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Written by: Edith Wharton (novel "The Age of Innocence"), Jay Cocks & Martin Scorsese (screenplay)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Richard E. Grant
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
In 1870s high-society New York, a young lawyer falls for a woman separated from her husband while he's engaged to her cousin.
Verdict
This is a movie where I love the themes and ideas more than the movie itself. The setting alone makes this seem aloof, and that's probably as intended. It's fancy attire, ornate meals, and lots of posturing. This is New York high society at the turn of the century where everyone is more interested in appearances than substance. It's not about who you love, but who makes the best match socially to align rich families. Newland becomes engaged as the match makes social sense, but then he becomes infatuated. He can't break off his engagement lest he ruin his reputation. As much as I like the story, the movie can be slow as many of the scenes are fancy dinners. It's a lot of longing due to restrictions that are self imposed and social.
It depends.
Review
This is a window into high society of the time. Newland (Daniel Day-Lewis) becomes engaged to May (Winona Ryder) because they're a social match. It's not about passion but upholding social norms and classes. When Newland meets May's cousin Ellen (Michelle Pfeiffer), he's enthralled. He reminisces about their childhood. She's recently returned to the states, her marriage close to the end due to unfortunate circumstances of infidelity. Ellen is ostracized in this society because she doesn't try to maintain the facade of her marriage like so many others do. She's not even trying to hide what happened or making an effort to fit in.
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| Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder play Newland Archer, May Welland |
If Newland gives in to desire, he besmirches not only his reputation buy May's too. He also doesn't dismiss his feelings. He tries to have it all by balancing both women. May suspects his feelings for her are performative, but Newland insists that's not true. While Ellen cares for him, she realizes what society's rules mean for their relationship whether they like it or not. They simply can't be.
Despite that, Newland argues on her behalf as he tries to get her back into the fancy parties and the high class life. I wondered if it was less to repair her reputation and more so he'd get a chance to see her more often. He's clearly infatuated, and yet he's already engaged to someone else. May continues to question his motivations for rushing into marriage. She intuits correctly. He's trying to cover.
Being a lawyer, Newland gets involved with her divorce. He points out that it's a scandal, a mark of shame in this world. While the law favors divorce, society does not.
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| Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer play Newland Archer, Ellen Olenska |
Newland confesses his affection for Ellen, though it couldn't have been a surprise. She responds that she avoided divorce at his urging to thwart disgrace, now he wants her to commit to something scandalous with him. Nothing happens and Newland indeed marries May, but that doesn't curtail his thoughts about Ellen.
The setting adds the social consequences. In this world divorce can affect your entire social standing. It's not so dire in modern times. While infatuation still has consequences, Newland struggles with knowing what he should do and wanting to follow his desires. It's only when May becomes pregnant that Newland finally commits to her and raises a family. He never consummated a relationship with Ellen, though many suspected he had. Newland realized what love is. It's a commitment and devotion to a partner rather than just a collection of feelings. He was chasing desire, and desire doesn't ensure a solid relationship or fruitful life. Passion is temporary. Even May realized his commitment to her. Newland didn't break up with her, eventually committing. Ellen too, she left the country to give the marriage a chance. This entire story is desire meets obligation in high society.
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