Tonight on Netflix: Martin Scorsese’s It’s Not Just Mafia, It’s a Great Costume Movie

On the eve of his engagement to the beautiful May Welland, Newland Archer, a young and brilliant lawyer in late 19th-century New York high society, meets one of his new wife’s cousins, the fiery Countess Ellen Olenska. Very quickly, Newland discovers a certain soul in him and eventually succumbs to his charms…

An avid fan of Luchino Visconti’s films, in particular his masterpieces Leopard and Senso, Martin Scorsese pays homage to the Italian master with The Time of Innocence, a brilliant adaptation of the award-winning 1920 work by writer Edith Wharton. The prestigious Pulitzer Prize the following year.

In his fabulous filmography, A time of innocence It has long been Scorsese’s most beloved and misunderstood film. But what was he going to do in a costume movie? On the contrary, far from being a pompous work, Scorsese frees his film from any academicism that often accompanies the genre.

Visually extraordinary, especially thanks to the work of the great chef Michael Ballhaus, with the costumes (which will also be awarded an Oscar), Scorsese here opens the story of the impossible and thwarted love of great cruelty, which is suppressed by the petty social conventions that govern the narrow high society.

He is greatly assisted in his task by a fantastic trio: Michelle Pfeiffer, who finds here one of the best roles of her career; The dazzling Winona Ryder, who will receive a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. And of course by the always impeccable Daniel Day Lewis; who, as usual, took his preparations for the role to a climax, going so far as to regularly spend time on set dressed in costume and speaking like his character.

In short, a wonder that is absolutely not exhausted by numerous viewings of the film released 31 years ago. To watch (or re-watch!) on Netflix