"Everyone liked me," the old Salieri tells a priest at a mental institution in which he has gone to live out his last few years. "I liked myself. Everything was wonderful until he came." The "he" of course is Mozart -- "Wolfie," to his wife Constanze Mozart (Elizabeth Berridge), a petite woman whose large breasts seem always about to explode like her husband's loud, uncontrollable laughter.

Salieri, who thought Mozart's music was "the voice of God," resented his rival so much that he dedicated his life to Mozart's downfall. The two competitors could not have been more different. Mozart was a fun loving dandy. An extrovert, he was a musical genius whom Salieri's father ridiculed as a "trained monkey." In contrast, the reserved Salieri was the picture of piety and seriousness.

From the palace intrigue -- "too many notes" was a frequently heard complaint about Mozart's music by those jealous of his incredible talent -- to the great musical numbers to the many hilarious scenes, AMADEUS is a wonderfully entertaining picture. Is three hours of it better than two and a half? Probably not, but who cares? Don't miss a chance to see and hear it on the big screen. (I would, however, like to issue a challenge to directors thinking about bringing out a director's cut of their most famous films. Try to see if you can produce a cut that actually cuts. Now, there's a real challenge: a shorter version that's better than your original masterpiece.)

The director's cut of AMADEUS runs 2:58. It is rated R for "brief nudity" and would be acceptable for teenagers.