Amadeus

As Salieri writes, Mozart sings the ostinato from the beginning, but the unaccom-

panied strings overwhelm his voice on the soundtrack, playing the first six bars of

their agitated accompaniment. They stop.

SALIERI

That's wonderful!

MOZART

Yes, yes - go on. The Voca Me. Suddenly sotto voce. Write that

down: sotto voce, pianissimo. Voca me cum benedictis. 褻all me

among the blessed.

He is now sitting bolt upright, hushed and inspired.

MOZART

C Major. Sopranos and altos in thirds. Altos on C. Sopranos

above. (singing the alto part) Vo-ca, vo-ca me, vo-ca me cum be-

ne-dic-tis.

SALIERI

Sopranos up to F on the second 訴oca'?

MOZART

Yes, and on 詃ictis'.

SALIERI

Yes!

He writes feverishly.

MOZART

And underneath, just violins - arpeggio.

He sings the violin figure under the Voca Me (Bars 7,8,9).

MOZART

(speaking)

The descending scale in eighth notes, and then back suddenly to

the fire again.

He sings the ostinato phrase twice.

MOZART

(speaking)

And that's it. Do you have it?

SALIERI

You go fast!

MOZART

(urgently)

Do you have it?

SALIERI

Yes.

MOZART

Then let me hear it. All of it. The whole thing from the begin-

ning - now!

The entire Confutatis bursts over the room, as Mozart snatches the manuscript

pages from Salieri and reads from it, singing. Salieri sits looking on in wondering

astonishment. The music continues right through the following scenes, to the end

of the movement.

163 EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD - WINTER NIGHT - 1790's 163

A carriage is driving fast through the night. Snow lies on the countryside.

164 INT. THE CARRIAGE NIGHT - 1790's 164

The carriage is filled with passengers. Among them Constanze and Karl, her

young son. They are sleepless and sway to the motion of the vehicle.

165 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 165

Mozart lying in bed exhausted, but still dictating urgently. We do not hear what

he is saying to Salieri, who still sits writing assiduously. Mozart is looking very

sick: sweat is pouring from his forehead.

166 EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD - WINTER NIGHT - 1790's 166

The carriage, moving through the night, to the sound of the music.

167 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 167

Mozart still dictating; Salieri still writing without stop.

168 EXT. VIENNA STREET - DAWN - 1790's. 168

The carriage has arrived. Constanze and her son alight with other passengers.

Postillions attend to the horses. She takes her boy's hand. It is a cold wintry

dawn.

The music stutters to a close. End of the Confutatis.

166A INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 166A

MOZART

Do you want to rest a bit?

SALIERI

Oh no. I'm not tired at all.

MOZART

We'll stop for just a moment. Then we'll do the Lacrimosa.

SALIERI

I can keep going, I assure you. Shall we try?

MOZART

Would you stay with me while I sleep a little?

SALIERI

I'm not leaving you.

MOZART

I am so ashamed.

SALIERI

What for?

MOZART

I was foolish. I thought you did not care for my work - or me.

Forgive me. Forgive me!

Mozart closes his eyes. Salieri stares at him.

168B EXT. VIENNA STREET - WINTRY DAWN - 1790's 168B

Constanze and Karl approach along the cobbled street, hand in hand toward their

house. Snow lies in the street.

168C INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAWN - 1790's 168C

Mozart lies asleep in the bed, holding the last pages of the manuscript. Salieri lies

across from him on Karl's small bed in his shirt sleeves and waistcoat. The child's

bed is obviously too small for him and he is forced in to a cramped position.

169 EXT. MOZART'S APARTMENT HOUSE - DAWN - 1790's 169

Constanze and Karl arrive at the door. They enter.

170 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAWN - 1790's 170

It is as disordered as before, save that the table, previously littered with pages, is

now completely bare. Constanze looks at it with surprise and enters the bedroom.

171 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAWN - 1790's 171

Mozart is asleep in the bed. Salieri is dozing on the nearby child's bed. The room

is full of the trailing smoke from guttering and guttered candles. Startled by

Constanze's entrance and her young son, Salieri scrambles up. As he does so, he at-

tempts to button his waistcoat, but does it ineptly, so that the vestment becomes

bunched up, making him look absurd.

CONSTANZE

What are you doing here?

SALIERI

Your husband is ill, ma'am. He took sick. I brought him home.

CONSTANZE

Why you?

SALIERI

I was! at hand.

CONSTANZE

Well, thank you very much. You can go now.

SALIERI

He needs me, ma'am.

CONSTANZE

No, he doesn't. And I don't want you here. Just go, please.

SALIERI

He asked me to stay.

CONSTANZE

And I'm asking you -

She notices a movement from the bed. Mozart wakes. He sees Constanze and

smiles with real joy. Forgetting Salieri, she goes to her husband.

CONSTANZE

Wolfi, I'm back. I'm still very angry with you, but I missed you

so much.

She throws herself on the bed.

CONSTANZE

I'll never leave you again. If you'll just try a little harder to be

nice to me. And I'll try to do better, too. We must. We must!

This was just silly and stupid.

She hugs her husband desperately. He stares at her with obvious relief, not able to

speak. Suddenly she sees the manuscript in his hand.

CONSTANZE

What is this?

She looks at it and recognizes it.

CONSTANZE

Oh no, not this. Not this, Wolfi! You're not to work on this ever

again! I've decided.

She takes it from his weak hand. At the same moment Salieri reaches out his hand

to take it and add it to the pile on the table. She stares at him, trying to under-

stand - suspicious and frightened and at the same time unable to make a sound.

Mozart makes a convulsive gesture to reclaim the pages. The coins brought by

Salieri fall on the floor. Karl runs after them, laughing.

CONSTANZE

(to Salieri)

This is not his handwriting.

SALIERI

No. I! was assisting him. He asked me.

CONSTANZE

He's not going to work on this anymore. It is making him ill.

Please.

She extends her hand for the Requiem, as she stands up. Salieri hesitates.

CONSTANZE

(hard)

Please.

With extreme reluctance - it costs him agony to do it - Salieri hands over the

score of the Requiem to her.

CONSTANZE

Thank you.

She marches with the manuscript over to a large chest in the room, opens it, throws

the manuscript inside, shuts the lid, locks it and pockets the key. Involuntarily

Salieri stretches out his arms for the lost manuscript.

SALIERI

But - but - but -

She turns and faces him.

CONSTANZE

Good night.

He stares at her, stunned.

CONSTANZE

I regret we have no servants to show you out, Herr Salieri.

Respect my wish and go.

SALIERI

Madame, I will respect his. He asked me to stay here.

They look at each other in mutual hatred. She turns to the bed. Mozart appears to

have gone to sleep again.

CONSTANZE

Wolfi? (louder) Wolfi?

She moves to the bed. The child is playing with the coins on the floor. Faintly we

hear the start of the Lacrimosa from the Requiem. Salieri watches as she touches her

husband's hand. As the music grows, we realize that Mozart is dead.

CU, Constanze staring wide-eyed in dawning apprehension.

CU, Salieri also comprehending hat he has been cheated.

The music rises.

CU, The child on the floor, playing with the money.

CUT TO:

172 EXT. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL - VIENNA - A RAINY DAY - 1790's 172

The Lacrimosa continues through all of the following: a small group of people

emerges from the side door into the raw, wet day, accompanying a cheap wooden

coffin. The coffin is borne by a gravedigger and Schikaneder in mourning clothes.

They load it onto a cart, drawn by a poor black horse. All the rest are in black,

also: Salieri, Von Swieten, Constanze and her son, Karl, Madame Weber and her

youngest daughter Sophie, and even Lorl, the maid. It is drizzling. The cart sets

off. The group follows.

CUT TO:

173 EXT. OUTSIDE THE CITY WALLS OF VIENNA - RAINY DAY - 1790's 173

The group has already passed beyond the city limits following the miserable cart.

The Lacrimosa accompanies them with its measured thread. The drizzle of rain has

now become heavy. One by one, the group breaks up and shelters under the trees.

The cart moves on toward the cemetery, alone, followed by nobody, growing

more and more distant. They watch it go. Salieri and Von Swieten shake hands

mournfully, the water soaking their black tall hats. Schikaneder is in tears.