A close reading of a ten-minute extract from 'The Age of Innocence'.

A close reading of a ten-minute extract from ‘The Age of Innocence’.

(Dir: Martin Scorsese, 1993.)

As a Martin Scorsese film ‘The Age of Innocence’ stands in a different genre. However, it uses the conventions of a film set in this era and of a romantic drama. Scorsese also employs other interesting conventions to assist in the development of the narrative as well as of characters, themes and ideas. The use of these conventions can be found in the extract which involves some of the first scenes of this film. It takes place at the Bouford’s ball and then moves onto Mrs Mingotts home.

This scene opens in the foyer of the Bouford’s home. The seamless cut made by use of continuity editing makes this scene seem as though it is part of the last, there is a natural, swift and smooth flow on screen. This emphasises and is in fitting with the action just witnessed on screen; that of swift ballroom dancing, as well as with the accompanying classical and elegant music which flows from the last scene to this. We are introduced to the grand foyer, rich in colour and, as our narrator describes it is a “boldfully planned” home thatScorsese has placed us in. This all adds to the elegant mise-en-scene. The whole of this scene is centred on Newland Archer, the camera moves with him as though another guest belonging to this society. Scorsese has used camera work of this kind in other films in order for the audience to be able to see what the characters on screen see. Servant men, also looking grand in their flamboyant uniforms, greet him in the hallway. The men seem to heighten Newland’s position in society to the audience. They are at his service and as Newland makes his way up the staircase they line the stairway, standing like guards honouring their general.

This is one of the first scenes of the film and it is here that the audience are introduced to the narrator. This female voice is as graceful as the swift camera movement and the other non-diagetic sound, the classical music. The voice, although respectfully formal, is rather friendly. She serves as the omniscient narrator throughout the film, the audience is informed of a lot by her, a key tool in the discourse of the film; she speaks as though she is part of the society we are viewing. It is as though she is the voice of a Jane Mansfield novel; it was in fact based on a novel written by Edith Wharton. A narrator of this kind is commonly found in a romantic period drama. It is this narrative voice that has informed us, indirectly that the person we see on screen is Newland Archer.

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This scene is interesting, as Scorsese seems to use Newland’s character to expose his audience to a range of themes and at a deeper reading can show some insight to the narrative that lies ahead in the film. As the servants greet Archer Newland, they take his gloves and lay them on a table that has many pairs of white gloves on it. The camera focuses directly on the gloves and table, this is important as the theme of hands, as a fragment of the body is a reoccurring theme throughout the film. It is found later in this extract when the next scene opens on the view point of Mrs Manson Mingott, who is looking though a spyglass at May’s ring, more importantly at her hand. Hands seem to signify a number of things on a deeper level in this film, May’s hands seem to represent that which is innocent and does not harm its self but is harmed, Mrs Minger says it is “tampered” but “the skin is white”. Hands in the film can also emphasise the theme of appearance. In this same scene Mrs Manson Mingott discusses how her hands were modelled in Paris she also says that May’s hand “sets the ring off”. Earlier in the extract the camera follows Newland Archers hand as he delicately picks a white bud from the flowers that May is holding, hands in this scene signify the breaking of innocence.

Temporal order, together with the guidance of our narrator, helps in the flow of understanding in this extract. As Archer moves through the Bouford’s home, the camera tracks him throughout, however, the audience’s attention does not stay with this character he seems to be used as a tool to guide us through the home, allowing us to see its grandeur.

Scorsese uses paintings in this film to almost serve as a separate narrative that almost mirrors that of the film, in this scene the paintings seem to also foretell some of what is to come. As Archer passes the lined servants on the stairway and arrives at the top of it, the camera pans side ways to show a large painting of an eloquent looking female, reminding the audience of the status of the owners of this home. The next painting we are drawn to is also large; the scene is in snow and shows two women, one in red, one in white collapsed. Later in the film Scorsese brings this painting to life in an almost identical setting. The bleak scenery is where Newland Archer comes to visit Ellen, dressed in red. We already have seen May presented in white colours throughout the film. Perhaps Scorsese was hinting towards what would happen in Newlands future in the narrative with these two characters, perhaps towards the ‘collapse’ of Newlands morals and his guilt due to his feelings turning away from May and towards Ellen (as these colours are reminiscent of the two characters). The audience are then moved through the “ethylated drawing rooms” and into the ‘crimson drawing room’. Here hangs ‘The Return of Spring’, a nude painting, which our narrator explains; the Bouford’s had the ‘audacity’ to hang in plain sight (more insight into their society operates). In the next drawing room two significant paintings to the films narrative hang on either side of an arched opening. Each seems to represent the two main females of this film. One is the image of a lady dressed in yellow, with blonde hair she seems to remind us at a second viewing of the film, of Ellen, as Ellen is associated with yellow settings and Newland sends her yellow roses (which also fill this room). The other painting is that of a female figure in pastel colours such as that which May is associated with throughout the film. This figure is in a crowd of people, signifying that May is placed in society along with many of the characters in this film.

In the ballroom there are a number of paintings of social gatherings, they are almost mirroring the action on screen. This is emphasised by the fact that there are also large mirrors hung on these walls, reflecting the happenings in the ballroom and suggesting that like the paintings, these people are concerned with appearance. In the following scene paintings are used to reflect the personality of Mrs Mingott in her home. She sits with her dogs, on the walls hang many paintings of dogs. The use of paintings is used primarily to reflect this society but also to emphasise how important appearance is to this society. The theme of appearance is a convention employed in many films of this genre, as is the discovery of how that particular society functions. In the second scene of this extract a painting in Mrs Mingotts home is brought to the attention of the audience. This is on a wall full of paintings and is of a wall full of paintings. This is extremely effective in emphasising the society and its concerns with appearance. Although not in the same extract, it is important to note that when Ellen and Newland are alone and together the audience are given the impression that these two are not concerned with appearance between the two of them. Scorsese places them in a room with no paintings on the walls. The walls are bare with just the faint outlines of where they once hung. Empty picture frames lean against the walls. At some points Scorsese seems to over use the paintings, however this may be how add to the idea that society drowns on with their ideals of how important appearance and possessions are.

In the ballroom the music continues to bring to life the pace and tone of this graceful social event. The audience is then introduced by the narrator to Julius Bouford who seems to give great impact by Scorsese’s use of slow motion in this meeting, we discover that he is unsavoury in his person life. The motion then returns to normal when the audience arrive at where May stands with some other ladies discussing her ring, on her hand. The ring is later used, as discussed earlier, to draw attention to Mays hand. It is also used in this extract to assist the relationship that Newland and May have. May uses the ring as an item to show people, she is showing it to her friends and then to Mrs Mingott, again the idea of appearance is brought up here. Their relationship could suggestively be for appearance. When leaving Mrs Mingott’s home, later in the extract, someone comments that the ring is catching on the sleeve of Mays coat as she puts in on, this is just as Newland and Ellen are talking, perhaps to suggest that the two talking is what disrupts the relationship between Newland and May, (which is what eventually does).

From the ballroom Newland and May move out into the garden where she holds a small bouquet of white flowers, signifying innocence. As discussed earlier, the audience’s attention is focused upon Newland’s hand as he picks a bud, disrupting innocence. Flowers and colour are used effectively within ‘The age of Innocence’ for a number of things. The flowers of pastel colours are always worn by May and she always placed in a setting of these flowers, signifying her innocent personality. Yellow roses, (like the ones Newland sends to Ellen) are associated with Ellen. The drawing room with the paintings that seem to represent May and Ellen seems to overwhelmingly be filled with yellow flowers. Looking back over the film this is perhaps suggestive of the way in which to Newland, Ellen’s presence takes over much more of him than May’s. The pastel coloured painting is walked past and ignored by Newland; it has hardly any impact against the yellow that fills the room.

One colour of great impact in this extract is red. Red fills much of the Bouford’s home; the carpet in the foyer as Newland walks up the stairway is red, as are the walls, the curtains and the seating. This is a deep rich red colour and signifies passion to the audience, a passion that is to come between Newland and Ellen. It also continues to be used throughout the film. In romantic period dramas the theme of passion is commonly found.

From the garden, the scene cuts to the ballroom again where the camera gracefully follows and moves with Newland and May as they dance with the many other couples waltzing with each other. The camera than takes a birds eye view, looking down on the whole ballroom floor, with the Bouford’s initial in the centre as it allows the audience to see the choreographed movements of the people below, there for appearance’s sake, as their lives are lived.

This extract does not contain all of the elements of this film however it contains much of them. The narrator is introduced in this extract. Themes of appearance, innocence, order, and corruption are introduced here through the use of paintings, colour, flowers and even hands. These are themes which have great significance in the film and are continued throughout. The genre of the film as a romantic period drama is felt throughout this extract and the society, which the film looks closely at, is depicted effectively here, it seems almost unconsciously done and may not be as Scorsese intended. However, at a close reading it appears to have been complexly structured to seem this way, by the clever use of direction.