Amadeus

Constanze is near collapse. Salieri moves to assist her, but she turns away from

him, seeking the arm of Cavalieri. Madame Weber takes Karl's hand.

The music builds to its climax on Dona Eis Pacem! We CUT back to:

174 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING - 1823 174

Morning light fills the room. Old Salieri sits weeping convulsively, as the music

stops. Tears stream down his face. Vogler watches him, amazed.

VOGLER

Why? Why? Why? Why add to your misery by confessing to

murder? You didn't kill him.

OLD SALIERI

I did.

VOGLER

No, you didn't!

OLD SALIERI

I poisoned his life.

VOGLER

But not his body.

OLD SALIERI

What difference does that make?

VOGLER

My son, why should you want all Vienna to believe you a mur-

derer? Is that your penance? Is it?

OLD SALIERI

No, Father. From now on no one will be able to speak of Mozart

without thinking of me. Whenever they say Mozart with love,

they'll have to say Salieri with loathing. And that's my immortal-

ity - at last! Our names will be tied together for eternity - his

in fame and mine in infamy. At least it's better than the total

oblivion he'd planned for me, your merciful God!

VOGLER

Oh my son, my poor son!

OLD SALIERI

Don't pity me. Pity yourself. You serve a wicked God. He

killed Mozart, not I. Took him, snatched him away, without

pity. He destroyed His beloved rather than let a mediocrity like

me get the smallest share in his glory. He doesn't care.

Understand that. God cares nothing for the man He denies and

nothing either for the man He uses. He broke Mozart in half

when He'd finished with him, and threw him away. Like an old,

worn out flute.

175 EXT. CEMETERY OF ST. MARX - LATE AFTERNOON - 1790's 175

The rain has eased off. A LOCAL PRIEST with two boy acolytes is standing be-

side an open communal grave. Mozart's body is lifted out of the cheap pine box in

a sack. We see that the grave contains twenty other such sacks. The gravedigger

throws the one containing Mozart amongst the others. An assistant pours quick-

lime over the whole pile of them. The acolytes swing their censers.

LOCAL PRIEST

The Lord giveth. The Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of

the Lord.

CUT BACK TO:

176 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING - 1823 176

OLD SALIERI

Why did He do it? Why didn't He kill me? I had no value.

What was the use, keeping me alive for thirty-two years of tor-

ture? Thirty-two years of honours and awards.

He tears off the Civilian Medal and Chain with which the Emperor invested him

and has been wearing the whole time and throws it across the room.

OLD SALIERI

Being bowed to and saluted, called 襠istinguished -

褼istinguished Salieri - by men incapable of distinguishing!

Thirty-two years of meaningless fame to end up alone in my

room, watching myself become extinct. My music growing

fainter, all the time fainter, until no one plays it at all. And his

growing louder, filling the world with wonder. And everyone

who loves my sacred art crying, 襇ozart! Bless you, Mozart.

The door opens. An attendant comes in, cheerful and hearty.

ATTENDANT

Good morning, Professor! Time for the water closet. And then

we've got your favourite breakfast for you - sugar-rolls. (to

Vogler) He loves those. Fresh sugar-rolls.

Salieri ignores him and stares only at the priest, who stares back.

OLD SALIERI

Goodbye, Father. I'll speak for you. I speak for all mediocrities

in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint. On

their behalf I deny Him, your God of no mercy. Your God who

tortures men with longings they can never fulfill. He may forgive

me: I shall never forgive Him.

He signs to the attendant, who wheels him in his chair out of the room. The priest

stares after him.

177 INT. CORRIDOR OF THE HOSPITAL - MORNING - 1823 177

The corridor is filled with patients in white linen smocks, all taking their morning

exercise walk in the care of nurses and nuns. They form a long, wretched, strange

procession - some of them are clearly very disturbed. As Old Salieri is pushed

through them in his wheelchair, he lifts his hands to them in benediction.

OLD SALIERI

Mediocrities everywhere, now and to come: I absolve you all!

Amen! Amen! Amen!

Finally, he turns full-face to the camera and blesses us the audience, making the

Sign of the Cross. Underneath we hear, stealing in and growing louder, the

tremendous Masonic Funeral Music of Mozart.

On the last four chords, we

FADE OUT