This week's featured film for Hit me with your best shot is one of the most beloved Oscar sweepers of all time - Milos Forman's "Amadeus". This resplendent film earned every one of its 8 statues, especially those related to its exquisite period detail. It's truly a scrumptious film to look at and it also features fine performances from F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce as the rival composers (Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart respectively) whose lives form the basis of this historical drama. For my best shot then, I decided to focus on the main stimulus of the plot - the prodigious talent of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Click below for my favorite shot...
My chosen shot comes from a scene where Mozart gladly entertains a crowd of fans and their various musical requests. In this particular instance he's asked to play a piece while upside down/backwards and of course, he executes it flawlessly and carelessly with that boyish grin on his face. As Salieri looks on in disgust, it's a scene that make you feel tremendous empathy for our tormented lead character (Salieri). Being a former piano student myself, I know the level of dedication and discipline required to master the craft. So to see Mozart being so nonchalant in his brilliance makes me fully understand Salieri's contempt. It brings such truth to Salieri's final scene, when he declares himself the champion and patron saint of mediocrities everywhere.
