For this film adaptation of Peter Shaffers Broadway hit, director Milos Forman returned to the city of Prague that hed left behind during the Czech political crises of 1968, bringing along his usual cinematographer and fellow Czech expatriate, Miroslav Ondricek. Amadeus is an expansion of a Viennese urban legend concerning the death of 18th-century musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From the vantage point of an insane asylum, aging royal composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) recalls the events of three decades earlier, when the young Mozart (Tom Hulce) first gained favor in the court of Austrian emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). Salieri was incensed that God would bless so vulgar and obnoxious a young snipe as Mozart with divine genius. Why was Salieri–so disciplined, so devoted to his art, and so willing to toady to his superiors–not touched by God? Unable to match Mozarts talent, Salieri uses his influence in court to sabotage the young upstarts career. Disguising himself as a mysterious benefactor, Salieri commissions the backbreaking Requiem, which eventually costs Mozart his health, wealth, and life. Among the films many pearls of dialogue, the best line goes to the Emperor, who rejects a Mozart composition on the grounds that it has too many notes. Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham. In 2002, the film received a theatrical re-release as Amadeus: The Directors Cut, a version that includes 20 minutes of additional footage.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide