Director: James Ivory
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson and Christopher Reeves
‘A Captivating Classic’
Few books ever published about British butlers are as beloved today as “The Remains of the Day”. Ever since it was first published in 1989, Kazuo Ishiguro’s book has stood test of time as a legendary piece of literature. It achieved appreciation for its realistic depictions of butlers taking care of wealthy mansions. With timely themes of social class, friendship and loyalty, the book earned a huge fan following. One of the reasons why it became successful is because it was one of the first ever novels to address social class in Britain. Given its massive fan following, the book has been adapted several times into movies. Each adaptation has offered a fresh interpretation of the beloved source material.
In 1993, James Ivory did an extraordinary job of adapting the book about vital roles butlers play in British households in his movie “The Remains of the Day”. It isn’t simple to adapt a beloved book about butlers to the big-screen, but Ivory pulled it off successfully. Packed with breathtaking production, engaging storytelling and exceptional performances, it’s a beautiful literary adaptation. At the centre of it all is an extraordinary performance from Anthony Hopkins, who embodies a British butler dedicated to his profession. Ultimately, the film delivers a strong message about social class that would definitely touch everyone.
Set in 1958 Britain, “The Remains of the Day” tells the story of a butler dedicated to taking care of a mansion. Anthony Hopkins portrays Stevens, the committed butler of Darlington Hall. Steven is an intensely committed person that follows a strict routine every day taking care of his household. However, Steven’s life forever changes when he falls in love with female butler of the household Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson). As the years go by, Steven forms a long-lasting relationship with Miss Kenton. Under pressure to serve his employer, Stevens questions whether he any longer has the possibilities of becoming a successful butler.
James Ivory is fascinated with the themes of social class. Before he directed “The Remains of the Day”, Ivory was known for making old-fashioned period pieces about class in Britain. With “The Remains of the Day”, however, the filmmaker crafted his first literary adaptation. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to adapt a celebrated book about social class on the big-screen but he succeeded tremendously. Using spellbinding cinematography, Ivory captures a journey of a butler dedicated to serving his family. Visually, the film is a feast for the eyes as stunning as mansions that Stevens seeks to organize. Ivory successfully uses montages to capture a butler dedicated to taking care of his household.For instance, montages elevate the food preparation scene. During this unforgettable scene, Stevens gives a strong speech issuing orders to cooks in the restaurant. Using gorgeous visuals, Ivory captures a butler with strong dedication to housekeeping.
Another admirable aspect of “The Remains of the Day” is the production. From a technical point-of-view, the film is extremely well-made. Ivory successfully uses production-design to capture a gorgeous mansion in which butlers shine. Throughout the movie, Darlington Hall is a mansion that plays an important role. Whether it’s the clear windows or the luxurious rooms, the house captures the life of a wealthy British family. For instance, the production of the house elevates the guest arrival scene. During this memorable scene, Stevens seeks to take care of his household where guests arrive for Bryce Wayne’s birthday. Furthermore, the musical score is magnificent. Richard Robbins’ music gives the film a tense atmosphere capturing the social class barriers that British people bear. Through stunning production, Ivory captures a luxurious British mansion.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “The Remains of the Day” is a period piece which is compelling. The film is beautifully written, and effectively uses voice-over narration to convey point of view of a housekeeper. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s strength as a screenwriter is her abilities to capture live of housekeepers in Britain through narration. Throughout the movie, Miss Keaton narrates her point-of-view on Stevens and the roles that butlers play in Darlington Hall. For instance, the voice-over narration is successfully used in the opening scene. During this memorable scene, Miss Keaton discusses her views on Darlington Hall through compelling narration. One admires voice-over narration capturing insight into the life of a housekeeper in Britain. Narration is a tricky technique to use in movies. As Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption” suggested, narration enhances prison dramas. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Using a sharp screenplay, Ivory captures the social class differences in Britain today.
One admires astonishing performances.
Anthony Hopkins delivers one of his greatest performances as Stevens. Hopkins achieved appreciation for playing psychotic serial killers in classic horror movies. With “The Remains of the Day”, however, Hopkins embodied his first butler role. It isn’t easy to embody the personality of a butler taking care of mansion which are wealthy, but he succeeds. With phenomenal expressions, he captures the angst, bravery and determination of a butler that’s dedicated to taking care of his family. It’s an exceptional performance from one of the best British actors today.
Emma Thompson is extraordinary as a fierce female housekeeper dedicated to ensuring her household’s bright future. While Hopkins gets the showier role, Thompson is equally excellent as a woman driven to achieve a strong goal. Thompson uses her commanding voice to capture the sense of authority of a female housekeeper seeking to perform household duties. Whether she’s arguing with Stevens over household responsibility or mourning the loss o loved one, Thompson effectively uses her powerful voice to embody a woman that’s compelling. It’s a strong performance from one of the best British actresses working in Hollywood today.
Finally, “The Remains of the Day” would blow everyone away for capturing the roles which butlers in British households play. Unlike most period pieces set in the 1940’s, it’s one of those rare movies that everyone would relate to. It tackles universal themes including ambition, dedication and social class which would definitely resonate with everyone. Despite being set in Britain during the 1950’s, its themes resonate today with everyone. Consequently, “The Remains of the Day” is one of those rare movies that would blow everyone way.
Fans of the celebrated book will definitely appreciate “The Remains of the Day” and so will movie-goers seeking old-fashioned entertainment. A captivating period piece, it celebrates the charming personalities of butlers committed towards housekeeping.
Nearly 40 years after the release of a legendary book capturing the lives of British butlers reminiscing the remains of the day, it’s a riveting reminder of an iconic piece of literature that forever changed the way in which housekeepers in Britain are viewed that proves Cinema is a powerful medium that can educate audiences about a forgotten era in history when butlers came to play a crucial role in the lives of employers whose stories that have all-too-often been cast aside in the pages of history deserve to be told in films today.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 