Amadeus

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

Director Milos Forman passed away on Friday, April 13th and I am still mourning this great loss.  “Amadeus” is easily one of my Top 10 favorite films of all time and for me it resonates on both a creative and human level.  “Amadeus” is really a study in paradox and the contradictions between absolutes.  Talent vs. Genius. Love vs. Hate. Wisdom vs. Foolishness. The Divine vs. The Secular.  This exuberant and bright film is awash in emotional, spiritual and moral shades of grey.  Life – and ART – cannot and refuses to be categorized in absolutes.  It is the very idea of contradiction that gives life its excitement and unpredictability which can also be debilitating and frightening.  Finding the balance in all those extremes and absolutes is at the root of our “purpose” here on earth.  Milos Forman created a piece of art that allows the viewer to assume both roles – those of Salieri and Mozart – in order to better see and experience the beauty and wretchedness of our shared human condition.

Thank you and RIP, Milos Forman.

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.