the past without ever sounding artificial.

Extras

Amadeus has seen numerous different DVD releases over the decades, each one loaded with extras and special additions. Here, they're cut down to just two, which feels like a travesty. Gone are the commentary tracks and music CD (which, I guess, is understandable considering the state of the world). Also gone are the trailers and isolated soundtrack, which is a bigger bummer, along with Forman's revelatory commentary.

What is left is a brand new featurette about the film and its legacy, as interviewed by the surviving cast and crew. Forman has sadly passed on, so it is left to the cast to do most of the heavy lifting. The result is a breezy and loving recollection of the film, yet very superficial and self-congratulatory. There isn't anything about the restoration work, either, which is a shame, as it remains one of the most fascinating parts of the new release.

The other extra is a far better documentary, about an hour long, from the 2002 DVD release. It's not quite as good as Forman's commentary, but it is revealing and full of juicy insight into crafting the film in a post-Soviet country where the political climate influenced every aspect of the work.

It's a shame that for an anniversary release, especially one with such a monumental restoration behind it, Amadeus is this light on extras. The two docs are good, make no mistake, but there must be more to be said about this classic.

Overall

Amadeus is a perfect movie and the audiovisual presentation matches it in every way. This is one of the finest examples of restoration work released on 4K, and an essential addition to the collection of every serious film fan.

The extras aren't as comprehensive as I'd like, and it's a true shame they've gone and removed the Forman commentary from the mix. But what is there is fine, and that's already better than most discs out on the market.

Despite some grievances, this is a must-buy release, one that is easy to recommend to everyone.