4. Amadeus Mozart
In the 1984 movie Amadeus, they describe Amadeus Mozart as being “arrogant, vulgar, and obscene”, while accusing another composer, Antonio Salieri, of poisoning him. The movie paints him to be childish, which adds to the comedy of the film. But the entire premise surrounds the idea that the two composers were in a bitter rivalry. In reality, historic records show that they were more likely to have been friends and collaborators, rather than rivals. And Salieri definitely wasn’t responsible for Mozart’s death. In real life, Mozart suddenly came down with a fever. His body swelled up, and he slipped into a coma. Modern day doctors believe that this was actually strep throat, which is common and totally curable today. The screenwriter, Peter Shaffer, tried to defend his story choices by saying, “It was never intended to be a documentary biography.”