Thursday, February 7, 2013

"Amadeus"



In accordance with my recent classical music/piano fever, I watched "Amadeus" the other day. Didn't realize this movie is almost 30 years old and I never had a chance to watch it! Makes me wonder which part was historically accurate... What about Wolfie's -not sure if it's his real nickname - high-pitched obnoxious laughs and innocent devilish behaviors?  This kind of super genius' having these helpless flaws is such an irony but that makes him a human I guess. I wonder if Salieri really called him "a little dirty creature".

The story goes on as Antonio Salieri's tale, who was depicted to be so incredibly jealous of Mozart's talent. I read that there WAS a conflict between Salieri and Mozart followed by some rumors and scandals including Salieri's poisoning Mozart to death. The truth remains a mystery that just stimulates our imagination. With full of irony, humor, passion, jealousy, sorrow and insanity, this movie captures our mind and makes us wonder about life and want to talk about it on and on.  

Great casting too. Very charming Tom Hulce & Elizabeth Berridge as Mr.&Mrs. Mozart in contrast to F. Murray Abraham as a very uptight snob, conflicting Salieri.

Life as a genius must be tough and life being jealous of a genius must be a torture.  

Wonder what other great movies themed on artists and musicians in this era are out there.


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最近のクラシック音楽&ピアノ熱につられて、先日『アマデウス』を観ました。考えてみたら30年も前の映画なんですね。なのに今まで見る機会がなかった。歴史的にはどの辺が正しいんだろう。ウルフィー(っていうのもほんとの愛称なんだろうか)のあの甲高いお下品な笑い声やイノセントでやんちゃな振る舞いなんかは本当なのかな。こんな天才がこんなにどうしようもない欠陥持ちなのはなんとも皮肉なことだけど、人間だもの、ということでしょうか。サリエリはほんとにモーツアルトのことを「小汚いちっぽけな生き物」なんて呼んでたのかな。

さて、ストーリーは、サリエリ(モーツアルトの才能に限りなく嫉妬する様子が描かれている)により語られる。 サリエリとモーツアルトが対立していたのは事実らしく、現に、サリエリがモーツアルトを毒殺した、など、数々の噂やスキャンダルが取り沙汰されていたらしい。事実が分からないところに想像力をくすぐられます。皮肉とユーモアと情熱と嫉妬と哀しみと狂気でいっぱいのこの映画は観る者の心をつかみ、語りたくなる衝動を掻き立てます。

キャストもステキ。モーツアルト夫妻を演じるチャーミングなトム・ハルスとエリザベス・ベリッジに対して、とても保守的なスノッブ、葛藤のサリエリを演じるF・マーリー・エイブラハム。

天才の人生は大変に違いない。と同時に、天才に嫉妬する人生は拷問に違いない。

他にもこの時代のアーティストや音楽家を取り上げたいい映画はあるかなあ。

6 comments:

  1. Oh, how very European is the film! The trailer truly is great. It reminds me a lot about some Russian costume movies of the corresponding period! Thank you for sharing this, I have to watch it too.

    As for the Mozart and Salieri, I'm mostly acquainted to the poisoning theory, because of Pushkin's eponymous tragedy and an opera, based on his text.

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  2. Oh wow! It could be true then. Interesting. Yes, please watch and let me know what you think.

    Speaking of Russian novels, I've been watching the new tv series, the Japanese version of "The Brothers Karamazov"(Братья Карамазовы) now, making me want to read the original book.

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  3. Could you please give me a link to that TV series about "The Brothers Karamazov"? I'm really interested who the Japanese director sees this novel.

    Once I read Takeo Arishima's novel "Woman". It reminded me a lot of "Anna Karenina", I can hardly understand why. But it is really amazing to recognize such parallels in foreign literature.

    By the way, if possible, please read the Japanese translation of "The Brothers Karamazov". English translations are not very accurate in stylistics of the language. Usually, Dostoevsky looks rather plain in English. May be Japanese translators "feel" this author better.

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    Replies
    1. Here's the link: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/brothers_karamazov/index.html

      Yes, I will be reading it in Japanese. I agree with you.
      There are some areas, which may be something very Japanese, that I find extremely hard or impossible to express in English. It's interesting you saw the parallels between "Woman" and "Anna Karenina". Oh, I watched "Anna Karenina" movie the other day but maybe the same thing happened there too. It was too Hollywood-y or I don't know. I didn't think it was good.

      I also watched "My Blueberry Nights" and I was like... "mmmm, not quite....
      Wong Kar-wai world doesn't seem to work very well in an American way...?

      Anyhow, let me know if you have any new discovery!

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  4. You know, I watched "My Blueberry Nights" as it is, it's very light, not as deep as usual Kar-wai films, but still very beautiful. Very easy movie ;)

    If you are lucky to find Russian "Anna Karenina" of 1967, please, watch it. It's perfect, very emotional, very close to the text. And the actors are just amazing.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. Hope I can find it with a Japanese subtitle.

      I liked the movie until Vegas.
      I don't know maybe I'm just tired of the movie located in Vegas.... :P

      Will share more movies soon again.
      Hope they will interest you.

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