Amadeus Page #52

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 beginning -

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.

EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD - WINTER NIGHT - 1790'S

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

the countryside.

INT. THE CARRIAGE NIGHT - 1790'S

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.

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

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.

EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD - WINTER NIGHT - 1790'S

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

music.

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

Mozart still dictating; Salieri still writing without stop.

EXT. VIENNA STREET - DAWN - 1790'S.

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.

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

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.

EXT. VIENNA STREET - WINTRY DAWN - 1790'S

Constanze and Karl approach along the cobbled street, hand

in hand toward their house. Snow lies in the street.

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

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.

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

Constanze and Karl arrive at the door. They enter.

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

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.

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

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 attempts 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.

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