Overview
A tale of love and societal constraints unfolds in the gilded age of New York.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- elegant
- melancholic
- quiet evening
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Martin Scorsese’s elegant, restrained adaptation for its sumptuous period craftsmanship and deeply affecting performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska are constrained by the rules and reputational pressures of New York high society.
The production emphasizes lavish interiors, formal gatherings, elaborate costumes, and ceremonial social choreography.
Ellen Olenska becomes a social outcast after separating from her abusive husband and returning to New York.
Martin Scorsese directs an unusually restrained historical romance after becoming known primarily for modern, violent dramas.
Films like The Age of Innocence, and why
A Room with a View
shared themes of repressed desire, rigid class society, and romantic sacrifice in an elegant period drama
The Remains of the Day
shared historical romance, social constraint, and emotionally restrained performances within an upper-class setting
Madame Bovary
shared literary adaptation, forbidden longing, and suffocating aristocratic social codes
Tess
shared sumptuous period visual style, thwarted romance, and critique of elite social conventions
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Release Date
- 1993-09-10
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1254)
Cast
- Daniel Day-Lewis
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- Winona Ryder
- Alexis Smith
- Geraldine Chaplin
- Jonathan Pryce
- Richard E. Grant
- Alec McCowen
- Mary Beth Hurt
- Stuart Wilson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Age of Innocence about?
- In gilded-age New York, a dutiful lawyer’s love for a socially ostracized countess collides with the suffocating etiquette of the elite.
- What is The Age of Innocence like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Age of Innocence as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Age of Innocence violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Age of Innocence.
- What did critics think of The Age of Innocence?
- Critics broadly praised Martin Scorsese’s elegant, restrained adaptation for its sumptuous period craftsmanship and deeply affecting performances.
- Which films are like The Age of Innocence?
- Films with a similar feel include A Room with a View, The Remains of the Day, Madame Bovary, and Tess.
- How long is The Age of Innocence?
- The Age of Innocence runs 138 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Age of Innocence?
- In United States, The Age of Innocence streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
