‘The Age of Innocence‘ is a rather atypical film, at least from the point of view of the social environment in which the story takes place, for Martin Scorsese‘s filmography. Made in 1993, it stands chronologically in his career between the horror thriller ‘Cape Fear‘ and the mafia-controlled investigation of the gambling industry world in ‘Casino‘. Most of the action takes place in New York, the city where Scorsese was born and which provides the stage for many of his films. But the era is in the eighth decade of the 19th century, and the characters belong to the super-rich American world, people who, after accumulating colossal fortunes, aspired to a social status that would compete with the European big bourgeoisie and even with the nobility across the ocean. It is the story of a romantic triangle bound by social conventions, with heroes who act largely according to the patterns dictated by the manners and morals of the time. We are apparently a long way from the world of crime and the physical violence of many of Scorsese‘s other films. And yet, this social environment can prove, in many ways, just as cruel and ruthless towards those who try to break its rules.
The story takes place in New York in the 1870’s, where the young lawyer Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is engaged to May Welland (Winona Ryder). Both are born in families that belong to the high society of the city. May’s cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer), is newly returned to New York after a disastrous marriage to a financially ruined Polish count. At first she is ostracized by society and vicious rumors spread about her, but as May’s family boldly supports the countess, she begins to be accepted into the city’s rich and respected circles. Newland becomes her lawyer, but gradually falls in love with the woman who lived in Europe, is sophisticated and free in conceptions and tastes. This relationship jeopardizes Newland’s future marriage to May. The question is if and where can the characters find happiness. In the fulfillment of true love or in the stability of the family, according to the accepted social norms?
The film is a screen adaptation (which is said to be fairly accurate, but I have not read the book) of a novel by American writer Edith Wharton. It reminded me of the novels of her contemporary, the English writer John Galsworthy, which inspired a famous BBC television series: the same manners and social conventions that stifle genuine feelings, the same moral and social dilemmas. To connect with the book, Martin Scorsese uses copious off-screen voice comments (read by Joanne Woodward). I usually hate encountering this technique in cinematography, which in my opinion is mostly a visual art, but here it fits well. The narration flows smoothly and interestingly, but in order to appreciate it, the spectator must like the nuances in the words of the characters and should be interested in the epoch and the historical details. Martin Scorsese is at his best at reassembling the mansions, filming clothing, dishes, art objects, porcelain, and cutlery used by the people who fill these buildings, recreating the atmosphere of a growing and ever-changing city. Acting is wonderful. Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer give two of the most significant performances of their careers, managing to create the atmosphere of a passionate affair that never goes physically beyond a kiss or a handshake and is expressed in words but especially in looks. The whole team of actors, in fact, is exceptional, and the quality of the film results from the visual part (extremely mobile camera) but also from the gestures of each character. ‘The Age of Innocence‘ is a film that rightly earns the status of a cinematic classic, and that will last for a long time.