A generally modest effort that, as a biography, probably fails to do justice to the great composer. A brief (35 minute) work, it nonetheless provides a good deal of information concerning Mozart's musical life, and it is well organised. It is also very well written and produced by Malcolm Hosseck, providing poetic justification to match the striking visuals, especially impressive when higher points of Mozart's production are revealed through the film's narration. Mozart's father Leopold, also a renowned composer, as well as his sister Nannerl and his mother Anna Maria, are discussed and their effect upon Wolfgang Amadeus can be found partially in his youthful courageous efforts to free himself from the powerful influence of the Roman Catholic Church, even though he often drew inspiration from that august body until his death. This is from a Kultur Films series, "Famous Composers" each entry of which combines biographical highlights from the life of a prominent composer with photography of related private and public locations, all linked to major musical works. Framed against a Europe tortured by political and religious strife, Mozart's work deepened in its nature as he mellowed, and we view sites important to his production in Augsburg, Bologna, Chelsea, Florence, Mannheim, Prague, Versailles and Vienna, among others. Biographical data given during the film stresses the significance for the young composer of such musical masters as Gluck, Händel, and Haydn, in addition to the librettist upon whom he relied heavily, Lorenzo Da Ponte, from Venice. Numerous morsels of Mozart's output are performed by members of the Elysium Ensemble, an Australian group that specializes in the baroque period, smoothly proffering some familiar musical pieces in the course of the documentary. Pleasing moments abound during this short affair, filled with not merely the winning charm of Mozart's compositions, but also with photography that captures the sensations contributed by the immediate surroundings of areas that inspired their creation.