Miloš Forman’s movie version of Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus is a colorful, passionate, and musically charged drama that retells the legendary composer’s life story in an authentic setting—or so it seems. Instead, the successful use of cinematic means creates in the audience’s reception an illusionary image of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is far from a factual biography of the historical artist. Contributing to this effect are specific aspects of the inter-media adaptation, through which Forman, with the participation of Shaffer, succeeds in constructing historical reality and redefining the iconic figure of the musician for a broad audience, thus shaping Mozart’s image to this day. This article sheds light on the processes of charging and changing the meaning of cultural icons using the example of the movie Amadeus. It shows how Forman and Shaffer created their authenticated account of Mozart, which thematic aspects they chose to address, and how these are conveyed through narrative strategies and visual and auditory registers. Furthermore, the reception of the film is considered with a focus on the image of Mozart in popular culture.