QWhy is this film titled with Mozart's supposed middle name?
A"Amadeus" wasn't really Mozart's middle name, which is the author's (Peter Shaffer's) first goof regarding the title. The second goof is that Shaffer makes the proposition that the name "Amadeus" means "beloved of God," connecting to Salieri's belief that Mozart is God's instrument. The proposition, however, is inaccurate, as "Amadeus" is more accurately translated to mean "loves God."
QWhat are the differences between the theatrical version and the Director's Cut of the movie?
AMilos Forman's famous biopic has been released as a Director's Cut on DVD that runs approx. 20 minutes longer and features several extended plot sequences with a more or less sexual undertone but there are also "normal" scenes that have been trimmed for the theatrical version. A detailed comparison between both versions with pictures can be found here.
QWas Salieri a real person or just made up for the movie?
AThis just goes to show that Salieri (played by F. Murray Abraham) was right, that he would be forgotten while the upstart Mozart (played by Tom Hulce) would be written in history. Yes, Antonio Salieri [1750-1825] was a real person, an Italian composer and conductor. As the Austrian imperial Kapellmeister from 1788 to 1824, he was one of the most important and famous musicians of his time. However, as near as it's possible to tell, he was not out to kill Mozart. Although they competed for some commissions, all indications are that they had a friendly relationship. Salieri lent Mozart court manuscripts and even tutored one of his sons. He was an important and sought after teacher, and his most famous pupils include Beethoven, Schubert, and Liszt.
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