8.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Portrays the rivalry between the genius Mozart and the jealous court composer Salieri who may have shortened Mozart's life.
Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice, Simon CallowDrama | 100% |
Period | 64% |
Biography | 33% |
Music | 28% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.42:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, German SDH, Italian SDH, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 CD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
It's always a nerve-wracking experience to revisit former award winners and old personal favorites. Will an acclaimed masterpiece still pack the same punch it did twenty-five years ago? Will a nostalgic classic stir up the same feelings it once did? Will age leave a rousing drama with nothing more than dated performances and laughable production values? These are the questions I found myself asking as I removed Amadeus from its case and stared down at my Blu-ray player. Thankfully, all of my doubts and fears were put to rest within minutes; with each passing scene, director Milos Forman's staggering period biopic proved it deserved every Oscar it brought home, all the praise critics hurled its way, and every ounce of affection I've held for the film all these years.
Hulce's Mozart is a bumbling buffoon Abraham's Salieri is all too desperate to destroy...
Amadeus has endured its fair share of technical flops on home video. Early VHS copies didn't do the film's lavish production design or stunning cinematography justice, laserdisc failed to capture the details of Mozart's drunken exploits, and more recent DVD editions were littered with digital clutter, muddy colors, and murky details. For the most part, Warner rights these previous wrongs with an impressive 1080p/VC-1 transfer that outshines every other release of the film to date. Colors are richer, blacks are deeper (albeit slightly inconsistent from scene to scene), contrast is far more stable, and skintones are finally natural and lifelike. Delineation is still problematic in a few passing shots, but detail has received a significant bump in overall clarity and texture definition. Fabric and hair are crisp, edges are sharp, and background elements are refined. Moreover, the image doesn't suffer from rampant artifacting, source noise, or heavy banding. While I caught sight of some grain spiking, the print has been cleaned up quite well.
The only downside? Overzealous post-processing. Not only has digital noise reduction (DNR) been applied to the transfer, but edge enhancement has been peppered in to compensate for its ill-effects. While the artificial sharpening does firm up object edges (at the cost of injecting distracting halos into the proceedings), it fails to conceal the waxy close-ups, hazy textures, and intermittent motion smearing caused by the noise reduction. With some old fashioned love and affection, Amadeus could have remained faithful to its source and reaped the benefits of a high-def upgrade. Unfortunately, shortcuts were taken and the resulting picture falls short of its potential. The transfer may be strong enough to please DVD owners and satisfy fans of the film, but it simply doesn't reach the bar set by the best catalog transfers on the market.
Warner's rich Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track improves matters, overcoming the film's age with resounding reproductions of Mozart's most stirring music. Violins croon their melodies in the center channel, slowly spreading their song across the soundfield as a resonant classical hall is painstakingly crafted before you. As their shrill cries grow louder, cellos bloom in their midst, giving way to the light wheen of bassoons and flutes fluttering across the soundstage. The trump of horns emerge from every direction as the rear speakers hurl the mounting whirlwind of sound around the listener with calculated abandon. Without warning, the entire orchestra erupts in a crescendoed flurry of instruments vying for your attention. Low-end tones rumble across the floor, treble tones are clean and steady, and meticulous prioritization preserves the slightest oboe in the storm of trumpets and timpani swirling around your home theater. Make no mistake, every time Mozart's compositions dominate the soundstage, Amadeus aggressively peddles its sonic wares to anyone willing to listen.
Of course, it's deflating anytime the music subsides since the rest of the film offers little more than conversational chit-chat and subtle environmental ambience. Don't get me wrong, dialogue is perfectly intelligible and well balanced, interior acoustics are realistic and convincing, and fidelity is quite commendable for a twenty-five year-old film... it's just that it all seems a bit uninvolving compared to the enveloping orchestral sequences. Uneven experience aside, Amadeus sounds great for a catalog classic and will exceed most viewers' expectations.
Arriving in one of the more handsome Digibook cases I've seen, the 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Amadeus includes all of the substantial special features from its 2002 Director's Cut DVD counterpart, an extended version of the film, a bonus compilation CD that contains some of Mozart's finest music, and a Digital Copy for good measure. While the supplemental package only consists of a documentary and a commentary, the features' extensive and informative nature, the inclusion of the hour-long audio CD, and the quality of the 36-page production booklet make this release well worth its cost.
If you've never seen Amadeus, shut down your computer, make your way to a local video store, and rent a copy ASAP. It's a wonderfully acted, beautifully shot, and meticulously designed period classic that still holds up today. The Blu-ray edition is a great place to start. While its video transfer could have been more faithful to its source, it still offers a substantial upgrade over previous releases. Add to that an immersive lossless audio track, an engaging collection of special features, and an attractive digibook that includes an hour-long audio CD is sure to please newcomers and longtime fans alike. What more are you waiting for?
1984
Director's Cut
1984
Director's Cut | Academy Awards O-Sleeve
1984
Director's Cut
1984
2007
2001
1994
1987
Director's Edition | The Bootleg Cut
2000
2004
Election Year Edition
1995
2013
1985
Gainsbourg: Vie héroïque
2010
2007
Signature Edition
1948
2010-2013
2007
1986
1978
2008
1997
1982
2016