15 Major Historical Inaccuracies That Undermine Famous Movies
4. Amadeus Is Ridiculously Unfair On Antonio Salieri
Amadeus, the 1984 Best Picture winner, is an interesting and enjoyable drama film, although the play it's based on is considerably superior. It's worth seeing, but in terms of historical accuracy it is complete bulls**t.
It is true that the circumstances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's early death are unknown and often mythologized, but he definitely wasn't killed by Antonio Salieri, who was also a well-known composer at the time.
The film (and play) depict Antonio Salieri as so intensely jealous of Mozart that he puts in motion a plot to destroy Mozart that eventually leads to Mozart's death. One can't help but feel sorry for Salieri, as he really wasn't the villain he's depicted as in this film and his reputation has likely suffered given how much he is associated with this fictionalization.
Historical records indicate the two composers, although they had a rivalry, were respectful of each other and Salieri even tutored Mozart's son in music. It is a fascinating fictional story, but it was odd to take a real historical composer and make him the villain when there is simply no evidence of such events taking place. A more logical approach would've been to use a fictional composer or a conglomeration of different historical figures.