Amadeus: Director’s Cut

I spent some of this sunny afternoon indoors (can’t really hammer the bike or the walking or the running as yet). I watched the Director’s Cut of Amadeus.

Though Amadeus is one of my favorite films of all time, I liked the director’s cut even better. For example, when Motzart’s wife showed up after returning from her trip to the spa, she was clearly enraged to find Salieri there.

When I had only seen the “regular” version, I could understand why she might have had a distaste for him, but didn’t understand the depths of her anger. After seeing the director’s cut, it was clear.

Salieri was never a sympathetic character, and even in the first version, his self pity made me sick. But he was downright nasty in the uncut version.

Of course, I enjoyed one of the themes, bitterness over being mediocre, though I wonder just how “mediocre” a court composer could be. To me, this is like a tenured Harvard math professor feeling bad about not being a Field’s Medalist, or an MIT physics professor feeling mediocre because he/she wasn’t a Nobel Prize winner.

So, if you liked the first version as much as I did, I can recommend the director’s cut version without reservation.

Of course, I’d like to point out that the film is fiction; reality was very different. I say that because there are some out there in the public that don’t seem to realize this; I once overheard someone in a checkout line saying that “she liked Mozart’s music, but thought that he was not a good man because of what she saw in the film!

Some “fun” resources that deal with the film and it’s relation to reality (though I lack the knowledge to recommend one for historical accuracy):

• Amadeus is Immortal
• Mozart Lover (amature). Good photos and a musical background, at least.
• Mozart Project. Very detailed and referenced.

Video Sunday

Workout Notes 5K swim PR: 1:36:49 (5500 yards). 4250 split (ironman distance) of 1:14:32.

Now for those who want to see “typical” 5K swim times, check out the Big Shoulders 5K swim website or the results page. The top females swam 1:05 or so, and the top males swam 58 minutes, and mind you that year (2006) saw 2-3 foot waves! So please understand that I know exactly how slow I am.

Still, this was almost a 3 minute PR for me, though my open water PR is 1:43 (Big Shoulders, 2001).

500 yard splits: 9:08, 8:49, 8:41, 8:42, 8:38, 8:38, 8:43, 8:46, 8:50, 8:53, 8:56.
You can see where I got warmed up and when I tired out. Note: no flip turns allowed.

I saw Steve Foster; he managed about 1000 yards or so.

Politics

I’ve decided to post some videos of some good Presidential candidates; the Obama, Clinton and Edwards videos came from their campaign’s youtube page. Note how the candidates chose to focus on different things; Clinton’s was very professional and polished, Edwards was a “man of the common person” theme and Obama was a “cool rock star” theme.

I also posted a speech of Bill Richardson; this guy has simply got to get his name out there.

Hillary Clinton discusses the Walter Reed fiasco and other problems facing our war veterans.

John Edwards takes on health care in Iowa.

Barack Obama in Cleveland; he discusses racial equality here.

Barack Obama in Austin (at one of my hang-outs; there is a running trail here)

Bill Richardson at a candidates forum. This guy has got to be seen more.