The Age of Innocence - A
Now Playing: (1993, Martin Scorsese) [seen on DVD; second viewing, first since 1994]
When I first saw this adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel, I remember being vaguely bored by it (I was 16 at the time, and not especially cultivated in my moviegoing tastes), but this time was much, much different. Having become much more familiar with Scorsese's filmography over the past nine years, I saw this less as a stodgy period piece than as a highlight of the director's canon. One of the major problems I had with the film the first time, the narration, made perfect sense to me this time, since like much of his other recent work the narrator (first-person or otherwise) serves as a kind of tour guide for the audience through unknown territory, and this time around is no exception. Also fully on display here is Scorsese's attention to detail, and his delight at immersing us in a world that's new to us. Aside from society as a whole (given voice by the narration), the most interesting figure in this one is May, played by Winona Ryder back when she was actually a viable and important actress- it's canny the way she embodies this character, who always knows much more than she actually says, but never lets on that she knows much of anything. Of course, Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer (speaking of once-important actresses...) are excellent here as well, and are backed by an exquisite supporting cast. The one thing I remembered about this from last time was how beautiful it looked and sounded (kudos to Michael Ballhaus' cinematography and Elmer Bernstein's score), but this time around I was shocked how deeply moving it was as well.