Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Age of Innocence Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 11, 2018

Winner of Oscar Award for Best Costume Design, Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence" (1993) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new video interviews with Martin Scorsese, screenwriter Jay Cocks, production designer Dante Ferretti, and costume designer Gabriella Pescucci; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film critic Geoffrey O’Brien and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"You gave me my first glimpse of a real life, and then you asked me to carry on with a false one."

Those who have never experienced what Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Newland Archer (Daniel Del Lewis) go through in Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence are very lucky. The pain can be so intense and so overwhelming that it can literally force one to give up on life. And if one does, the scary thing is that it is awfully difficult not to agree with the destructive logic behind the tragic end: Why live a long and excruciating lie?

Olenska and Archer meet in nineteenth-century New York, a booming city with big ambitions that has enthusiastically embraced old and new money and quickly produced its own elite class of aristocrats, just like the one that many of its new European residents have fled. Olenska is one of the many newcomers, but her story is different. She was born into wealth in America and after years of being married to a Polish Count and living in his home country she has left him and returned to New York to begin a new life. But it has not been easy. Her husband has stolen her wealth and is now refusing to finalize the divorce papers that would transfer some of it back to her. After initially standing by her, Olenska’s relatives have also casually began expressing concerns over her decision to legally end her marriage to the Count as they have realized that it will eventually have an impact on their reputations. Archer crosses paths with Olenska on the day he announces his engagement to her cousin, May Welland (Winona Ryder), a young and very beautiful but also somewhat shallow girl. Having heard plenty of demeaning rumors about Olenska’s legal troubles and personality, Archer is quite surprised and overwhelmed by her elegance and striking personality, and after a few more casual encounters falls madly in love with her. Soon after, it becomes obvious that there is a mutual attraction, but with their lives heading in completely different directions the two are left to struggle with their feeling and emotions.

The film represents a very faithful and convincing take on Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, but it still has its own distinct cinematic personality. It comes from Scorsese’s decision to structure and treat it as a personal confession of sorts whose goal is to calmly deconstruct what is essentially a doomed relationship. As a result, there is a special sense of sadness that permeates it which cannot possibly be credited to the novel.

Plenty of the film’s personality also comes from the manner in which Scorsese imagines New York and reveals how its growing prosperity impacts the two protagonists. The city appears to be defined by its wealth but, sadly, also by the striking hypocrisy of its elites, so while slowly coming to terms with the realization that they will have to sacrifice their love Archer and Olenska also discover that they must embrace the hypocrisy that is actually keeping them apart. Frankly, it is what makes the entire film so heartbreaking -- as demoralizing and devastating their pain is likely to be, it is only one part of an even bigger tragedy.

The principal actors are spectacular and it is really a shame that at least one of them did not win an Oscar. Costume designer Gabriella Pescucci did, and rightfully so, as the period costumes, dresses, and decors are absolutely flawless.

One area where the film appears somewhat vulnerable is the editing. A few of the stage performances and some of the narration that helps with the transitions could have been managed better.

The Age of Innocence Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a wet-gate Oxberry film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative at Cineric in New York City. The color grading, approved by Martin Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, was done at Sony Colorworks in Culver City, California. The director-approved 5.1 surround soundtrack was remastered by Sony from the original six-track printmaster at Chace Audio in Burbank, California.

Transfer supervisor: Grover Crisp/Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Colorist: Sheri Eisenberg/Sony Pictures Colorworks.
Digital restoration: Prasad Corporation, Chennai, India.
Additional restoration: Sony Colorworks."

The release is sourced from a new 4K restoration that was approved by director Martin Scorsese. Quite predictably, the entire film looks very healthy and vibrant; the visuals also boast consistent and pleasing density. Grain is nicely exposed and resolved, ensuring proper fluidity that folks with larger screens are guaranteed to appreciate. My one and only minor criticism pertains to the overall grading. Indeed, while all of the primaries and supportive nuances are very stable, there are some areas of the film where the blacks appear somewhat crushed (see screencaptures #8 and 15). The effect is never distracting, but my feeling is that some gentle nuances could have been retained. Image stability is excellent. Lastly it is quite clear that careful work was done to ensure that all age-related imperfections are removed as best as possible. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Age of Innocence Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

There are no technical anomalies to report in our review. The audio is very crisp, clear, and nicely rounded. Additionally, even though The Age of Innocence is a period film its original sound design is actually quite impressive, promoting some quite effective dynamic nuances that are effortlessly retained on the lossless track. Balance is great as well.

The Age of Innocence Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Martin Scorsese - in this brand new filmed conversation, Martin Scorsese discusses the conception and production history of The Age of Innocence with writer and filmmaker Kent Jones. The Oscar-winning director also mentions some of the period films that had an enormous impact on him over the years as he studied human behavior and ultimately led to his decision to adapt Edith Wharton's popular novel (The Moon and Sixpence, The Private Affairs of Bel Ami, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Letter from an Unknown Woman, The Leopard). The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in New York in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 1080p).

• Jay Cocks - in this brand new video interview, screenwriter Jay Cocks discusses some of the main themes from Edith Wharton's popular novel and how they are retained in The Age of Innocence (the original script was apparently completed in seventeen days), the period look and atmosphere of the city that is recreated in the film and what it might have felt like to live there, as well his interactions with Martin Scorsese and the research that they did together. (Years later, the two gentlemen also collaborated on Gangs of New York and Silence). The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in New York in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Dante Ferretti - in this new filmed conversation, production designer Dante Ferretti recalls his initial encounter with Martin Scorsese and discusses his contribution to The Age of Innocence with Antonio Monda, artistic director of the Rome Film Festival. Before he was contracted Dante Ferretti was not familiar with Edith Wharton's novel, and when he started working on the film he used only the original script. The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in Rome in 2017. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (20 min, 1080p).

• Gabriella Pescucci - in this new filmed conversation, award-winning costume designer Gabriella Pescucci discusses her preparation work and contribution to The Age of Innocence with Antonio Monda. There are also some interesting comments about Martin Scorsese's expectations and suggestions before and during the product6ion process, as well as the impact that Luchino Visconti's great period film have had on him. The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in Rome in 2017. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (19 min, 1080p).

• Innocence and Experience - this archival documentary on the making of The Age of Innocence was produced and directed by Laura Davis and originally aired on HBO in 1993. The documentary combines clips from interviews with cast members in which they address their characters and some of the dilemmas that they face, comments from Martin Scorsese about the period style and atmosphere of the film, and raw footage from the shooting of various sequences. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 1080i).

• Trailer - original U.S. trailer for The Age of Innocence. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by film critic Geoffrey O'Brien and technical credits.

The Age of Innocence Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Age of Innocence would have never materialized without Martin Scorsese's deep admiration and genuine love for the work of the great European masters. Its passion, period texture and glamour, and especially the experience that it offers are quite simply impossible not to compare to those of the lavish classics that the likes of Luchino Visconti and Max Ophüls directed. The film has been newly restored in 4K under the supervision of its creator and looks lovely in high-definition. This upcoming release also features a very nice selection of informative new interviews and programs. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.