A lavish, fictionalised account of the bitter rivalry between composers Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) and upstart prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) in 18th-century Vienna. The film unfolds as a dramatic confession where the aging Salieri, once a respected court composer, recounts his envious obsession with Mozart, a man whose divine musical talent is matched only by his vulgarity. As Mozarts fame grows and his personal life unravels, Salieri positions himself as both benefactor and saboteur, plotting the younger man’s downfall while being consumed by admiration and resentment. The film, newly restored and presented on 4K, won eight Academy Awards including Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham’s devastating portrayal of a man whose appreciation of Mozart’s genius made a mockery of his own modest success.

Notes by David O’Mahony