At the risk of beating this topic to death, I need to report that there's
more--literally--to "Amadeus" coming up.  My morning paper contains an
interview with Milos Forman, who's putting the finishing touches on a
new and expanded "Director's Cut" DVD of the Mozart/Salieri film.  The
new version contains new music tracks, digitally recorded in Dolby 5.1
surround, plus 20 minutes of restored cuts that follow the original
shooting sequence.  In his interview, Forman says that when "Amadeus"
was ready for release, MTV had burst on the scene, and distributors were
nervous about a long film "about composers in wigs." So, in his words,
the film was "cut back to the bone."

Now, with the passage of time, the capabilities of the DVD format, and the
encouragement of producer Saul Zaentz (who won an Oscar for "The English
Patient"), he went back and reassembled the film the way it was originally
written and shot.  The updated version runs just under three hours (2 hrs.,
58 min.), and, according to Forman, rounds out the drama by fleshing out
the two protagonists.  Salieri has several more scenes, including a
seduction and humiliation of Constanze that earns this edition an "R"
rating, a change from the PG-13 of the original..  Mozart is depicted
giving piano lessons to a bunch of barking dogs, and several lines of
dialogue are restored to both composers.

While acknowledging the risks of slowing down the action, Forman
believes the additions bring the final product closer to what he and Peter
Shaffer had in mind.  For what it's worth, one critic who sat through the
update--Glenn Lovell of the San Jose Mercury News--describes it as a mixed
bag--definitely more bloated, ponderous and slower in pace than the
original, but enhanced by the fresh print and digital soundtrack.

Now for those who didn't like "Amadeus" in any of its previous packages,
let me suggest that there's much worse out there.  If you really want
to torture your worst enemy, why not set up a worst-of Ken Russell film
festival, and make them sit through "Lisztomania," followed by "The Music
Lovers," and, for dessert, "Salome's Last Dance." That unfortunate trio
set the cause of music on film back far worse than anything related to
"Amadeus," "Immortal Beloved," or "Bride of the Wind." As for me, I plan to
take at least a trial rental run at the new (and improved?) "Amadeus" when
it hits the stores at the end of this summer.

Dick Claeys
[log in to unmask]

 [Oh, damn, another version I'll have to buy.  They have this racket
 down, don't they?  I should also point out that I saw an ad today for
 a theatrical release of this version of Amadues opening today in a
 limited number of locations nationwide (U.S. that is).  So, this may
 be our very last chance to see Amadeus on the big screen.  -Dave]