The Age of Innocence

In The Age of Innocence, Scorsese turned for the first time to the New York of the late nineteenth century. He based his film on the novel of the same title from 1921 by Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. In this elegant costume drama, suppressed romantic desires seep through the social etiquette. Wealthy lawyer Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is engaged to the attractive, equally well-heeled May Welland (Winona Ryder). But when he meets May's niece, Countess Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer), he starts to have his doubts. Olenska stands for everything that’s out of bounds in conservative New York. She’ s flamboyant and sensual and delights in trampling aristocratic convention underfoot.