Amadeus 

The wardrobe used in Amadeus could most easily be compared to that of George Washington and other important figures during that time period. White wigs were common, as were suits with white neck ties similar to a handkerchief one would tuck into their shirt while eating dinner.

Despite having all colors used throughout the film, red was the most prominent. The color red was used to show individuals in a stance of power and influence. Emperor Joseph II was always seen wearing red throughout the movie, proving his influence over the country and its inhabitants. Salieri was seen only a few times wearing red, each time proving that he was the main character and was planning on doing something to change the lives of others.

Back in the days of Mozart, everyone wore makeup. It was plain to see that wealthy characters powdered their faces, regardless of gender. The offstage makeup crew was also impressive both with making the funny opera characters makeup look crazy, and by the realistic abilities of the makeup artist when Mozart passed out at his opera and later passed away.

Amadeus was filmed in what was made to be immortalized as Vienna. As the audience, we were able to become lost in verisimilitude whilst viewing the streets of Vienna, the loony bin and the characters it held, Mozart's beautiful home, the amazing opera houses, and the royal palace of Joseph II. The film makers went out of their way to make sure that every location visited throughout Amadeus looked the part. Production design was amazing at putting the audience into the film and making the audience feel as though the elderly Salieri was retelling his experiences directly to the audience, as opposed to just a two hour flashback.

In 1984, red was also an important color, if not for the same reasons. Communism and McCarthyism was a big deal in the 1980s and red was the color associated with communism due to the title of the "Red Scare." People were terrified of the spread of communism and would go on near literal witch hunts to accuse others of being witches in the hopes of proving their own loyalty to the nation.

The goal of Amadeus was to "defeat the creature." Salieri was angry at God for making him the "patron saint of mediocrity" by not being a great composer, only to see that the amazing Mozart was nothing but a blubbering fool. Salieri thought it was not fair and devoted his life to destroying Mozart, therefore destroying the sound of God that flowed through him. Near the end, he goal changed becaue Salieri wanted to prove himself over God by making Mozart write a requiem mass that would be amazing, and the Salieri intended to play the music and take all the fame for the work while playing it at Mozart's funeral.

Explicitly, Mozart grew up wanting to be a great composer.  He is shown in the loony bin speaking to a preacher after trying to kill himself and retelling his story. He became good, but not great and was able to work with Emperor Joseph II. Mozart came to play for him and Salieri became upset because the work of Mozart was astounding, but Mozart himself was a stupid teenager. He becomes angry at God and decides to destroy Mozart. Mozart's father dies and his wife leaves him, causing him to be constantly drunk and fall into a deep depression. Because Mozart spends all of his money, he goes broke and Salieri offers Mozart money to write a requiem mass. Mozart becomes sick, so Salieri comes over to help Mozart write the requiem, only to have Mozart pass away before the mass is finished. Salieri is upset and tells the preacher that he is the "patron saint of mediocrity."