Review of The Age of Innocence (1993) by Harry W — 27 Mar 2014

I can never miss a Martin Scorsese film, particularly one where he teamed up with Daniel Day-Lewis and especially Winona Ryder in an Academy Award nominated performance.

The Age of Innocence clearly isn't my normal kind of film because it deals with an upper class society facing the complicated drama that comes with love and marriage as well as dealing with a society which has people gossiping everywhere. It's certainly not the first film I would pick out of a line up because I tend to find romance films rarely have an impact on me and costume dramas have the same issue, so a film that combines both genres certainly doesn't have a great chance of leaving a mark on me.

This was largely the case with The Age of Innocence. The story feels rather formulaic of many other romantic drama films with the only differences being that this one is more stylish than many others as it is a costume drama and it has Martin Scorses as the director ensuring that the film is both a visual splendour and a dramatic spectacle. Admittedly, the story didn't grab me and the dynamics were simply not my idea of entertainment so my interest in The Age of Innocence constantly drifted in and out.

Also, while the acting and writing was strong, I really didn't find the relationships between characters that interesting. The story surrounds Newland Archer as he deals with the question of where his love truly lies is interesting at some times, more so in the second half. But a lot of the time it just seems repetitive and I fail to find much understanding of where he is going next or what he is feeling. The story in The Age of Innocence seems to leave some of its key story elements ambiguous while it floods the screen with a lot of supporting characters and subplots. Frankly, I found my interest in the film coming and going as the story attempted to cover a lot of ground while following a repetitive route in its main plot. I guess frankly I'm just not a fan of love stories in films unless they are truly eccentric, and even the excellent visual style of The Age of Innocence couldn't hide the old writing beneath it, based on a 1920 novel.

But all that having been said, The Age of Innocence boasted a lot of admirable qualities to it.

For one thing, from a visual standpoint The Age of Innocence is unforgettable.

The cinematography in The Age of Innocence is thoroughly excellent. It consists of many smooth moving long shots which extend longer than you might expect and there are many that tend to require minimal editing. They give The Age of Innocence the grand visual spectacle mood that it needs, and it ensures that it succeeds as a stylish success.

The scenery in The Age of Innocence is lush and beautiful. Particularly the scenes filmed outside which depict the rich and colourful life of the land that grows around the setting of the film. And it combines with the lavish art direction of the film which renders every visual elements of the film thoroughly convincing.

And along with that is the Academy Award winning costumes which give all the cast members lavish appearances and reinforce their levels of class while bringing out the colourful spirit in some characters while reminding us of the shallow vanity of many others. The costumes are truly lavish in The Age of Innocence and they make the costume drama aspect of the film come out as a success.

In terms of story, while the film seems rather old and melodramatic, it is very well scripted. The dialogue in The Age of Innocence is very intelligent and the actors are given plenty to work with which allows them to bring out some of the best talents they have. And overall, while the story in The Age of Innocence is certainly not one I would favour, Martin Scorsese really gives it the best possible treatment and ensures that it is delivered with passion and style, so his role as director is great, and the fact that he dedicated it to his recently deceased father is just beautiful.

And the cast never come up short in The Age of Innocence and keep a lot of the story alive.

While Daniel Day-Lewis has given many arguably superior performances, his lead role in The Age of Innocence is excellent. The man has been called the greatest actor of his generation due to his ability to completely disappear into his role through method acting. In The Age of Innocence his character is less complicated than many of his other roles, but you can tell through the expressions on his face and the emotions in his line delivery that he is constantly in thought about where his emotions are going to take him and what they are doing to him. Daniel Day-Lewis gets deep into his character and constantly questions what he would be feeling which matches how Newland Archer himself is constantly questioning what is going on in his head and in his heart. Daniel Day-Lewis gives the right amount of emotional complexity and sophistication to the role as a means of making it everything it can be, and the result is a very powerful and charming performance.

And while Michelle Pfeiffer has played better characters in a lot of films, her role in The Age of Innocence is fairly good. It feels somewhat routine, but her voice articulation and chemistry with Daniel Day-Lewis make up for it and allow a sense of emotional drama to thrive. Michelle Pfeiffer is a good cast member to have on board in The Age of Innocence.

But it is Winona Ryder who gives the standout performance in The Age of Innocence. Winona Ryder's pivotal supporting role in The Age of Innocence is most definitely the greatest supporting performance she has ever given throughout her career. One of Winona Ryder's most charming elements is the fact that her smile is so beautiful that is simply lights up the screen. But considering she rarely gets to do it in The Age of Innocence due to the dramatic aspects of the film being less lighthearted and more melodramatic, she allows the charm simply to come from her line delivery which works out during every moment of her performance. Her emotional skills as an actor thrive in The Age of Innocence, and she interacts with the surrounding cast exceptionally well, particularly with Daniel Day-Lewis. Really, Martin Scorsese proves to be able to bring out some of the best talents of Winona Ryder in The Age of Innocence, and her performance is simply unforgettable.

So while the story wasn't interesting to me and it had the feel of a flash melodrama, Martin Scorsese's stylish direction and the dedicated performances of the lead actors help to ensure that The Age of Innocence makes up for its many flaws.