Forget Mozart

Stars: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Max Tidof, Catarina Raacke. Using some of the same sets and costumes as the 1984 masterpiece Amadeus, this low-budget film uses the old Hercule Poirot-gather-the-suspects-together-for-questioning routine as a police investigator grills six acquaintances of the recently deceased Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The increasingly obvious point of the film, as we learn through the character flashbacks, is that all of the principals contributed to the death of the brat genius. The brilliant portrayal of the rival between Mozart and court composer Salieri in Amadeus is here reduced to a piffling battle of the composers in front of the emperor and a duet where they play nude while naked classical groupies cavort in the background. An occasionally scratchy print and subtitles that every once in a while disappear into the candlelight don't help. Forget Mozart never achieves anywhere near the dramatic power of Amadeus, and too often substitutes a giggling topless maiden for any real exploration of Mozart's alleged womanizing (playfully and engagingly handled in Amadeus). In short, Forget Mozart is best forgotten. Audience: This could possibly generate some interest on the part of Amadeus fans, but beyond the sets and costumes there's no real comparison between this and the vastly superior Amadeus.