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THE AGE OF INNOCENCE
Review by Gordon Justesen
Stars:
Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder
Director: Martin Scorsese
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Studio: Columbia Tri Star
Features: Theatrical Trailers
Length: 138 Minutes
Release Date: November 6, 2001
“Are you very much in love with
her?”
“As much as any one man can
be.”
“Is there such a limit?”
“If there is, I haven’t found
it.”
The Age of Innocence illustrates more than anything
how versatile such a filmmaker can be. When one thinks of the works of Martin
Scorsese, perhaps the single greatest director living right now, such darker,
edgier pieces come to mind. Films such as Taxi Driver, GoodFellas, and Cape
Fear, all of which pound the pulse with dark scenes of violence and
brutality. Having watched those films countless times, it seemed that he was
always right at home with such material. The Age of Innocence opened my
eyes to a whole new atmosphere; one that I thought I’d never see Scorsese
create, which is the elegance of New York in 1870.
Watching the film, like many of Scorsese’s film, you are
immediately engulfed in an assured place and time. The film opens by introducing
it’s lead characters, followed by a brief exhibition of the society they
inhabit. The early moments in the movie reminded me very much of the
documentary-like feel of the first hour of Scorsese’s Casino. Here, he
applies the same technical feel, with narration by Joanne Woodward to help
explain how those in the upper class maneuver and go about. At the center of the
story is Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) who is engaged to marry the beautiful
May Welland (Winona Ryder). It is described as a perfect marriage between two
perfect families, and both parties seem to be equally satisfied, until one night
at an opera, where Archer meets May’s cousin, the hauntingly beautiful Ellen,
the Countress Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer). A beauty she is indeed, but that is
not necessarily what attracts Archer. Rather it is the notion that she is a
person with ideas of her own, looking upon his world with amusement and
detachment of an exile. He is entirely excited by a woman who boldly thinks for
herself.
The Age of Innocence is film told passionately and
filmed beautifully at the hands of a technical master. Scorsese, along with
cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (GoodFellas, The Last Temptation of Christ)
exhibits the settings of this film with such remarkable passion, and it
demonstrates that he is capable of making any kind of movie in any kind of
setting. Such set pieces as the opera with opens the film, as well as a lavishly
executed ballroom dance sequence. This is one film that knows anything and
everything about its time and place.
The performances here are extraordinarily passionate as
well. Daniel Day-Lewis, one of THE most dynamic actors of our time, immerses
himself in the role of Newland Archer; a man who is caught between what is right
for him and what he thinks he wants. Michelle Pfeiffer has rarely been as
remarkable as she is here as Archer’s supreme desire. Winona Ryder reveals
superb depth in her character, especially in the film’s final moments, which
ties every loose end together.
The Age of Innocence is a film to be experienced.
It’s a true feast for the senses, and a work of pure art.
For
a movie that contains a breathtaking montage of visual scenery, Columbia Tri
Star has issued a much terrific looking transfer. The picture is for the most
part, completely clear, and the vivid colors of the film, from the red and
yellow of the roses to the flashes of crimson and white that transition scenes,
pay off wonderfully good in particular. A few early scenes suffer from some
slight grain, but the overall presentation is one worthy of the movie’s
dynamic look.
CTS
issues a wonderful sounding quality to this disc, in which the primary highlight
is the sound of Elmer Bernstein’s beautiful score to the film. The 5.1
presentation also offers impressive moments of picking up of distinct background
voices, and Joanne Woodward’s narration comes through nicely as well. An
overall impressive transfer for a film you kind of wouldn’t expect one from.
The only weak spot of the disc. CTS usually includes at least one featurette or retrospective documentary on the making of the film. All that is featured are trailers for this film and three other CTS releases, Sense and Sensibility, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Gandhi.
Summary:
The Age of Innocence is a pure epitome of wonderful cinematic moviemaking. Credit to Martin Scorsese for applying his directorial brilliance, and the wonderful performances from the three leads.