Amadeus Page #45

LORL:

I'm leaving. I'm not working there

anymore. I'm scared!

SALIERI:

Why? What has happened?

LORL:

You don't know what it's like. Herr

Mozart frightens me. He drinks all

day, then takes all that medicine

and it makes him worse.

SALIERI:

What medicine?

LORL:

I don't know. He has pains.

SALIERI:

Where?

LORL:

Here, in his stomach. They bend him

right over.

SALIERI:

Is he working?

LORL:

I'm frightened, sir. Really! When he

speaks, he doesn't make any sense.

You know he said he saw - he said he

saw his father. And his father's

dead.

SALIERI:

Is he working?

LORL:

I suppose so. He sits there all he

time, doing some silly opera.

SALIERI:

(startled)

Opera? Opera!

LORL:

Please don't ask me to go back again.

I'm frightened! I'm very, very

frightened.

SALIERI:

(insistently)

Are you sure it's an opera?

The Overture to The Magic Flute begins grandly. To the music

of the slow introduction, we see:

INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790'S

The room, lit by a few candles, appears dirty. The camera

shows us again Leopold's portrait on the wall, looking down

upon a scene of disorder.

Papers litter the table; dirty dishes are piled in the

fireplace; on the forte-piano lies Mozart's Masonic apron,

woven with symbols. To the more lyrical passage of the

introduction, we see Mozart take up a candle and enter:

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

We watch him stand beside Constanze, who lies asleep. Mozart

now looks very ill; his wife appears worn out. Tenderly he

touches her hair. Then he moves to the cot where his son

Karl lies asleep and kneels, pulls up the child's little

blanket and for a moment lays his own head down beside the

boy's. Constanze opens her eyes and stares at him. Mozart

rises and returns to:

INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790'S

The Introduction ends and suddenly the brilliant fast fugue

begins. Instantly Mozart starts to dance to it, all alone:

gleefully, like a child. He looks up at his father's portrait,

and makes a silly, rude gesture at it. He is, briefly, an

irresponsible and happy boy again.

Then suddenly there is a gentle knocking at the door. The

music fades down. Warily, Mozart crosses and opens he door.

The familiar dark chords from Don Giovanni cut across the

happy music. It ends. Before him stands the masked stranger.

MOZART:

I don't have it yet. It's not

finished. I'm sorry, but I need more

time.

SALIERI:

Are you neglecting my request?

MOZART:

No, no! I promise you, I'll give you

a wonderful piece - the best I ever

can!

He turns and looks. Constanze has come into the living room.

Nervously, Mozart indicates her.

MOZART:

This is my wife, Stanzi. I've been

sick, but I'm all right now. Aren't

I?

CONSTANZE:

Oh yes, sir. He's all right. And

he's working on it very hard.

MOZART:

Give me two more weeks. Please.

Salieri contemplates them both.

SALIERI:

The sooner you finish, the better

your reward. Work!

He turns and goes down the stairs. Mozart shuts the door; he

closes his eyes in fear.

CONSTANZE:

Wolfi, I think you really are going

mad. You work like a slave for that

idiot actor who won't give you a

penny and here. This is not a ghost!

This is a real man who puts down

real money. Why on earth don't you

finish it?

He will not look at her or reply.

CONSTANZE:

Give me one reason I can understand.

MOZART:

I can't write it!

CONSTANZE:

Why not?

MOZART:

It's killing me.

He looks at her suddenly.

CONSTANZE:

No, this is really awful. You're

drunk, aren't you? Be honest - tell

me - you've been drinking. And I'm

so stupid I stay here and listen to

you!

Suddenly she starts to cry.

CONSTANZE:

It's not fair! I worry about you all

the time. I try to help you all I

can and you just drink and talk

nonsense and - and frighten me! It's

not fair!

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote