The Age of Innocence (1993)

Last updated:
October 27, 2025

Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence (1993) is a sumptuous period drama about love, repression, and the unyielding grip of social convention. Based on Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1920 novel, the film dives into the elite world of 1870s New York high society, exploring how manners, reputation, and duty suffocate passion and individuality.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Setting the Scene: The Gilded Cage of New York Society

The film opens in 1870s New York, where appearances and propriety are everything. Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis), a successful lawyer and member of New York’s upper class, is engaged to the beautiful and proper May Welland (Winona Ryder). Their relationship is comfortable, expected, and entirely in line with society’s approval.

The Arrival of Countess Ellen Olenska

The equilibrium shatters with the arrival of May’s cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer). Ellen has fled her scandalous marriage to a Polish count, returning to New York amid whispers and judgment. Her independence, honesty, and disregard for society’s rules fascinate Newland. Unlike the others, Ellen questions the very structures that define their world—something Newland secretly longs to do.

The Spark Between Newland and Ellen

Assigned to handle Ellen’s divorce, Newland becomes drawn to her openness and courage. They share stolen glances and intimate conversations, both aware of their growing attraction but constrained by the ironclad expectations of their society. Newland begins to see his engagement to May as a trap, a reflection of his own cowardice in the face of conformity.

The Web of Social Control

May’s family and the rest of New York society conspire, in their polite and elegant way, to protect their image and isolate Ellen. Newland’s attempts to defy this order are subtle but desperate—urging Ellen to divorce, trying to postpone his marriage to May, and finally confronting his own hypocrisy. Still, he finds himself bound by invisible chains: obligation, fear of scandal, and his ingrained adherence to social rules.

A Confession and a Farewell

When May realizes Newland’s love for Ellen, she acts decisively but quietly. She informs Ellen—under the guise of an innocent conversation—that she is pregnant, knowing this news will bind Newland to her forever. Ellen, unwilling to destroy May’s life or reputation, decides to leave New York.

Movie Ending

Years later, the film jumps ahead to the early 20th century. Newland is now a widower; May has died, but not before ensuring that her husband would never act on his love for Ellen. He travels to Paris with his son, who arranges a meeting between Newland and Ellen.

Outside Ellen’s apartment, Newland pauses. His son goes inside to greet her, but Newland stays on a bench, gazing up at her window. He is flooded with memories—of what could have been, of the passion he buried beneath the rules of his world. Finally, he decides not to go up. “It’s more real to me here than if I went up,” he says softly, choosing to preserve the memory of Ellen rather than confront the passage of time or his own regrets.

The film ends with Newland walking away, symbolizing the quiet tragedy of a man who conformed to the age of innocence—and was emotionally destroyed by it.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No. There are no post-credits or mid-credits scenes. The film concludes decisively with Newland’s bittersweet departure, closing on a note of emotional stillness and acceptance.

Type of Movie

The Age of Innocence is a romantic drama and period piece, blending historical realism with emotional restraint. It’s a film about repressed desire, moral obligation, and the suffocating nature of social decorum.

Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer
Michelle Pfeiffer as Countess Ellen Olenska
Winona Ryder as May Welland
Miriam Margolyes as Mrs. Mingott
Richard E. Grant as Larry Lefferts
Geraldine Chaplin as Mrs. Welland
Jonathan Pryce as Rivière
Narration by Joanne Woodward

Film Music and Composer

The lush and emotionally restrained score was composed by Elmer Bernstein, whose orchestral compositions evoke both the beauty and the suffocating order of Gilded Age New York. The waltzes and chamber music mirror the emotional undercurrents beneath the film’s rigid social surface.

Filming Locations

New York City, USA – Interior scenes set in upper-class drawing rooms were filmed in preserved 19th-century mansions.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Used as a stand-in for old New York due to its well-preserved period architecture.
Paris, France – The final scene takes place in the city, symbolizing both freedom and the unattainable.

The authenticity of the settings adds immense depth, making viewers feel immersed in the formality and grandeur of Gilded Age America.

Awards and Nominations

Won: Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Gabriella Pescucci)
Nominated:
- Best Supporting Actress (Winona Ryder)
- Best Adapted Screenplay (Jay Cocks, Martin Scorsese)
- Best Original Score (Elmer Bernstein)
- Best Art Direction
- Best Cinematography

Behind the Scenes Insights

Scorsese was fascinated by Edith Wharton’s exploration of social codes and saw the story as a kind of “gangster movie with gloves.”
The film’s costumes were meticulously hand-made, with authentic stitching and fabrics from the 19th century.
Daniel Day-Lewis stayed in character during filming, maintaining Newland’s reserved demeanor off-set.
Michelle Pfeiffer initially hesitated to accept the role, feeling unworthy of Wharton’s heroine—but her performance became one of her most acclaimed.
The narration by Joanne Woodward was a late addition, added to clarify the social intricacies for modern audiences.

Inspirations and References

Based on Edith Wharton’s 1920 novel, which critiques the rigid social hierarchies of New York’s Gilded Age.
Scorsese drew visual inspiration from the paintings of John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler to achieve the film’s painterly aesthetic.
The social rigidity and emotional repression themes influenced later works like The Remains of the Day (1993).

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

While no alternate endings were filmed, Scorsese shot several extended dialogue scenes that were later trimmed to maintain pacing. Early drafts included a scene of older Newland reflecting on his youth before visiting Ellen, but Scorsese chose to end with the silent, powerful walk away instead.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The film is remarkably faithful to Edith Wharton’s novel, preserving its dialogue and narrative tone. The primary difference lies in visual storytelling—Scorsese uses close-ups, camera movements, and color to express emotions that Wharton described in prose. The narration helps translate Wharton’s ironic and observant voice into cinematic form.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The opera sequence introducing Newland and Ellen, drenched in crimson light and longing glances.
Newland’s confession of love to Ellen during a carriage ride—one of the few moments where passion breaks through restraint.
May’s quiet revelation to Ellen that she is pregnant, sealing the fate of both lovers.
The final Paris scene, where Newland chooses memory over reunion.

Iconic Quotes

Ellen Olenska: “You gave me my first glimpse of a real life, and at the same time you asked me to go on with a sham one.”
Newland Archer: “I want—I want somehow to get away with you into a world where words like that—categories like that—won’t exist.”
May Welland: “You gave me the feeling that you were always waiting for something.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Scorsese uses color as emotional language—Ellen often appears in warm, deep tones (red, gold), while May is dressed in whites and pastels, representing innocence and social purity.
The floral imagery throughout mirrors Newland’s moral entrapment—bouquets, garden scenes, and cut flowers symbolize beauty that cannot survive freedom.
The final Paris bench is shot with painterly lighting, echoing the wistful impressionism of turn-of-the-century art.

Trivia

Martin Scorsese originally wanted to cast Madeleine Stowe as Ellen.
The film’s ballroom scenes were choreographed based on real 19th-century social manuals.
Joanne Woodward’s narration was recorded in just two days.
It was one of Scorsese’s most expensive costume productions, with over 2000 handmade pieces of attire.

Why Watch?

Because The Age of Innocence is not just a love story—it’s an autopsy of love crushed by manners. If you’re drawn to period dramas that explore emotional restraint, moral compromise, and the tension between personal desire and social duty, this film delivers both beauty and heartbreak in equal measure. It’s Scorsese’s quietest, yet one of his most devastating works.

Director’s Other Movies

Recommended Films for Fans

Pride and Prejudice (2005)
A Room with a View (1985)
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
Howard’s End (1992)
Little Women (1994)
Materialists (2025)
The Remains of the Day (1993)
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
The House of Mirth (2000)

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Detailed Summary