Amadeus is a 1984 American period biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman, starring F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce. Peter Shaffer adapted it from his 1979 stage play Amadeus, originally inspired by Alexander Pushkin's 1830 play Mozart and Salieri. Shaffer described it as a "fantasia on [a real-life] theme", as it imagines a rivalry between two 18th century Vienna composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Hulce) and Antonio Salieri (Abraham). Salieri struggles to reconcile his professional admiration and jealous hatred for Mozart, and resolves to ruin Mozart's career as his vengeance against God.