Casting the Coveted 'Amadeus' Roles
(Stephen Farber, The New York Times)
Two of the most coveted film roles of the decade ā the parts of Mozart and Salieri in the screen version of Peter Shaffer's play ''Amadeus'' ā have gone to two actors who are barely familiar to most moviegoers.
In explaining his casting choices, Mr. Forman said first of all that he felt major stars in the roles would work against credibility. On the other hand, he said, ''nonprofessional actors wouldn't do. I considered musicians for the role of Mozart, but the demands of the role were too great and I needed an experienced actor.''
In working together in Prague, where most of the film was shot over a six-month period, the two actors began to feel a bit of the same jealousy that infected the relationship of Mozart and Salieri. ''Occasionally Murray and I would go out and drink this terrible sweet champagne that they have in Prague,'' Mr. Hulce said. ''But at other times there was a rivalry between us, and I found myself suspicious of him.''
Mr. Abraham felt the suspicion even more strongly during the rehearsal period. Mr. Hulce had a very close rapport with Meg Tilly, the actress originally cast as Mozart's wife, Constanze. (She broke her ankle during rehearsals and had to be replaced at the last minute by Elizabeth Berridge.) ''Tom and Meg were very close,'' Mr. Abraham recalled. ''They had these secret jokes and were always laughing together. I was pushed out, and I was resentful. I began to have very nasty feelings that were exactly like Salieri's feelings toward Mozart. When that correspondence between a film and real life occurs, it's a director's dream.''
When they were hired for the movie, the first task for both Mr. Hulce and Mr. Abraham was to steep themselves in the music of the period. Again Mr. Hulce had a headstart, for he had some background in music. He was able to read music, had played the violin as a child and had also sung in boys' choirs and with symphony orchestras in Michigan, where he grew up. But for his role as Mozart he had to learn to play the piano and spent four hours a day with a piano teacher for a full month before filming began. ''My fingers ached,'' Mr. Hulce recalled. ''After working at the piano all day, I wanted to go out and drink and listen to rock and roll. People wondered how Mozart could work all day and then go out and party all night. In a tiny way I felt I understood that from my experience.''
Although Salieri might be seen as the villain of the piece, Mr. Abraham came to admire him just as intensely as Mr. Hulce admired Mozart. ''Salieri is so human in his responses,'' Mr. Abraham contended. ''And he's not a coward. What do you do when you're a mediocre composer confronted with genius? Many people would simply quit. But Salieri didn't destroy his work or kill himself. He said no to fate. There are two lines which were unfortunately cut from the movie, where the priest hearing his confession says to him, 'May God forgive you,'' and Salieri replies, 'He may, but I shall never forgive Him.' I like that spirit. I think he was a courageous, crazy man.''
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