The film ‘The Age of Innocence’ Martin Scorsese (1993) is a film which has it’s own unique film style but yet is reminiscent of many of Scorsese’s films, how is this the case? Scorsese as the director uses many of his recognisable film making techniques to tell a different story, this recognisable filming techniques can include all aspects of film making such as sound, dialogue, mise-en scene, casting, cinematography and film structure.

First of the concept of style relates to the same film style carried across more than one production or film. One choice made by the director can lead to more possibilities or constraints of the director. An example of these similar techniques across the films is in ‘The Age of Innocence’ a voice over narrates the story and is consistently giving pivotal information away to the audience. The voice over symbolises elliptical edit by the director as the camera (handheld) arches gingerly across a room as items are added and removed and the voiceover explains how years and years have passed. The same film style is used in Scorsese’s films for example in the ‘Goodfellas’ there is a freeze frame on Ray Liotta as his voice over explains his predicament as a gangster. This same film style is used in many of Scorsese’s film to gather an insight into the characters, the overall story, the actions taking place, what has occurred over time, or what is occurring within the protagonists personal head space.

A contribution to this film style is the long takes where, characters are captured in different revealing angles and 180 arch’s and in ‘The Age of Innocence’ the performances and carefully timed and executed with the rapid edits and panning cuts which at stages can be disorientating but it gives the audience a good sense of being the third person witness.

A filmmaker tends to rely on similar techniques across the film. After certain choices have been made in one scene, it’s easier to replicate them in another. These camera movements are favoured by the director such as the 180 arch around Daniel Day-Lewis’ character and therefore these camera movements would be repeated throughout the narrative. Most directors feel comfortable with a particular stylistic option because it suits the stories they’re telling, like with the cuts of food and beverages being served to interrelate between the non-diegetic voice over narration; the purpose this serves is that the scene is layered and action is split up and placed in the characters perspective as the dish is in the character’s point of view eyeline. This style/technique cleverly speeds up scenes with real time long processes and trims them down without leaving out too much detail in the well decorated mise-en scene and well executed acting.

In film style it is also important for directors to continue to create possibilities out of the choices they make, which they can repeat (techniques) later in the narrative to link two parallels. These can create parallels between a situation and characters, for example the repetition of tracking shots of Daniel Day-Lewis are used through out the narrative, and as the narrative progresses there is less energy in the camera movement and also slower paced acting by Day-Lewis, the parallel’s connected here is through time Day-Lewis slows down, grows older and maybe becomes more confused as he has more to hide. The style contributes to the way the camera movements are repeated to link parallels which are used as comparative tools to the ever changing dynamics of the narrative.

Audiences whom are aware of the director’s film styles will carry their own expectations of the film and other media. The specific film’s style can confirm our expectations, or modify them or challenge them. In ‘The Age of Innocence’ the audience through viewing previous Scorsese films will come to expect, quick flashing edits, tracking shots, challenged and flawed male protagonists, blonde female leads, voice over narrations, freeze frames and photo montages. A director also directs us, directs our attention, and thus shapes our reaction. Scorsese through his characteristic film style portrays a story with many filming techniques which are unique to a Scorsese directed narrative and they are what the audience and expect and want to see.

Michael Serpell