Scorsese's The Age of Innocence: An Analysis
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- A dive into Scorsese's masterpiece about artifice and nostalgia. (Spoilers for The Age of Innocence and La La Land. I have a point, I promise.)
Thank you all for waiting! I love this film and really wanted to do it justice. My next (shorter) video will be on its way soon. As always, I relish your likes and salsa your comments.
Find me on Patreon: bit.ly/2CXXiXx
Additional reading:
Belen Vidal, “Figuring the Past: Period Film and the Mannerist aesthetic”
I dont know why, but nobody seems to talk about this movie on youtube. This movie is one of the top romantic movies of all time, and yet few talk about it. Thank you, for doing this.
I have been a Scorcese fan for about 35 years, and I was never bothered about watching what appeared to be a "costume drama"...But I have just watched it now, and....it's absolutely fantastic,.I am so impressed with it.
And yes, this movie deserves a lot more in the way of reviews and analysis on UA-cam.
Also After hours and Bringing out of dead.
Does anyone think Michelle Pfeiffer was awfully miscast?
@@Enr227 I don't know if she was miscast, but she looks awful. Such an ethereal beauty and yet there's something harsh about the colors, clothing, and even the flowers placed around her. None of these bring out the beauty that would have beguiled Archer. Haven't seen the movie all the way thru with careful attention, so need to hold off being too judgmental.
Yes May went for the jugular but let's remember she did give Archer an out in the beginning
April Long yes she gave Archer an out but knew that having made their engagement public, he was as good a married man bc at that point society had you by the throat. Ellen was really a woman not of her time. She was strong, determined, smart and had not lived amongst these people for many years. Her way of communicating was direct and to the point bc she had lived in a different society, than Newlands’ for most of her adult life. I often wondered if Newland would have ever been happy with Ellen?
She was manipulating at that time .. she portrayed herself as noble by telling him to wait a year but immediately gets married within a month .. she knew at that time he lived Ellen
@@diyas7910 No, Archer had been pressing and pressing her to get married ASAP, even to the point of traveling from NYC to Florida to pressure her into it. He then got her grandmother to convince May's parents. Their marriage one month later was entirely the result of Archer's hounding them to move the wedding up a year--the result of Archer's inability (at that point) to admit to himself his situation he was in.
@@NEMO-NEMO No. Ellen got around, and once he had her, the bloom would have been off the rose. He would have been disgusted by her. She's much more manipulative than May, imho
Jc Rocks I think both were manipulative duo to feeling trapped in their situation. And imo everyone was just thinking about themselves and wanting freedom/security/something different, I doubt any of them truly felt inlove
May didn't just suspect; she knew. She knew almost from the beginning.
She knew when she kept asking Archie about his plan to go Washington. I thought, as he did, she was dumb and gullible, but she was a better lawyer than he was, finding the truth from someone who didn't suspect it was an interrogation..
She knew from the minute Newland started talking to Ellen in the opera box.
What a painful ending. Olenska really sacrificed for her cousin as she can handle the pain while May most certainly wouldnt, it would be the death of her. While Archer has numbed his remaining life being with someone he doesnt love as much. But somehow May is the one with most pain, I mean constantly wanting love and approval to his husband, how bad could that be. When May said at her deathbed that they were safe with Archer because when she asked, he definitely gave up the thing he wanted most. It was definitely bittersweet. In the end, no one won, all were broken and hurt.
Because that guy was a spineless, indecisive coward in everything and everyone. He COULD'VE asserted himself BEFORE Ellen got married, but no. He could've left her alone, but no. He could've let May dump him and encouraged Ellen to leave her abusive husband, but no. He could've been faithful to his devoted wife, but no. He could've chosen to go all in with May, but no. He could've run away to Japan, even though May was preggo, but no. He could've gotten with Ellen after May died, but no.
Gosh, he's frustrating.
Everything he did created tension for himself and everyone around him. Every non-decision he made was in selfishness and befuddlement.
He is so weak willed and spineless, I'd think he were a jellyfish!
one of the most memorable scenes for me is May rising from her chair, back rigid,to tell Newland she is pregnant..that camera angle was almost chilling
yes! It's a horror/suspense film angle!
@@perriyaniv One of the greatest horror moments of all time.
May's pregnancy came at the right time just to prevent Newland from going away
The scene where May says she’s pregnant, in that stuffy room, is pure horror to me.
@David M I remember seeing this in the theatre when it was released. The way Michael Ballhaus photographs Winona Ryder as she's leaving the stuffy library room after announcing that she's pregnant and how she has a headache, with the camera showing the lovely train of her dress exiting the doorway is absolutely chilling. It's beautiful to look at but there's something slightly grotesque about it. The train of the dress is almost like a dead weight. How fitting, really.
@@mguevarra61 You are conflating two scenes. You are describing the scene where Winona Ryder reveals that Ellen Ollenska is leaving New York for good. That is when she wears her wedding dress. The revelation that she is pregnant takes place right after the farewell dinner .
Joseph Harder yes she sits at his feet and rubs her face on his hand if I’m not mistaken
really... to me, it's the scene where Archer contemplating about the idea of getting rid of May really terrifies me.
@@JHarder1000 I think you're right. For our reference, here is that tense scene when May tacitly admits more than her pregnancy to Newland: ua-cam.com/video/REfST5Laymw/v-deo.html. Winona was just splendid in it, in all her timorous glory, just as in the scene where she tells Newland that Ellen is leaving.
I first saw this in a class for film school and it shook me. The filmmaking is astonishing. And I was surprised to find it's by Scorsese because I had never heard of it before. These "out of genre" films from known directors, to me, always reveal the kind of filmmaker they actually are, without the trappings of their reputation. This is an underrated classic, truly.
Your essays are not just excellent interrogations of movies, they also seem to all have a call to action. An insistence that we can and should build on the lessons of the past to create better consumable media, and become better people. That is what I love the most about them. Keep up the good work!
I'm so touched by your comment, thank you! For me, understanding film isn't just about acquiring art knowledge but about acquiring self-knowledge. Films are primal little slivers of the human psyche. They're so revealing.
Silas, you're absolutely correct. Can't agree more !
@@isthisjustfantasy7583 @13:47 - there has been no changes in our gender roles. Your sex demands my sex stay in ours
The Age of Innocence has to be my favourite Scorsese’s film ever. It’s so beautiful, but sadly underrated. I loved the video and your analysis!
Age of Innocence really is a masterpiece and just doesn't get enough attention. To a certain extent, Scorsese's filmography is a victim of its own legacy. Anyway, I really appreciate your work.
Agreed, and thank you!!
Scorsese says at this date he still don't know how to show violence in movies, something that he actually doesn't like. AGE OF INNOCENCE is the film that he is today most satisfied with, even after accomplishing his dream project 'Silence.'
Dou you know why its called the age of innocence?
Best director ever
@@reinilla Wharton named her book after a famous painting of the time.
I was frightened for May. I felt that the character of May had great courage and was not as lame and plain personality wise as those in her world, seemed to see her. They did not understand her. I wanted to see Archer go on with Ellen before he married May. I confess that I as a viewer or part of the audience watching this drama, I found myself imagining a way out for the two. But...he went on to marry May. Unbeknownst to him, in the end it really was his own decision. Even if he didn't see it as his own true desire. His reasons where many. But they were all his own. What frightened me was at one point, Archer is sitting in his library, contemplating Japan. It was clear what was on his mind. It was also clear that he was considering murdering May and running away with Ellen as a possible solution. That was frightening. And extremely disappointing to me. May must have guessed what was crossing his mind. But she handled it with great care as she always did.
He accepted his role as new father to be and husband. He also realized that Ellen would never go along with any plan to murder her own cousin just to steal Archer. She would never go along with Archer doing so just to be with her.
In the end, Archer realized that his decision to be husband and father .. coupled with life's karmic path and society that pushed him down that road, was the right decision for his life's path. In the end, May was right.
When he realized what May had sacrificed for his sake, for family, honor, respect, I think he appreciated May and possibly loved May more. After all, she did die .. nursing Archer back to health. To me, that was kind of a clue about what May sacrificed over her entire married life. She was married to a man she knew was day dreaming of another. Can anyone imagine how empty, lonely and painful that might be?
It seemed to me that Archer did love her at the time they were engaged, before the exotic infatuation of Ellen came to haunt him and invade his peace of mind.
She was innocent. Even if she did become a bit of a master mind to keep Archer on the straight and narrow.
She was innocent. She did not wrong anyone. She endured with grace and strength the unfortunate imposition of his fascination with Ellen. She found a way to live with it without hurting any one in her family or his. But... for me, I shall never forget how his fascination with his own passion for Ellen drove him to contemplate the death of May. Even .. if it was for a moment. I found that so frightening and disturbing.
I know she sensed it. Her character had to have wondered what was in his mind. They never asked each other anything .. right? They always guessed?
I might've guessed but I dont know that I could've stayed. It's very complicated story.
That is why I think that the character of May was far more brave, wise and true than given credit for.
"I don't know if I could've stayed". As May, with Archer?
@@yahyakhalid6160 - Yes. As May with Archer. I don't believe I could have stayed if I had guessed that he was contemplating my death ( as with May's) just so he could run away with his infatuation. Even if it was for a moment.
But that's just me. Maybe I'm half chicken. tee hee hee. Or too heart sensitive.
@@yahyakhalid6160 - But May did stay. She fought for her love very bravely and in a gentile way in my opinion.
@@bevalee1533 yes, I referred you as May
@@yahyakhalid6160 - What were your impressions of Archer and May? And would you stay or?
So glad I found this video. Criminally underrated film as is your channel. I have a small disagreement. I don't think he chooses his fantasy of Ellen in the end. The first time yes, he chose the fantasy instead of dealing with the realities of what she would bring into his life - divorce, ostracized from his community, probably loss of money, loss of the stability in which to raise a family, however, in the end Archer chooses himself, the person he had become by making the choice to stay with May and raise a family. To go back down the Ellen road would undo the person he had become and he was too old to change again. He remembers the dilemma bittersweetly, and feels the nostalgia, but I don't think chooses the fantasy in the end, I think he let's it go.
Cinema Heist I love reading what everyone thinks and love that the movie/book intended that we actually "think" about it and discuss it!
@@magicalmama99 think he wants to maintain both the fantasy of a perfect relationship with Ellen (of what could have been) and honor the reality of the sacrifice he made/the responsible man who he chose to be (the good things, like children, that he was able to obtain etc ). To go to Ellen would both unravel the fantasy and would make his sacrifice meaningless. I don't think he entirely lets it go though because otherwise why would he imagine at the end of the film her turning around at the pier (which obviously didn't really happen). But I do think he knows that the fantasy is a what-if scenario and deep down knows that it might indeed be a fantasy he is holding on to cope with realities of his life.
I agree wholeheartedly. In the end, he finally walked away from the fantasy. Maybe there finally would be some peace and happiness in his life.
I agree with you and also that it's the fantasy. Can't we have both? Several times he thinks about her like a painting on the wall. He has separated himself from that life. He chooses to keep it that way as you describe.
I think you make an excellent point as well. Now I'm caught in the reasoning of both views
As a teacher of literature and The Age of Innocence to high school students (A level in the UK) this is such a clever critique of the novel as well as the movie. I'll use it as a case for the book which I love but students tend to find less exciting and engaging than The Great Gatsby, which they also study. The focus on Scorsese's point about the 'violence' of the novel and the La La Land parallel are really effective. Plus, I can use the point about the dedicated/undedicated camera to help with how point of view is created in a novel. Thanks.
The biggest theme of The Age of Innocence is thinking the pastures are greener on the other side- it is a massive cautionary tale for wanting what you can't reasonably and morally have.
Archer starts off happy with May, then gets smitten by Ellen. Then he stays in that mindset and takes a long while to leave it.
Whereas Ellen experiences the consequences of trying to look for "greener pastures"- consequences like stigma, financial issues and which country to call home be that America or Europe. Archer experiences none of those consequences and is protected by the upper class society and values which he feels stifled by.
And because Archer wants something more, something he can never really have, he overlooks the qualities of May, his wife, qualities such as her wisdom, patience, niceness and forgiveness.
But in time he does come to appreciate them for he is loyal to May and dedicated to their children. Furthermore Archer can't have stayed with May solely out of loyalty because he would have become resentful if he had been always pining for Ellen. So Archer accepted his marriage and the only reason he could amicably accept the marriage was if he loved May.
That's why Archer walks away at the end, after having one final indulgence of nostalgia he walks away. If he had really loved Ellen then he would have seen her, but he clearly didn't and so he has rejected Ellen and the fantasy of Ellen as he loves May.
Well that's my take anyway.
skatemetrix May was evil. She lied about being pregnant in order to trap him in an unfulfilling marriage.
MiamiPush2theLimit I wouldn’t say she lied. She was pregnant but I will say she was manipulative in order to hang onto Archer. I also wouldn’t call her evil. She gave Archer a way out earlier in the film, before the marriage she gave him time to walk away but he wanted marriage. So now that he was thinking of running away to Europe with Ellen, May said, fuck that, and maneuvered things to protect what she loved
And what woman wouldn’t do the same? Also, we can’t exonerate Archer who was equally deceptive. He lied constantly to May. He didn’t deserve her
I agree with you! May was the best choice. She protected him from the bohemian seductress.
@@MiamiPush2theLimit - May was already married to Archer. There was already a family bond. Ellen her cousin (however distant in the factor that she had been married and living in Europe her entire married life and a good deal of her childhood) was threatening her marriage by distracting Archer. May lied? No she strongly suspected. She suspected everything. And ..as she said, she was right. She suspected she was pregnant, being the wife she has that right to do so. And she suspected Archer was planning on abandoning his career, his family, his life, his honor for fantasy ..for passion. Which is all too often very fleeting.
It's not to say that I dont believe in romance and passion. But responsibility and stability are better equipped to alleviate fear, loneliness, heartbreak and unhappiness than mere fantasy and passion.
@@MiamiPush2theLimit - May was not evil. At first I too was upset about May's wiles. But... after contemplating the entire story line .. all the events.... May was not evil. She saved Archer from himself. From his dark side. He was thinking about killing his own wife, to be free to run off with her cousin Ellen. That would've been horrible. Ellen would've been horrified and hated him for it. Ellen would've hated herself. And everybody's life would have been dramatically affected in a negative way.
In reality, May as the wife, the lady of the house, had every right to appeal to Archers inner reason with regards to family
A woman suspects when she's expecting. Only a moron living in utter denial comes out with .. going in to hard labor .. claiming they had no idea they were actually ever pregnant. lol.
Of course May suspected. She didn't owe it to Ellen to put it any other way. Ellen would not have her seriously and would have thought poorly of May, if May had told Ellen .. I may or may not be pregnant. I suspect I might be .. blah blah blah.
Ellen was not Archers wife. May was. Ellen was another man's wife, remember?
May was not evil for that.
The Age of innocence is one of my favourite books and when I learned there was a movie i didnt want to watch it, then I saw it was directed by Scorsese and I decided to watch it. It really is amazing and one of the best book adaptations ever. Thank you for this video, it was as haunting and beautiful as the movie/book.
Besides actually making movies, the second best thing in life is to discuss them, dissect them, exchange ideas and maybe find something that even the artist didn't know about. Your analyses screams of a deep enthusiasm and love for cinema! Keep it up! As a suggestion, take a look at Sofias Coppola's masterpiece Lost In Translation (my favorite movie), and how in my mind it portrays the greatest impossible love story ever told.
Love that movie as well!
This movie will not be appreciated for another 20 years. An absolute Masterpiece
In 20 years our society will be too stupid to appreciate it as our culture took the ticket of hedonism with the bohemian countess and we are paying the price.
@@wjglll340 You have so much hate in you, just like all those characters in this story.
@@smurfyday I am full of hate for manipulative women who should be shunned from polite society.
I'm coming back to comment that this video essay helped me look back at an old relationship and see how illusory it was, and helped me put it in the past. It helped me see that I was on the wrong track asking myself the question, "Why didn't we end up together?" The answer is he chose the fantasy in his head over the real me.
Men always prefer the fantasy. At least, toxic men do!
I had to see this movie because your analysis was so thought provoking. I loved watching a Scorsese film with all the excitement, style and substance of Goodfellas and Casino without the explicit violence or sex.
Isn't it great?? I get so excited about sharing it... not enough people have seen it imo
Is This Just Fantasy? Not enough people have read it either. Edith Wharton is my favorite author!
My approach is a little bit different and has nothing to do with fantasy. In my opinion, Newland Archer ended up avoiding his real self. He never took the leap, probably out of fear for the "other self" of his, the real one, the one that would surprise him. He got scared and he backed up. Life gave him a second chance (although unlike with the same person) to be himself but he chose the dream (like most people still do). He preferred his comfort zone both times. Instead of being himself (by trying to make a reality of what he craved) he preferred to live it as a dream. In dreams, failure does not exist. Nor disappointment. He even preferred the dream for many years (when reading his books in his library) instead of thinking deeply about what Madame Olenska brought to surface of himself. Dream (which is not the same with fantasy) is the excuse for never moving to unknown territories, for never conquesting one's life. Newland Archer has been governed by fear, both times (although the second time could be considered as "out of reality", at least for a relationship like the one of the first time). He was given an opportunity, through Madame Olenska's sudden appearance, to start the life closer to what he really was but he preferred his "safety" of a world already known.
How is your definition of "dream" different from "fantasy"? Seems like the same argument to me.
Dou you know why its called the age of innocence?
this is really amazing, and i fully agree with your interpretation. let that to be lesson for all of us- no guts, no glory (and by glory I mean being your true self).
@@readygi Exactly. And thank you for the support
@@isadorastrokes "Fantasy often helps people experience the impossible in a subtle manner". In this case, there is nothing impossible; Newland sees it as such. I am sorry I cannot explain it differently.
Beautifully analyzed!
A bit of arcana: In the scene where May's engagement ring is being admired (8:11), the woman to her left (tall, brunette, 3-strand pearl necklace, satin bow at bodice top, vaguely shaking her head) is Tamasin Day-Lewis, Daniel Day-Lewis' (older) sister.
The unmotivated camera: I thought it was me looking away, looking at Things.
I read the book and then several others by Edith Wharton. Though this is arguably her best-known novel, the central theme of struggles between the reality and the fantasy is ubiquitous in her other books, as well as in our real world where there are always practical constraints to the wants, from within and/or without. Nobody was really innocent here when everyone also tried to be innocent. Probably the paradox is the beauty of the age, theirs and ours.
I’m halfway through the book and it’s looking like it’s going to be one of my very favorite books. There’s just so much to every sentence to grasp and analyze. Thank you for helping me understand the deeper subleties!! A+ on your video :)
Your analysis really helped me understand May. I was puzzled the whole movie about her, but I couldn’t sense the machinations under her sincerity in the final scene. This helped illuminate that!
This is honestly one of the best analysis videos I've ever seen on any film. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this video just as I enjoyed every second of The Age of Innocence. Thank you for sharing!
This is a really great review! One thing that surprised me is that May isn't like stupid - she knows that Archer is acting weird and thinks about Ellen immediately.
Wonderful essay, bravo. The best analysis I've seen anywhere. For me this film all comes down to its last shot--Newland's final decision caps a perfectly crafted personal tragedy, seeming both surprising and inevitable at the same time. I'm a die-hard Scorsese fanatic, and I agree that this film deserves to sit right next to Taxi Driver and Goodfellas as among his greatest achievements.
I saw this film for the first time about two weeks ago. I almost changed the channel, because I have never liked this time setting, but I didn't. I am glad I didn't. I was hypnotized by it. Absolutely hooked. It was incredibly intense. I was drawn mostly to Archer and his dilemma. After May tells him she is pregnant, his course is set. He will stay with her as they have children. He will be a good father and at least a faithful, present husband. I admit I was angry with all 3 major characters for the games they played, mostly May. She knew Archer and Ellen were in love or at least believed they were when she told Ellen she was pregnant even before knowing she was. Later I would think about it and realize she had the right to fight to maintain her marriage. The music of this film was beautiful beyond description. It was terribly sad for all three, because none of them really got what the wanted. Such is life. This commentary was very insightful.
Im glad you didn't change the channel, that would be a mistake.
Yes...that is the sad part...
May gets a Newland shattered
& pining for Ellen in his heart
of hearts... never the pristine & enthralled Newland so deeply
in love with her.
So Brutal.
@@Africa-ky1bg Oh please, May and Archer were fine. The Countess was a hussey who would only bring grief in the end.
@@wjglll340 Wow, what misogyny and old-fashioned self-lies. If their lives were fine you prefer order to happiness. Not saying Archer would've found that with Ellen either, what with his obsession with fantasy, but Archer and May were not *fine*.
@@smurfyday Why not? May was lovely.
Not only does your analysis describe the fantasy portrayed, but the fantasy I indulge in when I watch the film - the observer propagating through the lens into his own life. It’s a mirror of a mirror.
Holy crap, this is SO great.
I really like The Age of Innocence, but you've opened it up to me in an amazing way. Gotta rewatch with this in mind. Thanks alot.
Thank you so much for this video. I'd been in love with this movie since I first saw it an even more after I read the book. For me the pressure of folliwing the social patterns just for the sake of appearances was always scary as hell. So I completely agree that this is a violent movie. Yet wonderfully executed. Every time you watch it, you Discovery something surprising, you haven't noticed before
This was the most horrifying film for me. Very disturbing. It plays on my greatest real fear of living an empty life without a real, passionate love.
You are being dramatic. Love is what you make of it. The Countess was fool's gold.
@@wjglll340 Nah, you're just being misogynistic.
@@smurfyday The countess was trouble as all divorcees are.
@@wjglll340 Thanks for being honest with your really outdated moral standards.
@@smurfyday truth is never outdated.
This is one of the most excellent movie analyses I've ever heard. I wish you had a video on every movie that I love!
Wow! Not only is the Age of Innocence my favorite Scorsese film it's one of my favorite films ever. And though there were times I didn't agree with your interpretations, overall you hit the nail on the head and challenged my own perspective. Well done.
I've watched/listened to this video about 40 times now and I still get hit by an emotional pile of bricks when you get to the bit about how "...there has never been an Age of Innocence, or an age of chivalry, or a merry old England..." against a montage of shots celebrating those illusions at their exuberant best. Seriously, brutal. Love it.
"Seriously, brutal" is probably the best compliment I've ever received on these videos! You're well deserving of your name, Mr Flattery :)
Sean Flattery I felt the same way and when she talked about La La Land I finally understand why I hated it so much, because I am in love with the glamour of the old movies, watch one everyday on TCM, and maybe the disillusionment caused the dislike of movie?
There are many good points raised in this well executed analysis of an emotionally complex film. While much can be made of Scorsese's camera work, the symbolism of objects highlighted in the visual narrative, and the ideals that we project onto others, in reality the thesis of the video misses the central point of the film in my view. It is certainly the case that fantasies dominate our minds, and the film plays with this idea. It is not so much that these mental images of the world we craft are not real, as much as they represent possibilities or potentials we did not explore because of CHOICE. The irony of "Age of Innocence" and "La La Land" (a good parallel drawn in the video) is that the characters choose to pursue what society informs them to choose even though it is pretty clear that the main characters know society's rules can be broken. They repress their feelings and assume their lives are binary, either true love or success / tradition, because they have been told that they cannot have true love (the fantasy). Regardless, it is still their choice to make.
What both films illustrate is that in reality, human beings are still left with choices, and those choices are what define us. Archer, just like Mia, is guilt stricken because his choice (inaction) cost him the love of his life. As a result, both characters experience catharsis at the end of each film for 2 reasons: 1) they idealize an imagined alternative future with their true love because that is all they have left of the past experience, 2) they are so grief stricken based on the choices they made that all they can do is walk away. The grief of choice is what both films are really about. Archer / Mia cannot go back to their true loves because it is simply too late, the decision has already been rendered. So the story goes, if Arthur goes back to Ellen he will not feel the joy of reunion, he will feel the pain of regret.
The moral of these stories in my view is less about reality versus fantasy as much as it is a warning to choose wisely. This lesson applies to nations as well as individuals. The 1920s / 1950s for example, may not be the idealized worlds we imagine them to be, but we can see that the world we live in today lacks the self-confidence, the style, the values, and the world view those times expressed. The things captured in the movies and books of those times make us yearn for the past as a result. In essence, when it comes to choosing your life partner or the direction of your society, strip away all the noise or distractions and go with your true feelings because if you don't, you will carry that burden a long time, maybe forever.
Excellent analysis
Yes, this is it! Makes me want to cry now ☹️
This has been, and still is, my nr. 1 favorite movie of all time, and i've watched it countless times since it came out so many years ago. Admittedly, i've always had questions about it (also after reading the book), and kept wondering about many details. Needless to say, i absolutely loved your analysis, thank you very much!
Great analysis. This video helped me to see alot and to bring into focus that he did choose the fantasy of Ellen over the reality Ellen. The outside of her home with the tattered windows and the common awning are not fantasy. Thats her reality. Somehow that imagery maligned with his youthful dreams of what life with her would be like. He also thought May was not free because of the society she lived in and loved. If that is so...in the end... he really didn't want to be free either because he prefered the "shackles" of the glamor or New York society more than he had ever realized, otherwise he would have went up to meet Ellen.
A perfect analysis. The way you've explored the ideas, themes, and emotions presented in this film articulate so much of why I love this movie and why I keep returning to it year after year.
Watching it as a young man in my 20s, my head was spun. It really is a superb film. I just found this today, after 20 years I have thought about this film again and thank you so very much for your excellent analysis. Another angle I just want to add. There's a lot in Age of Innocence that speaks to LGBT experience, especially those who come from traditional families and conservative backgrounds. The ideas of living a false life, of knowing very good people who only ask you to pretend and then longing, yearning for real connection is all too familiar. For 21st century Americans, the idea of not self actualising is very foreign, in an era of divorce at a drop of a hat and the whole "you be you" philosophy. But 19th century society was very different: the world of social ostracism and moralistic loathing directed at you because you want to be you - LGBT people totally get it. So it's totally understandable and very realistic why Archer and Ellen don't get together. Why Ellen presumably remains single for the rest of her life and why she had to leave New York to be free and never go back. Ask the army of single gay men on Grindr every night, barely any of them are from the city they're in. Secondly, the deflection back on things, the almost archeological detail of this materialism reminds me of the way gay men fetishise material things and it's for the same reason: the stuff gives meaning when nothing else provides it. In fact, we are all mindless consumerists now, I shouldn't tar gay men only, and that search of expensive items or signifiers is all about our hollowness. Nevertheless, thank you for the video.
Yes, we live in an 'era of divorce at a drop of a hat and the whole "you be you" philosophy'. By staying with May he rejected that ethos and had a family and stable wife. But he missed out on the world of Grindr and anal sex with strangers! Poor guy.
@@wjglll340 you have totally misinterpreted my post, either intentionally or not, and somehow think I thought Archer was gay (???). Basically, in the end, Newland stays because society expected him too. Ellen leaves NYC because she’s too unconventional. Confirming to society norms and keeping quiet or leaving your home town to be yourself are two things that speak to modern LGBT experience. That was the point.
Thank you for your insightful comment. Interestingly, though, the gay and lesbian community (I’m purposefully not saying LGBTQ+) gained acceptance by embracing marriage. So in a way, it ultimately conformed.
WOW. I just finished watching the age of innocence on netflix and this video made me love it more! It's true! Even in our relationships we emphasize on fantasy sometimes rather than being with the person and facing reality. This was like a philosophy lesson to me! Thanks!
Recuerdo que la primera vez que vi esta película quedé como hipnotizada, me costó mucho encontrar el nombre de la película y años después el libro llegó a mis manos de manera increíble, casi un milagro diría yo... Pero jamás había experimentado una película y un reparto que reflejara de manera tan real la esencia del libro. Sobre el análisis de este video, estoy totalmente de acuerdo, Archer elige la nostalgia y la fantasía y lo que es peor es que yo creo que haría lo mismo.
I've yet to see a section of movie more devoted to nostalgia then when Enya prances into the scene with new york gentlemen hanging on to their hats and the camera taking all the time in the world to capture that moment.
That scene doesn't exist but for the sole reason of making us, the audience see new york as it was and long for it.. masterful!
Everyone is talking about how Archer failed his life. But let's also see the good points: the moment he knew he was going to be a father, he stepped up and took responsibility. And that was what May told her son before dying. I respect that. People nowadays put much too often "me" before "us".
This is what I like about Good Directors, They know the use of Camera. For e.g. PTA uses great camera+ editing in "There will be blood" in "Wedding Scene" which is phenomenal.
In one word "brilliant". One of my favorite films of all time; thank you.
What a great analysis!!! I have always loved this movie and saw it in the 90s. I always thought Archer left at the end because he thought it was too late, or the moment was missed. I never considered that he chose the fantasy over the reality, and this is spot on. I love this movie even more.
This was an excellent dissection and commentary on one of my favorite films. People want the romantic happy ending which isn’t true to reality, which is also a bleak truth. Although my personal love relationships have had the movie happy ending, so it does happen, but according to those around me, I’m a rare breed. It’s not the same for others.
Your essays are wonderful, I hope you'll continue to make them (:
Excellent analysis !
I recently watched 'The age of innocence' and can't agree more with whatever you pointed out. Also, you're absolutely correct about 'La La Land' too. I've got to say that you possess great insight !
Thank you so much . I have suffered myself from the same disease of nostalgia. So I understand perfectly well what you showed us with acute inteligence and insight about this master piece
Amazing analysis. Let me point out something I haven't read/heard. That dialog when Archer was on the cusp of being found out after lying about having to go to Washington for a patent case when he really wanted to see Ellen, and then she was coming to New York so he had to keep changing his story so he didn't have to leave. I was so afraid for him, I kept pausing the video, and at the same time loathing him for his lies. On reflection now, I realize May was actually in the know the whole time. She wasn't so stupid as to buy all those lies, she was actually the investigator confirming what she suspected. Archer's cover stories were so flimsy, but I got taken in just like Archer did. We didn't suspect the questioning could've been intentional.
Didn’t you think Archer was waiting for her to appear at the window?The same pier scene.You could see hope in his eyes,when there was a movement around the window.It’s her hands!” but then no “She didn’t turn around”.
Why did he leave it up to chance/sign ?
Yes I agree. And she didn’t come. So he walked away. Again.
My question was why didn’t she come to the window?
Sees new "Is This Just Fantasy?" (CLICKS IMMEDIATELY)
Caught in a landslide ;)
This is one of my all time favorites
Yes, it is a masterpiece! I hate it when people say oh this is a very un-scorsese film. To be honest, there's no consistency in his filmography as per subject matter. The only consistent thing he has in his career is that he has made cinema of the highest quality. Look at Taxi Driver and then look at The Wolf of Wall Street. Raging Bull and then you get The King of Comedy. And The Age of Innocence is one of his best work. I am so glad to find this video!
Hey Vinit just watched it today, and it was GREAT. I am on a roll for Scorsese left over film for me to watch because you said your next video is about him, so I am rushing up these movies. I watched two consecutive movies with brilliant ending, the other one was "The lives of others". After both these movies ended I just paused the button and lied down........
I've seen "The Age of Innocence" once. I was also struck by all the extraneous shots of all the hee-haws and doo-dads these rich New Yorkers had in their palatial homes. There were shots where I felt these people were being consumed by their stuff, buried alive in all of the material excess surrounding them. It was a masterstroke of cinematography--throughout the whole movie you feel this airless claustrophobia, but you can't really put your finger on what is causing this feeling. This analysis finally identified the cause of that "closed-in" feeling I had--these marvelous shots of all this useless stuff...
This was set in the "gilded age." The emphasis on wealth and privilege was part and parcel of the novel.
Madam o had no choice but to give up archer orelse she l b without relatives and allowance fromauntie..but when may died archer did not pursue her anymore.confusing ending
This movie left me hanging.
This is a gem! I love that you tied in other eras of cinema…maybe I’ll finally watch La La Land 😁
hey i just want to say thank you for this amazing video!! i haven't seen or read age of innocence, but i have been thinking a lot recently about how people imagine the past (both their own individual pasts and broader historical periods), how often that imagination is more myth or religion than concrete reality, and how that stops us from living full lives in the present. your analysis reflected so much of that thinking, and i really appreciated how you took the more abstract ideas of the film and applied them to the way we see the real world, our own lives, our politics, etc, and how we might engage with those things in a healthier, if more painful, way. i hope i can be strong enough to, in my own life, choose a painful but meaningful and worthwhile reality, rather than a beautiful but self-deluding and ultimately meaningless fantasy
Sometimes life forces you to chose your path before circumstances decide it for you. In this movie the heroine character ,Archer chooses what he believed was right thing to do by staying in his marriage and at the same time live with Ellen fantasy till the old age.
your channel is really amazing and criminally underrated!
Exquisite commentary on my favorite Scorsese film. THANK YOU!!
I am so impressed with this voyage you have so beautifully offered us, into this (for me, at least) timeless movie... You have got a new sub. Thank you for the nostalgia.
you're one of the best corners of the internet. I hope you keep making videos and if you don't, I hope you continue to dissect stories for your own sake
One of my favorite period dramas. I really love your perspective!
this is possibly the best video to watch right after seeing the movie...you have given me all the feels! beautiful!
As noted by Faulkner, the past is never dead. It's not even past. Thanks for your insights. I have puzzled over this film for years. It's unique power continues. Scorcese is the master of illuminating stories of his home town, much like a Faulkner on film. Genius incarnate.
Love this video essay! Brilliant! You were able to articulate many things I felt but never knew how to put in words
I love this movie.
I do not get tired of watching it.
Very well done.
An adorable story.
"Is This Just Fantasy" is the best film analysis on UA-cam. Shame there's so little of it, & nothing posted in years, but these videos are just more revealing than anything else out there. I keep coming back to them to rewatch. Thank you.
Mid-way through I started to cry and I don't know why... (this video was great, I'm binge watching all of your videos right now!)
Just discovered this while searching for commentary after rewatching Age of Innocence for the first time since it came out in the 90s. Drawing the connection to themes from LaLa Land illuminated the nostalgia vs. reality theme. I enjoyed watching this and absorbing your perspective.
Your narration is pure poetry.
Wonderful analysis. You made me appreciate this movie even more. Thank you!
I just saw the Age of Innocence, and was a huge fan of LaLa Land, so watching your review was an amazing bonus that was unexpected, but spot on, and changed my thinking about both films. Bravo! What an insightful, smart, and deeply resonating review you wrote. This is next level thinking that I truly admire. A+ all around.
This is a brilliant analysis. Even though it was written long before the Scorsese film, there is an superb essay on Wharton's novel that sheds light on the film. It is by the Welsh philosopher and theologian D.Z. Phillips, and can be found be found in his book Through A Darkening Glass: Philosophy, Literature, and Cultural Change. the salient passage is this: "We have seen have seen that Newland Archer, Ellen Olenska, and May Welland, in different ways, embody the old New York morality Edith Wharton wanted to depic. But could we say, as some philosophers insist we must say, that these characters have reasons for their values? On the contrary, their values constitute their reasons. Without taking these into account, one cannot understand their actions or even their descriptions of situations in which action is called for."
"Allegiance and Change in Morality; A Study in Contrasts".
This is an absolutely terrific analysis of the film! Thank you.
I am so glad I found your video! I watched the film a dozen times, read the book a dozen times, so I am hoping that the message didn't go above my head, yet I was always baffled by the ending. I kind of interpreted it that Newland Archer, after a lifetime of conforming to society and form becomes used to it and he just doesn't have the strength to leave it behind, also perhaps as a last, sincere gesture to May after he learns that she knew and in her own way, pitied him.
Great video and really informative and insightful. Never realised half of this but always enjoyed the film. Will enjoy it even more next time.
Thank you for this. I have seen the film several times and I have always wondered what it was about the camera movement that fascinated me. Now, I know the distinctions between a motivated camera and an unmotivated camera. I love how Scorsese has treated this story where there is so much being said by the narrator and the secondary characters, and so much unsaid by the main characters. The camera work, the editing and those dissolves to colors made cinematic what could have been bland in the hands of someone less artistic and skilled.
This is a PHENOMENAL video! You are brilliant!
That was sick. Good work. Wow.
Even Sakamoto likes Is This Just Fantasy?!?
Such a great analysis..thankyou...Ive always loved this film but now love it and understand it even more! 💜
Great insight. Helped me understand the ending scene. Bafflling he'd rather hang on to a perfect illusion than embrace a messy reality.
A Perfect Explanation for Archer's Choices! Thank You!
@@carolcottone7780 I don't know if you noticed but no one else capitalizes every word. Friendly advice: leave everything in lowercase. People may think you are lazy, but they won't think you don't know how to write.
Thank you for this review on a brilliant film. I agree with the commentator. This film is genius, a plethora of learning tools for any inspiring Director or even an artist evoking story telling in a detailed methodical manner that invites the audience or observer to think outside the box and reflect on life’s challenges, it’s meaning, repressed notions of sacrifice , the greater good, societal norms and so much more. What stands out in this film apart from the story line is the camera angles that bring you up close and into this time in space of elegant artifacts, culture, nobility and dinner table conversations and whispers. The lighting techniques are particularly poignant as well, they tell a story in itself, almost like a highlighter pen reminding you to take note of this detail.
In the end, it’s a reminder that life is never simple, that duty, responsibilities, expectations and commitments fill our days until you stop and take it (life) all in and you ask yourself and dare to ask of others, what do you give and what do you take out of life that is imparted to you by the grace of God that makes everything we endure worthwhile?
Watching The Gilded Age on HBO, has brought me back to this film, and this analysis has piqued my interest into wanting to see it again years later. Thank you. Very concise opinions and wise observations. There were spoilers indeed, but I shall enjoy despite those. I have, after all, forgotten quite a bit since its original release.
Brilliant, insightful analysis of one of the finest films ever made. BRAVO!
A superb, deeply insightful analysis. Thank you!
I think with these video essays you've posted have made me better at critically thinking about movies. So thank you.
What an amazing analysis! The type of subtlety of this film has long gone in nowadays's Hollywood production.
Your analysis bears the stamp of genius.
Very enlightening analysis! It made the subtext of 'The Age of Innocence' that much more impactful. The 'La La Land' comparison to draw the point of nostalgia home to viewers was an unexpected nice touch. I do think that rosier perceptions of the past inform the tensions of the protagonists of the two films. It is interesting to note, however, the contrast in outcomes for those two protagonists: Mia reminisces but chooses to remain in the present apart from her fantasy of a future with Sebastian; Newland reminisces but chooses to live in the past with his fantasy of Ellen.
One of my favourite movies. Thanks for this!
Wonderful piece on Scorsese. I will have to see The Age of Innocence again with this new perspective. Thank you.
Great essay! The Age of Innocence is, saddly, an overlooked picture of Mr. Scorsese, just because it's a strange movie which doesn't have some of his famous trademarks like the outrageous violence and the soundtrack full of Rock classics, but the unique style of his direction is still there to be appreciated.
Cheers from Brazil.
I'm way late to this video and loved it. Speaking of costume dramas, I'd like to recommend what is to me a craptacular movie: "Titanic" (1997).
Why do I feel so hostile (okay venomous) to the movie? In a nutshell, the trope of doomed lovers that shoved historic, actual people with stories of their own into the background.
Those people were reduced to glossed over support characters in service to the pot boiler plot. When real people were used, they were turned into caricatures. For example, Bruce Ismay all but twirled a mustache and laughed evilly while pursuing the almighty dollar at any cost. Captain Smith became the incompetent authority figure who was pliant to Ismay. It's no wonder many people related to survivors of the Titanic disaster were upset about how inaccurately they were presented.
What James Cameron did was insult the intelligence of the audience by concealing the terrible plot with celebrities, stunning sets, beautiful costumes, and breathtaking (at the time) special effects.
I don't fault the actors with their stilted performances. They were saddled with an awful script and did the best they could with something straight out of a B grade, no, a C grade movie.
Had it been made by anyone else with any non-celebrity actors, it would have been lucky to be a straight to DVD flick moldering in clearance bins. It probably would have ended up in purgatory like another flop, "Gods Behaving Badly" (2013). It was so savaged by critics in its only screening that it was locked away and never released in theaters or on DVD.
Had Cameron remade "A Night to Remember" 1958, using the same sets, props, etc, from the 1997 movie, it would have been a loving, respectful homage to both the original movie, and the stories of lost souls and survivors.
In my opinion if his movie was cut down to just the lush cinema photography while minimizing the plot as much as possible, would be a massive improvement.
It's an awful movie disguised with pomp, self-importance, and visuals.
What a wasted possibility.
I really liked your analysis for "The Age of Innocence"! You made me want to see this film again! Thank you Margarita!!! :)
The audience is seduced into thinking that May is seen as innocent by the society while Ellen is deemed 'ruined and someone the society shuns' and only is rescued by her well-connected family and the engagement of Archer and her cousin May. As the story unfolds, we notice how well-aware and far from innocent May is: she questions Archer if he is in love with anyone else and he could marry her instead, even if she's divorced. May knew perfectly well that New York society shunned anyone with an open scandal as she saw how her own relatives treated Ellen and the Grandmother was openly supportive of Ellen. Ellen is suppose to be the scandalous, amoral women but she's just the victim of her time, her full story is never revealed and her tears are swiftly cut short , Ellen's interaction with Mr Ballfond is implied to be indecent which is never denied and only intensified as a fantasy by Archer in which he completely succumbs at the end by seeing elderly secretary at Ellen's new residence decades later. May continues to grow more harmful to both Archer and Ellen, her masks never slips, she maintains her innocent outlook, rallying her extended family in a quest to separate Archer and Ellen, Ellen is convinced to go back to her abusive husband in order to maintain the good family name and to get marriage to Archer approved and hastened, yes, it was not Archer who wanted to marry quickly, even though he was the one to speak about it, it was May who manipulated the event to take place faster as we find out later in the movie, as if was only decent to marry soon if a man demands it but not a lady. To prevent Archer and Ellen to at least have one night of passion, May lies about her pregnancy to Ellen and makes her return the key in the letter unopened to Archer who thinks that Ellen may have changed her mind and gave into the societal pressure of being the 'good wife'. The night he learns the truth is already too late as everyone knows about his feelings to Ellen and May is giving a ball in Ellen's honor to keep her (and Archer) surrounded by as many people as possible, delivering the final blow to any hopes by revelation of a pregnancy to Archer. Ellen sails back to Europe while Archer remains a family man, devoting to his ideal of the wife, even if he knew perfectly well what a snake she is, he actually was moved by her death because now he can keep his ideals of May for ever, even if they were a lie. This is the reason why he never came to Ellen after May's death - he may have talked about how unfair the slanders and gossip were about Ellen but he secretly believed them, he finally had the chance to be happy with Ellen again, even the blessing of his son, he was about to see Ellen but he sees count's secretary and cannot face his own tarnished view on Ellen, failing to realize his own views and actions were participating in destroying her reputation and life. He chooses to walk away to live in a fantasy 'old-fashioned' world rather than face reality.
Wow. I didn’t get this from May in the movie. She was so subtle.
Great analysis, I like, how after watching both of the movies for a couple of times, this video still gave me new thoughts and perspectives