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Bookmark this page50 greatest music films ever
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| Perfectly composed: Tom Hulce (right) as Mozart in 'Amadeus' |
30 Amadeus
(Milos Forman, 1984)
Milos
Forman opened out Peter Shaffer’s play with an all-American naturalism
that left some spectators missing the original’s stylised
gossips-cum-Greek chorus, the venticelli. The basic lack of historical
empathy remains: Shaffer seems to regard young Mozart as a freak by the
standards of Home Counties tennis-playing A-level sitters; Forman makes
him a mischievously foul-mouthed American high-school senior. Neither
takes into account the child prodigy trotted round the courts of Europe
by his proud father, performing before royalty when tiny, and when
necessary perfectly sophisticated in polite society (and there was none
more rigidly, formally polite than the ancien régime).
Both
film and original play underline the inexplicable ‘otherness’ of
genius, seen as an arbitrary gift dished out by a capricious deity,
irrespective of the artist’s personal worth. It’s a view much favoured
by the Romantics and heaven-sent for the movies that create heroes
apart, alone, obsessed, dashingly irresistible, sometimes shocking but
ultimately justified by harnessing a God-given talent to a good cause
(or phantasmagorical look-at-me naughtiness as recycled over the years
by perpetual enfant terrible Ken Russell). Examples include the ripely
florid posturing of ‘A Song to Remember’, climaxing when the tubercular
Chopin haemorrhages blood on the keyboard as he plays his heart out.
Charles Vidor’s 1944 slice of Polish patriotism was taken dead
seriously despite the presence of Merle Oberon as George Sand striding
around in the male garb that concealed her throbbing femininity. By a
strange quirk, the same director’s attempt to repeat the formula 16
years later, with ‘Song Without End’ presented Capucine as Liszt’s
innamorata giving the impression of a rather masculine identity beneath
the frills. This added to the improbability of the whole ludicrous mess
despite Dirk Bogarde having learned the fingering for the piano pieces
(the soundtrack was actually by Cuban pianist Jorge Bolet).
At
least he refrained from laying his head on the piano as he played,
rather a difficult feat though creditably managed by Gary Oldman in
‘Immortal Beloved’. Bernard Rose’s Beethoven biopic was underrated; in
comparison with the recent, crass ‘Copying Beethoven’ it’s a
masterpiece. The deaf dynamo is inevitably presented as an outsider but
explicably so, with some sort of explanation for personality defects
laid at the fashionable door of childhood abuse. There’s real musical
appreciation here, a sense of occasion at the climactic performance of
the Choral Symphony that, even with the Disneyfication of the starry
heavens twinkling above, leaves you moved. Perhaps the moral is to stop
nudging the audience in the ribs with the behavioural aberrations of
the so-called genius (a bit of a challenge with the humdrum domesticity
of Bach, say) and let the art do the talking. Martin Hoyle
Greatest hit The
brattish Mozart plays a piece by his older rival Salieri, distorting
it, mocking it and turning it into his own much better version, ending
by blowing a raspberry – so good they filmed it twice: see the recent
‘Copying Beethoven’.
Top 50 index | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-6 | 5-1
Author: Dave Calhoun. Written by Derek Adams, Geoff Andrew, Dave Calhoun, Wally Hammond, Michael Hodges, Martin Horsfield, Martin Hoyle, David Jenkins, Trevor Johnston, Eddy Lawrence, Sharon O'Connell, Chris Parkin, Graeme Thomson, Peter Watts
User comments on this story
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- Vince said...
- this list is horse shit, wot's the deal, because the brits hate the irish you can't out "the commitments" or "once" up in the top 50? and did you forget about a movie one of your own made called "the wall"? and the number one film listed is a bloody movie about the world's worst singer karen carpenter? wot the hell???? Posted on Oct 06 2007 05:04
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- Massimo said...
- The worst movie ever, with the best soundtrack ever: Streets of Fire! Posted on Oct 05 2007 20:53
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- vagabondjohn said...
- What? No "Sunshine Daydream" or "Renaldo and Clara"? But at least "Be Here To Love Me" broke the top ten... Posted on Oct 05 2007 20:43
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- Marc said...
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...and that Carpenters film told with dolls is better than "The Kids Are Alright"?
Man, April Fools Day comes earlier every year. Posted on Oct 05 2007 17:39 - Report as inappropriate
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- kanchi said...
- RISE ABOVE - THE TRIBE 8 STORY directed by TRACY FLANNIGAN this is such a cool film about the lesbian punk band from california who are on the dead kennedys label - alternative tenticles. even if u don't like their music it is a well-made, interesting and inspiring film. i was sad (but not suprised) to see this (and other riot grrl/ women in music etc) films missing from the list. is it still uncool to be a feminist? Posted on Oct 05 2007 16:19
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- Matthew W said...
- Some amazing films here but c'mon, you're just trying to get a rise out of us with Superstar at No 1. What about Rockers, Stardust & That'll be the Day, Quadropeinia, Woodstock, (Slade in) Flame? Posted on Oct 05 2007 14:15
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- jules henry said...
- What about Babylon (1980)? Posted on Oct 05 2007 13:37
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- steven menkin said...
- What? Where is The Great Rock & Roll Swindle Posted on Oct 05 2007 13:30
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- Matt said...
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anyone any ideas on how I could find a copy of "So You wanna be a rock 'n' roll star?", or will I have to wait until it comes back on BBC four?
any help would be much appreciated.
cheers. Posted on Oct 05 2007 12:35 - Report as inappropriate
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- monkeystar said...
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I dont want to be funny but how could you leave out The Blues Brothers??? Really, with Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, James Brown and all the other superstars, this is one of the best films about a band and top music ever..
MS Posted on Oct 05 2007 12:30 - Report as inappropriate
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- Matt said...
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anyone any ideas on how I could find a copy of this film, or will I have to wait until it comes back on BBC four?
any help would be much appreciated.
cheers. Posted on Oct 04 2007 13:50 - Report as inappropriate
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