martin scorsese's triumphant adaptation of edith wharton's the age of innocence is a stunning film for the quintessential new york filmmaker , the man who brought the streets of taxi driver and mean streets to life . 
it seems like an odd choice for scorsese to do a period piece in the early 1900's , but the fact that he pulls it off so brilliantly is a wonder , and a testament to the greatness of scorsese as a filmmaker . 
this is a gorgeous visual experience that it surely one of scorsese's finest . 
newland archer ( day-lewis ) is a prestigious lawyer who is engaged to may welland ( ryder ) , a somewhat empty and shallow new yorker , who belongs to a prestigious family and is quite beautiful . 
the marriage is one which will unite two very prestigious families , in a society where nothing is more important than the opinions of others . 
on the day that archer is to announce his engagement to may , countess ellen olenska ( pfeiffer ) , cousin of may , walks into archer's life . 
archer is immediately captivated , and finds himself in love with ellen . 
archer is also bound by the limits of new york society , which is an intrusive as any other in the world . 
archer finds himself having a secret love affair in his mind with countess olenska , attempting to keep her in his mind while trying not to lose his social status . 
the film's subject matter may seem alien to scorsese , but the theme is definitely not . 
it is a theme of forbidden romance , guilty pleasures , and the consequences causes because of those actions . 
there is a painstakingly flawed hero , and his choice between the life he wants , and the life he is destined for . 
in truth , it is a film about a society the audience doesn't know about , but wants to find out more , much like the society of goodfellas or even kundun . 
the performances are absolutely breathtaking . 
day-lewis portrays more mental anguish in his face than one man should be forced to take . 
pfeiffer is marvelous as countess olenska , a mix of passion and beauty that the audience would die for as well . 
ryder is probably the gem of the group , for it is her quiet presence that overwhelms the plot , and slowly pushes day-lewis closer and closer to his eventual ending . 
the supporting cast is also wonderful , with several characters so singular that they are indelible in one's memory . 
scorsese definitely has a passion for filmmaking . 
his lavish and sumptuous set design and marvelous recreation of new york is a wondrous sight . 
he literally transports the viewer to another world with incredible imagery . 
his script is also excellent , slow in buildup , with a rapid conclusion and a fantastic ending that has to be seen to be believed . 
it is difficult to make a period piece gripping : scorsese , however , does it beautifully . 
the famous cameras of the legendary director are also everywhere . 
he is patient , but he films everything and anything remotely important . 
the cameras sweep , pan , track , and do more than they've ever done , but they are so subtle , one doesn't realize he's watching all the scorsese hallmarks until a 2nd viewing . 
the central tracking shot is probably longer and more complex than the famous goodfellas shot , but the viewer doesn't notice it , because we want to see more of this gorgeous world . 
there are a few deft touches of filmmaking that are simply outstanding , and joanne woodward' narration is exquisite . 
not a fast film like goodfellas , this shares more in common with kundun than anything else . 
and like kundun , this is a slow-starting film that truly shines , when given the chance to fully breathe and bloom in the end . 
a beautiful film by a director continuing to challenge himself year after year .