Father Vogler: It makes no difference. All men are equal in God’s eyes.
Salieri: [leans in mockingly] *Are* they?

The Hater lives by a simple credo: “If I can’t do it/have it, then you can’t it either.”  For my money, no film has ever, or will ever come close to capturing the Hater in all his glory than Amadeus.  The basic story is as familiar as Cain and Abel, but in case you haven’t seen this film:  after attempting suicide, former court composer Salieri confesses to his role in destroying his one time friend, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

The beauty of the Hate (as portrayed in this film) is that through Salieri, you truly see Hate in all its forms.  Initially as admiration (Salieri calls Amadeus his idol as a child and prayed to God to be like him); until it inevitably turns into jealousy in all its various forms.  First a little anger (Amadeus is so effortless and flippant in his God given talents that it irritates Salieri who busts his ass to be average), then heartbreak (Amadeus sleeps with a woman Salieri never messed with but put on a pedestal), then petty revenge (in the Director’s Cut, Salieri tries to pull the ‘Favor for a Favor’ move with Amadeus’ wife.  And she was going to do it for her husband, but in a final moment of consciousness, Salieri backs out.  He never wanted the goods, it was all about trying to make Amadeus see ‘how it feels’.)  The next scene is chilling everytime I watch it.  Salieri takes his crucifix and puts in the burning fireplace, as he says the Hater’s Prayer to God:

From now on we are enemies, You and I. Because You choose for Your instrument a boastful, lustful, smutty, infantile boy and give me for reward only the ability to recognize the incarnation. Because You are unjust, unfair, unkind, I will block You, I swear it. I will hinder and harm Your creature on earth as far as I am able. 

The rest of the film is a scary textbook in Haterism.  Salieri makes himself Amadeus’ most trusted confidant, all the while blocking every job offer, spreading completely made up rumors and ruining Amadeus’ reputation every chance he got.  The coup de gras of Salieri’s plan was to get Amadeus to write a Requiem, kill him, then claim it as his own so people would acknowledge he’s been touched by ‘greatness’.  Amadeus’ wife returns while he’s on his deathbed, putting an end to Salieri’s perfect plan (needless to say she’s not remotely happy that, of all people ‘this dude’  is the man who happens to be watching over her husband at his weakest point).  But the damage has been done and Amadeus dies at a young age.

Salieri lives for another 30 years, but as he himself notes, he’s watched his own legacy disappear while in death the legend of Amadeus grows into immortality.  Salieri (insane?) ends up ‘forgiving’ the Father who came to hear his confession; Salieri considers himself the ‘patron saint of mediocrity’. 

If you couldn’t tell by reading this, Amadeus is easily one of my 10 favorite films.  It swept through the Oscars the year it came out; Best Picture, Best Actor (character actor F. Murray Abraham as Salieri), Best Adapted Screenplay.  Based on what I’ve read, the real Salieri and Amadeus were actually good friends, but that’s not very dramatic is it?