The Age of Innocence

        Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Age of Innocence is a 1993 historical romance drama film. The film is adapted from Edith Wharton’s 1920 novel of the same name. The film is set against the backdrop of New York City’s upper class in the 1870s, during the Gilded Age. The Age of Innocence revolves around a young lawyer, Newland Archer, who is engaged to May Welland. Their seemingly perfect match turns out to be not that perfect with the arrival of May Welland’s cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, as Newland Archer would be torn between these women.

        The film successfully portrays the soul of the Gilded Age. The luxuriousness of the era, especially for the wealthy elite of New York, is on full display. The extravagant lifestyles of the upper class are shown through the grand homes, the parties, and the costumes. Although the era has a glittering surface, beneath it, hypocrisy and double standards of society are prominent. As far as the film depicts, public displays of affection and issues such as divorce are disapproved, whereas affairs are common behind closed doors.

        The movie showcases the rigid social codes and expectations that dictated every aspect of the higher society in New York during the Gilded Age. Significantly, such characters as Newland Archer are trapped by duty and tradition. Additionally, there is immense pressure to conform in order not to be gossiped about. Moreover, the film reflects how women were largely confined to domestic roles. 

        On one hand, May Welland exemplifies the ideal wife according to the Gilded Age; she is innocent, proper, submissive, and beautiful. On the other hand, Countess Ellen Olenska is rather an independent, glamorous, and nonconforming woman. Even though the film does not delve too deeply, there are hints of the emerging tensions between established “old money” families and those who are referred as “new money.”

        In conclusion, The Age of Innocence offers a glimpse into the Gilded Age, a time of immense wealth, privilege, strict societal expectations, and a constant struggle to maintain appearances, even at the cost of personal desires.

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