25.10.23
Strained love in a world of opulence. In The Age of Innocence, we see what a versatile filmmaker Martin Scorsese truly is. It’s hard to believe this is the same director behind gritty classics like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, although here you can see a lighter, more subdued side in the likes of his recent films Silence and Killers of The Flower Moon. Scorsese subtly crafts a slow-burning period piece, allowing the social mores and unspoken rules of 1870s New York high society to simmer under the surface.
At the heart of it all is an excellent performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. In Newland Archer, we see a man torn in half between his safe, social responsibilities and the hedonist abandon of true love with a forbidden woman. A suave character matched up brilliantly with a classy performance, of a man who seemingly has everything, until he doesn’t. Winona Ryder also impresses as she grows into her role as Archer’s wife-to-be Mary Welland, with some powerful work in the latter half of the film involving intimate, showing scenes with DDL.
I also really admired Joanne Woodward’s wistful, dreamlike narration which cements the film’s sense of time and place well. She perfectly captures the romantic but complex emotional tones of the narrative as she guides us through Archer’s inner thoughts and struggles. Coming back to The Age of Innocence in 2023 serves as a welcome tonic to some of Scorsese’s longer and more dense films of late. At a tight 2 hours, this one is lush, elegant, and poetic in a way that modern films rarely achieve.
Scorsese succeeded in creating an insular world that feels far removed from today. From the ornate costume design to the sparkling dinner parties, The Age of Innocence is a gorgeous film that holds up incredibly well 30 years later. It’s a transportive viewing experience, which politely requests its audience to slow down and appreciate the details.