“Michael Ballhaus, the cinematographer, employs a camera style of sometimes dizzy, sweeping, lyrical romanticism. It works beautifully.” - Vincent Canby, The New York Times
"As Scorsese’s iris shots and bursts of color and frisson-filled close-ups maximize the yearning that pulses between the lines of the novel, Wharton’s clever, cutting tone keeps the director in check, pushing him toward a psychological nuance of a more discreet order than, say, RAGING BULL’s “Your mother sucks fucking big fucking elephant dicks.” - Danny King, The Village Voice
Martin Scorsese, one of the great directors of our time, directs Oscar®-winner Daniel Day-Lewis (1989 Best Actor, My Left Foot), Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder in a brilliant adaptation of Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. A ravishing romance about three wealthy New Yorkers caught in a tragic love triangle, the ironically-titled story chronicles the grandeur and hypocrisy of high society in the 1870s. At the center of the film is Newland Archer (Day-Lewis), an upstanding attorney who secretly longs for a more passionate life. Engaged to the lovely but ordinary socialite May Welland (Ryder), Newland resigns himself to a life of quiet complacency. But when May's unconventional cousin returns to New York amid social and sexual scandal, Newland risks everything for a chance at true love. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE is a spellbinding portrait of hidden romance and regret. ♫ Features Felix Mendelssohn's String Quintet No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 87: III. Adagio e lento.
Awards and Nominations
1994 Nominee Oscar - Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Winona Ryder
1994 Winner Oscar - Best Costume Design - Gabriella Pescucci
Needle Drops | January 2–24, 2026
Some combinations of scene and sound are so striking they become irrevocably linked in our cultural memory. Well-timed tunes punctuate the edit, trigger strong emotions, and communicate unspoken stakes. Classical music with its sweeping instrumentation shines in many iconic movies and is a joy to experience in the cinema among a rapt audience. In collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who mounts a live presentation of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY with a full orchestra and choir accompaniment on January 9 and 10, the Siskel Film Center presents our favorite films featuring indelible classical music cues.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu