Strange Scorsese: 'The Age of Innocence'
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- čas přidán 18. 09. 2018
- Martin Scorsese was first given Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence in 1980, he didn’t crack open the cover and go through its pages until 1985, he then spent two years working with Jay Cocks, the man who gave him the book in the first place, on the script and then after directing the gangster film masterpiece, Goodfellas, announced it as his follow-up.
Nobody gets whacked, punched, stabbed, or even yelled at in The Age of Innocence, which, when it was released twenty-five years ago, surprised critics; this costume drama, romance, tale of repression, guilt, and loss, was unlike anything Scorsese had made before. This seemingly left turn for the man who gave us Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas is perhaps why the film is usually the one I hear from fellow cinephiles as one of the few Scorsese films they have still yet to see. However, even though Scorsese went from characters speaking New York slang to the Queen’s English, the streets to the ballrooms, it still carries many of the themes that have filled his legendary career.
I wouldn’t go so far as to put The Age of Innocence in my top ten Scorsese films; as with Silence (his last feature until whenever he decides to finish working on The Irishman), Scorsese is extremely respectful of the source material, perhaps too much, even going so far as to include a third person narrator in the film, which confused the executives at Columbia. However, if you haven’t yet seen The Age of Innocence, you have missed out on Michael Ballhaus’s immaculate cinematography, Thelma Schoonmaker’s impressive editing, the production design of Michael Ferrer, which includes 200 recreations of paintings from the era, on which a team of nine worked twenty-five hours a piece. The Age of Innocence also marked the first pairing of Daniel Day-Lewis and Scorsese, and it even features the iconic director himself in a humorous cameo.
Learn more about that legendary “Raging Bull” fight scene in our interview with cinematographer Michael Chapman. And what about those opening credits? They were done by none other than Saul Bass, who you can discover more on in our video, “The Name Behind the Titles.” And no journey down the rabbit hole would be complete without watching our tribute to the star of “The Age of Innocence,” Michelle Pfeiffer! - Zábava
The Age of Innocence is like Scorsese's Barry Lyndon.
Exactly right. Just as with Barry Lyndon, every frame is a painting.
Dude the second I read it that's all I see now 😂
Not really
Age of Innocence is not only my favorite Scorsese film but in my top 5 of all films. Great video and thanks for bringing more attention to this underrated gem!
I would like to know ur top 5 fav films
@@navinsabban6521 Sorry for my late response but I've never actually made a list. Until now. These are just my favorite dramas and it was hard enough to narrow them down to this. In no particular order: The Age of Innocence, God's Own Country, The Color Purple, The Hours, Stand By Me.
What are yours?
@@MrHootiedean Very nice list! Scorsese once told Sight and Sound that his top five were Citizen Kane, The Searchers, The Red Shoes, Eight And A Half, and The Leopard.
@@JHarder1000 Thank you and thank you for more titles to check out!
I agree with Joseph, this is Scorsese’s masterpiece. And my favorite film of all time.
This makes me a little angry. Nothing is more lazy than putting filmmakers into boxes. Of course it's a Scorsese movie, and one of his most creative ones too.
whenever I see this kind of thought process, I am reminded of Riggan Thompson's rant at the critic in Birdman. it takes literally zero effort to be a critic.
It is MY most favorite Scorsese film ever! Exquisite in every way, down to the voice of the narrator by the incomparable Joanne Woodward. I’m so glad you shined the spotlight on this gem of a movie.
Incredible. Maybe my favourite Scorsese film!
So glad you'd heard the interview when Scorsese described this as his most violent film! I don't know that I'd call it my favorite of his works or his best but I do think its probably his most under-rated and under appreciated. A truly great film in every sense of the word!
I'm still thinking about why he didn't meet her. Perhaps he wanted to keep her memory, the idea of her. Perhaps he accepted his sentence. He is old fashioned. Despite having wanted to escape that world, he was raised in it and to run from it would be running from his true self, which can't be done...
Afonso Lucas because she didn’t look out the window. She held back the way she always had.
I agree, in the last scene when a light from Ellen's window causes Newland to remember the time he waited for her while her back was turned when she was at the dock, this time she actually turns to him. Newland would rather live in the fantasy, the idea of finally being able to love her, that's all it can ever be. A fantasy, and he leaves because he wants to keep it that way.
She brooke his heart and his life and now he sopose to come up for coffe, fuck that! j understand him it is all to late, and frankly she doesent deserv him he was villing to risk all but she wanted etiquette! great movie and a perfect ending he goes migtow. this movie is a real red pill.
@@diezpiedrasnegras1703 Don't men want to be the one to persue ...especially to "regain" their manhood...like Newland needed to do...since decades of a life with May would have gutted it ?!?
James Cameron utilized this movie to help him make Titanic. The ritual of how dinners are run; clothing and table settings along with the narration were used by Cameron but watered down for his popcorn flick.
Cameron could only imitate; He could not hope to equal. The other link between Scorsese's work of art and Cameron's paint by numbers iis that Jay Cocks was brought in as a script doctor.
I just watched it for the 2nd time in NINE DAYS, and I don't know if I'll ever get enough of it! It's now in my top 10 favorite movies! This movie needs more attention, it's a masterpiece in every aspect! :)
Mr. Scorsese doesn't make bad movies. Never. This one perhaps is a small picture if it's compared to his other works, but is a well crafted picture, with an amazing art direction and an excellent casting job too.
He’s had some stinkers over the years
Kundun is pretty poor
As Don Henley so eloquently put it: ""This is the age of the innocence.""
I just watched this for the first time a couple days ago. I don’t know why I’ve never watched it before now. I’m crushed and can’t get over it. It really is the most violent Scorsese film.
Thanks. I want to see this now. I have a book by film critic James Berardinelli and he said this was a must see.
Man, this film is a little talked about film from Scorsese's filmography and it doesn't appear much on the list of his best films, but for me it's one of his best films and a true masterpiece! With excellent performances, and in my opinion, Michelle Pfeiffer should have been nominated for an Oscar for best actress for this film, Scorsese manages to talk about the pain of love and makes a philosophical study that makes us wonder why some people give in to passions and others do not do this. The film is for few because it has its own rhythm and a language that not everyone understands and can capture, but it is an incredible work of art!!!
Age of Innocence was my first Scorsese film, and it's my favorite with Casino being a close second. Age of Innocence is like Barry Lyndon for Stanely Kubrick. Age was the unique middle child between Goodfellas and Casino, just like Barry Lyndon came between Clockwork Orange and The Shining. Clockwork and Shining are more similar to each other than Barry Lyndon, Just as Goodfellas and Casino are both Gangster films and Age is the complete outlier. But both Barry and Age of Innocence have their respective Directors finger prints all over them and they are great films for it.
"Go home and get yer f*ckin' shine box, Newland!"
Fantastic review!!!
Been a Scoecese fan for decades, but never felt inclined to watch this movie with it seemingly being "just a costume drama"...but have just watched it for the 1st time and its SO good. Fantastic movie, Great ending.
dear martin: my favorite camera angle occurs when you make the character, may, grow into a giant! when she lifts herself from that chair, and the film cuts to her rising, growing huge, then the last cut of that sequence she just towers over him. it was amazing. like a horror film. a lot of stuff going on in the mind, can be very violent in the film. very well done. member of the audience.
Great review. I highly suggest reading the novel, as well. My all-time favorite.
Scorsese's most feminine film, without the masculine violence he is famous for.
Still am amazed at the intricate detail in each scene. I always thought this in it's own way just as dark and frightening as GoodFellas. I DO consider this "Essential Scorcese". The narration by Joanne Woodward - Confusing? No - Perfection! The breathtaking but claustrophobic beauty the characters are surrounded by. The verbal knives without a raised voice. The peeling off of One Glove - an extremely sensual moment in such a restrained and refined society. Every moment is watched and critiqued and passed on to "society members". One wrong move can mean the equivalent of a bullet to the back of the head. Which might be less painful. The public dissaproval would be vicious and unending. To Me This Has Always Been A Masterpiece.
It’s such a sumptuously photographed film, I love it. Also this movie has such ab awesome cast of British character actors, it’s like Gosford Park. You’ve got Richard E. Grant, Miriam Margolyes, Johnathon Pryce.
One of my favorite films of all time. And I’m not one for romance films. But actually, this is hardly that.
Schoonmaker's Painters Supply Store 3:59
You noticed that little detail as well. Genius.
1:42
Bland looking food?
Bullshit on that one, mate.
this film is amazing though
His wife was not "cunning" they were a married a couple sleeping together wives tend to get pregnant.
Man I love this film
Its a masterpiece movie
I love ur videos #inspo ❤️
Weird u didn't mention winona's incredible performance
hey i know I'm like 8 months late but what about her performance was so incredible? I found it rather.... normal?
Any movie that makes lighting a cigar look compelling is ok with me
Do a video on Lucrecia Martel
Cool
Tip: Don't watch this movie if you're 57 y/o
Yes. It will definitely shake any 57 year old male to the bone, and make ponder what might have been.
Beats Wolf on Wallstreet by a mile. The world makes no sense.
What is the accent that the narrator has here?
transatlantic
You know Scorsese had already made "Alice doesn't live here anymore", "After Hours" & "New Your New York" at this point right?
Not that much of a left turn.
Maybe if you are ignorant and have only seen 3 of his movies before seeing this.....
!!!!
And don't forget The Last Temptation of Christ.
It is a left turn ,even from *Alice* (another under-rated masterpiece ),in that it deals with a whole different world (Or as Countess Olenska would put it, "Milieau" than the Blue collar, nineteen seventies, Arizona.
It's funnt becuse Archer isn't the best Archer......
But his wife Mary was a very good Archer, and on marrying him became an Archer....as though they were meant to be together.
Well we can't have it all even when it appears as if we have everything already social expectations cancel culture even then subtle stigmas.
Much as I'm glad to see The Age Of Innocence getting some love, can we please stop trying to change the definition of 'violence' to include things that aren't punching, kicking, stabbing, shooting, etc? It really won't end well.
You know that 'psychological violence' exist? It's a fact.
Michelle Pfeiffer was miscast
"collecting china"
I wanted to like this movie. It has Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder! And it was directed by Scorsese! But it was sooo boring, i fell asleep, i woke up, and i fell asleep again...
I can appreciate you saying that. Not knowing how old you are - your id name has "kid" in it. Respectfully - you need to have loved & lost to appreciate this movie - to have some life under your belt - to see all the layers of emotional & social violence that is occurring. The beauty in the surroundings is counter weighted by the ugliness of having a life that YOU can NOT choose for yourself. You can NOT bring shame on your tribe. A life with cookie cutter options - NO real freedom...only freedom to confirm.
A real prison in society.
@@Africa-ky1bg Hey, my *real* first name is "Billy The"... Can you guess my _last_ name?