The Age of Innocence: A Portrait of the Film Based on the Novel by Edith Wharton (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook) [Hardcover]

Martin Scorsese (Author), Jay Cocks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1993 | Series: Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook

"This book is a rarity--a sumptuous coffee-table book that actually has something to say. With 144 photographs and drawings and 96 color plates--including reproductions of 14 paintings by Whistler, Tissot, Sargent and others, 33 production and rehearsal photos, period works from the N.Y. Historical Society, and photos of 19th-century locations, it is as luscious as the movie it records and as much an art book as a film record." --Gannett

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is the screenplay to one of the most important films of the 1990s. Worthy of comparison with the Edith Wharton novel upon which it is based, it is also a fascinating example of how filmmakers bridge the difference between literature and cinema. In its afterward, Scorsese and Cocks provide an annotated list of the cinematic sources that influenced their writing and direction. The reader can use the list as a guide to further viewing. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

This luscious volume, a companion to the recently released film The Age of Innocence , offers an inside view of its production from the director and the screenwriter. The book is divided into four sections. The first, filled with turn-of-the-century quotes and photos and full-color renditions of paintings by Whistler and Sargent, evokes the period in which the movie is set. The second contains the complete screenplay with stills from the film as well as photos of the filming process. The third is a list of 22 films that the authors feel influenced them while they made The Age of Innocence. Finally, there is a section of quotes from the cast and crew members. This glorious celebration of the film is simply beautiful to look at. Expect demand where the film has been popular.
- Sherle Abramson, Williamsburg Reg. Lib., Va.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Newmarket Press; First edition (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557041431
• ISBN-13: 978-1557041432
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 10 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #850,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a glimpse into our heritage, December 23, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Age of Innocence: A Portrait of the Film Based on the Novel by Edith Wharton (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook) (Hardcover)

This book really can be called a "work of art". It
includes some stunning pictures and paintings that
later inspired the making of the film "The Age of
Innocence". It's really an uncommon chance to glimpse
into our own pictorial heritage, as seen through the
eyes of one of America's most important filmmakers.
Included is also the shooting script and a series
of quotations from the period's writers that help
in the building of the 19th century athmosphere.
Strongly reccommended to the lovers of this film
and to the ones who want to appreciate more and
understand where the "inspiration" comes from.

Massimo Benvegnu

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine script for an under-rated film, November 22, 1999

By 

Faisal A. Qureshi (Manchester, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Age of Innocence: The Shooting Script (Newmarket Shooting Script) (Paperback)

Not being familar withe book, Scorcese and Cocks came up with a excellent film of class hypocrisy and repression. Well worth reading on its own right, hopefully this film will get the acclaim it deserves. Those that did like this film should also examine Kubrick's 'Barry Lyndon', a film which was one of Scorsese's main influence during the making of the film.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect way of complementing the book and the movie, July 29, 2009

By 

Maiden (Frankfurt, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Age of Innocence: A Portrait of the Film Based on the Novel by Edith Wharton (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook) (Hardcover)

Ever since I have finished reading "The Age Of Innocence" I have wanted to watch the movie. And when I did, I wasn't let down. The rendition was so faithful, so clever in nailing the main themes of the book (which is so much more than a nevertheless wonderful and unforgettable love story) that I was induced to look for some tangible witness of its coming to life. That's when I came across this book. I love Scorsese very much, but I didn't know he had participated in the realization of this written documentary of the movie, and I was pleasantly surprised. Full of pictures both from the set and from the time the story is set, it helps one understand a long gone world the movie strives to recreate. From the most intense scenes to the way of preparing a canvas back, you find yourself immersed in an atmosphere so close to the one you experience in Wharton's book that it is a pleasure to simply leaf through the pages and appraise every detail without haste. The complete script is also very useful to find out how the writers adapted the original, what they decided to alter, to leave out from the final cut, and what they kept faithfully from Wharton's words. If you liked the book and the movie, I highly suggest this purchase, if only to remind yourself now and then of a small joy you lived and you have maybe forgotten.