| Dreams
and Frustrations of the Burgeoisie
“The Age of Innocence”
innocence . N 1. Quality of being Innocent. 2. Absence
of guilty.
3. Purity. 4. Simplicity, Ingenuinity.
Martin Scorsese is one of the best American directors
ever existed. Very few people would disagree. Many
would even sign a statement like this one with
no doubts. His major virtue? He is a daring movie-maker.
When he is making a movie he searches for perfection
as well as for strong and stimulating stories.
Even in his movies that didn’t achieve success
within the spectators or the critics we can find
these characteristics. This is the case of “The
Age of Innocence”, Scorsese’s movie
based on Edith Wharthon classical book.
The book and the movie criticize the bourgeoisie
of New York City in the nineteenth century. The
worst critics are the ones related to the highest
society, the richest people of this city. The major
problem is that this social class, responsible
for the destitution of the nobility from the political
power and social status in Europe, the bourgeoisie
was kept as a hostage of the barons, counts, viscounts
and duchess because they maintained the typical
behavior and most of the habits of the nobles.
In ocassions such as banquets and parties, whenever
there was a new play in the theather or an opera,
in their luxurious mansions decorated according
to the patterns used by the European nobility in
their chateaus and palaces, the north-american
burgeoisie tried to show to everyone their wealth
and power. If the clothing did not follow the same
style of the eighteenth century (when the nobility
ruled over Europe), it was still used to demonstrate
autorithy and class, because of that, it was very
usual to use silk and velvet, fur coats, top hats
and classy coats.
If the burgeoisie were not found to laziness, so
often among the European nobility, the north-americans
gave at least the opportunity for relaxation in
their private gardens, countryside houses, clubs
(used as a chance to show to everyone else that
they were phisically in good shape, as well as
financially), or travelling through the world,
specially in Europe.
Besides that, the burgeoisie showed up to everyone
else as a social class in which happiness was a
constant part or their familiar and professional
behavior when, most of the time, this was not what
was really happening. It seemed necessary to illude
other components of this high society that there
were no failures or losses in their private affairs.
Pure hipocrisy…
The Movie
Madam Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a woman that
is living a crisis in her marriage so she comes
back from Europe and get established in New York
to live among her relatives. The society of the
nineteenth century do not host her with good eyes
even though the reasons that explained her separation
from her husband (an european noble) were considered
reasonable.
When Madam Olenska comes back, her cousin, the
sweet and ingenuous May (Winona Ryder) is about
to get married with Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis),
a successful young lawyer that comes from an important
and rich family from the city.
Newland was, although, chosen to take care of the
separation of Madam Olenska. Because of that, he
has many to meet her in many opportunities. This
will give them chances to start a hot romance.
How would the conservative local society react
to the relationship of Olenska and Newland? The
situation was worse than ever because Madam Olenska
was May’s cousin, bride and future wife of
Newland. It was even worser than that if we think
that May, the betrayed bride/future wife was ingenious,
elegant and so sweet…
The photography and costumes are memorable as well
as the direction of Martin Scorsese. Great performances
of the main actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer
and Winona Ryder (she was nominated for the Academy
Award and got a Golden Globe for this role) make
this movie an authentic success. To be watched
many times…
For Teachers
1- The use of novels as a support for the comprehension
of history is a real need. Edith Wharton, Machado
de Assis, Charles Dickens, Emile Zola or Aluísio
Azevedo can make it easier for students to understand
and describe the daily routine of ancient realities.
We even get a chance to understand how would it
be for us to live in these different historical
ages. It can be an outstanding support for a work
to be developed among literature and history.
2- For many students that are on middle or high
school there is not a clear difference between
the Modern and Contemporary Ages. The use of movies
such as “The Age of Innocence” allow
us to see how was the life of the bourgeoisie and
the similarities and differences (regarding habits,
clothing, housing, …) of this social group
and the nobility. It should also enable students
to reflect about the differences and find out why
we name these ages with different denominations
(Modern and Contemporary).
3- Is it possible to draw paralels between the
period shown in the movie (the end of the nineteenth
century in the United States), where we can see
the burgeoisie living so luxurious with the way
we live nowadays? Knowing that we live in a burgeoisie
society, theoritically this comparison can be made.
But how can we do it? What about proposing to the
students a research on habits, relationships, clothing,
housing, eating and partying actually so that we
can compare with Scorsese’s movie?
4- The title of the movie “The Age of Innocence” allow
us to begin a discussion with our students about
the meaning of the Word “innocence” in
the happenings of the story created by Edith Wharton.
One can ask, for example, if there are innocent
people in this movie? Which one of the characters
are understood as innocent? What are the qualities
of the innocent characters presented in the story?
The New York high society shown in the picture
acts on an innocent way or does it measure all
of its movements? The cold reception to Madame
Olenska by this society contradictes the title,
don’t you think? The smart and intelligent
lawyer Newland Archer really understood everything
that was happening around him? The sweet and ingenious
May was betrayed in the story and never realized
what was happening between Archer and Olenska?
João Luís
Almeida Machado
Master Degree in Education,
Arts and History of Culture (Universidade Presbiteriana
Mackenzie, in São Paulo); Professor at Faculdade
Senac in Campos do Jordão; Middle and
High School teacher; writes weekly columns for
the website Planeta Educação
Send e-mails, comments, suggestions and critics
for:
profjoaoluis@planetaeducacao.com.br
Technical Information
The
Age of Innocence
Country/Year
of Production:- USA, 1995
Length of Time/Gender:- 130 min., Drama/Romance
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriters: Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks
based on a book by Edity Wharton
Cast:- Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer,
Winona Ryder, Jonathan Pryce, Geraldine Chaplin,
Richard E. Grant, Robert Sean Leonard, Mary
Beth Hurt.
Links
- cineclick.virgula.terra.com.br/cinemateca/ficha_filme.php?id_cine=8846
- adorocinema.com/filmes/epoca-da-inocencia/epoca-da-inocencia.htm
- e-pipoca.cidadeinternet.com.br/filmes_zoom.cfm?id=769
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