It is reputed that there was a real antipathy between Mozart and Salieri, and that Mozart did at one point accuse Salieri of attempting to poison him. However, the story told in Amadeus is a work of dramatic fantasy. The ending of the film differs considerably from the ending of the original play.
In 1984, Milos Forman directed the screen version of Amadeus, which featured F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce as Salieri and Mozart. The film won four Academy Awards that year, for Best Picture, Best Actor (F. Murray Abraham), Director (Milos Forman), and Art Direction (Patrizia von Brandenstein and Karel Cerny).