Amadeus Page #28

He takes off his own wig and puts it on Leopold's uncovered

head. The effect, if not as ridiculous, is still somewhat

bizarre, since Wolfgang favours fairly elaborate wigs. He

takes Constanze's wig from his father. As this happens, the

music stops again. Mozart gently pushes his father down onto

a nearby chair; the others scramble for the other chairs;

and he is left as the Odd Man Out. He giggles. Schikaneder

calls out to Leopold from the keyboard.

SCHIKANEDER:

Herr Mozart, why don't you name your

son's penalty?

Applause.

MOZART:

Yes, Papa, name it. Name it. I'll do

anything you say!

LEOPOLD:

I want you to come back with me to

Salzburg, my son.

SCHIKANEDER:

What did he say? What did he say?

MOZART:

Papa, the rule is you can only give

penalties that can be performed in

the room.

LEOPOLD:

I'm tired of this game. Please play

without me.

MOZART:

But my penalty. I've got to have a

penalty.

All the bystanders are watching.

SCHIKANEDER:

I've got a good one. I've got the

perfect one for you. Come over here.

Mozart runs over to the forte-piano, and Schikaneder

surrenders his place at it.

SCHIKANEDER:

Now, I want you to play our tune -

sitting backwards.

Applause.

MOZART:

Oh, that's really too easy. Any child

can do that.

Amused sounds of disbelief.

SCHIKANEDER:

And a fugue in the manner of Sebastian

Bach.

Renewed applause at this wicked extra penalty. Mozart smiles

at Schikaneder - it is the sort of challenge he loves. He

defiantly puts on Constanze's wig and seats himself with his

back to the keyboard. Before the astonished eyes of the

company he proceeds to execute this absurdly difficult task.

His right hand plays the bass part, his left hand the treble,

and with this added difficulty he improvises a brilliant

fugue on the subject of the tune to which they have been

dancing.

Attracted by this astonishing feat, the players draw nearer

to the instrument. So does Salieri, cautiously, with some of

the bystanders. Constanze watches him approach. Only Leopold

sits by himself, sulking.

The fugue ends amidst terrific clapping. The guests call out

to Mozart.

GUESTS:

Another! Do another! Someone else.

MOZART:

Give me a name. Who shall I do?

Give me a name.

GUESTS:

Gluck! Haydn! Frederic Handel!

CONSTANZE:

Salieri! Do Salieri!

SMASH CUT:
Salieri's masked face whips around and looks at

her.

MOZART:

Now that's hard. That's very hard.

For Salieri one has to face the right

way around.

Giggling, he turns around and sits at the keyboard. Then,

watched by a highly amused group, he begins a wicked parody.

He furrows his brow in mock concentration and closes his

eyes. Then he begins to play the tune to which they danced,

in the most obvious way imaginable, relying heavily on a

totally and offensively unimaginative bass of tonic and

dominant, endlessly repeated. The music is the very essence

of banality. The bystanders rock with laughter. Mozart starts

to giggle wildly. Through this excruciating scene, Salieri

stares at Constanze, who suddenly turns her head and looks

challengingly back at him.

Mozart's parody reaches its coarse climax with him adding a

fart noise instead of notes to end cadences. He builds this

up, urged on in his clowning by everyone else, until suddenly

he stops and cries out. The laughter cuts off. Mozart stands

up, clutching his behind as if he has made a mess in his

breeches. The momentary hush of alarm is followed by a howl

of laughter.

CU, Salieri staring in pain.

INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823

CU, The old man is shaking at the very recollection of his

humiliation.

OLD SALIERI:

Go on. Mock me. Laugh, laugh!

CUT BACK TO:

INT. GROTTO - NIGHT - 1780'S

A repetition of the shot of Mozart at the forte-piano, wearing

Constanze's wig and emitting a shrill giggle.

CUT TO:

INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1780'S

Salieri sits at his desk. He holds in his hand the small

black party mask and stares in hatred at the place on the

wall where the crucifix used to hang. Faintly we see the

mark of the cross.

OLD SALIERI (V.O.)

That was not Mozart laughing, Father.

That was God. That was God! God

laughing at me through that obscene

giggle. Go on, Signore. Laugh. Rub

my nose in it. Show my mediocrity

for all to see. You wait! I will

laugh at You! Before I leave this

earth, I will laugh at You! Amen!

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