Aristocratic Affectation: Passion and Propriety in 'The Age of Innocence'

Martin Scorsese's meticulous re-creation of high society in 1870s New York successfully brings Edith Wharton's classic novel about the competing demands of desire and obligation to life. But in its examination of the brutality that lies beneath the polite facade, the film also somewhat unexpectedly aligns with the more overtly violent films that Scorsese is so well known for, writes Jasmine Crittenden.

Additional keywords:
Screens in the Classroom, middle years, senior secondary, adaptation, literature, English, history, class, romance, infidelity, tradition, social mores, upper class, 1990s cinema, Hollywood.