The Age of Innocence recast Scorsese and his beloved New York from a working-class warzone, to an affluent oasis. His skill in extrapolating the cultural mannerisms of the city has always been fascinating but here it reaches near perfection. Newland Archer (DANIEL DAY-LEWIS), is to announce his engagement to socialite May Welland (WINONA RYDER). This has all the hallmarks of a major society event, with social graces and major players convening. When beautiful Ellen Olenska (MICHELLE PFEIFFER) arrives in town, things become tangles. She has left her husband and is the talk of New York. With all the contradictions and absurdities of the time merged into a parable of social grace and favour.
The Disc
New, restored 4K digital transfer, approved by director Martin Scorsese, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD – 4K digital transfer heaven. I have seen the film on three occasions. Once in the cinema and twice on DVD. Both are dwarfed by the sheer beauty of it here. My favourite scene, the one where we see the isolated house near central park where the auntie lives, is rich with celluloid grain and makes you pine for cinema like this. Michael Ballhaus deserves credit here for his work. He sculpts the visual and almost every composition is interesting but also services the scene.
New interviews with Scorsese, co-screenwriter Jay Cocks, production designer Dante Ferretti, and costume designer Gabriella Pescucci – Scorsese gives us the bones of the thing. He tells it with enough hindsight to see how it influenced his later works. Cocks might just be the most interesting script writer to never get his own share of the stage in terms of extras work. I love his enthusiastic brace on the novel. Dante Ferretti seems to have had a field day with the work. It must have been his dream project and he profoundly seemed to have loved the research aspects. Gabriella Pescucci again makes the case for more extras like this. In modern times we are treated to a host of these and I for one am thrilled.
Innocence and Experience, a 1993 documentary on the making of the film – Less thrilled with this extra. It seems less passionate and more a copy and paste example of ideas to make a doc on. However, I do think it is worth traversing.
Geoffrey O’Brien essay – Yes this is the stuff you want to read. Film scholar that meets thoughtful prose and then makes the film more interesting as a side.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
New, restored 4K digital transfer, approved by director Martin Scorsese, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD
New interviews with Scorsese, co-screenwriter Jay Cocks, production designer Dante Ferretti, and costume designer Gabriella Pescucci
Innocence and Experience, a 1993 documentary on the making of the film
Trailer
Plus: An essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien
