THE REMAINS OF THE DAY
A film review by Scott Renshaw
Copyright 1993 Scott Renshaw
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Christopher Reeve. Screenplay: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Director: James Ivory.
I was not among those who considered HOWARDS END one of the top ten films of 1992. As beautiful and well-acted as it was, I felt it offered a fragmented and somewhat unsatisfying treatment of E. M. Forster's novel. Therefore I did not approach THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, the new film from the Merchant/Ivory production stable, as a blessing dropped directly from heaven. It appears I should have. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY will draw much the same audience as HOWARDS END and THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, but it corrects nearly every flaw in each of those films, focusing on one character played to near perfection by Anthony Hopkins.
Hopkins stars as Mr. Stevens, the head butler of Darlington Hall, who reflects in flashback on a few pivotal years in his service to Lord Darlington (James Fox). In 1935, Stevens welcomes a new housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) as Darlington prepares to welcome some important guests. These guests include several English gentlemen, representatives from Germany and France, and an outspoken American congressman (Christopher Reeve), all gathered to discuss the rearming of Germany. All this, however, is irrelevant to Stevens, whose entire life is focused on being the best possible servant. His focus is so complete that he is unaware of the growing affections of Miss Kenton, and unable to express his own emotions. Stevens' relfection, interspersed through the flashbacks, becomes an attempt to justify his life as loyal servant to a man of sometimes questionable character.
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY is an exceptional adaptation of the award-winning novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. Rather than inflate the romance between Stevens and Miss Kenton out of proportion, screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wisely keeps the focus on Stevens' universe as a butler. He is a character committed to a fault to his ideals of servanthood, expressed in one pithy line: "I don't believe a man can conisder himself fully content until he has done all he can to be of service to his employer." So deeply does Stevens' belief in the innate superiority of his social betters run that he blinds himself completely to Lord Darlington's politics and his behavior towards a pair of Jewish maids. There is also a crucial relationship between Stevens and his elderly father, himself a veteran butler whom Stevens respects so devoutly that he ignores signs that the elder Stevens is losing his faculties. It is only because these relationships with Darlington and his father are so fully developed that the relationship between Stevens and Miss Kenton can be convincingly poignant.
It also doesn't hurt that Anthony Hopkins turns in the single best male performance of the year as Stevens. His career has experienced an astonishing surge in the last three years, and REMAINS shows why. It is not so much his ability to deliver a line which raises him above the pack, although he is brilliant there as well; rather, it is his precise command of shrugs, turns of the head and almost imperceptible eye movements that is incomparable. The scenes where he is in command, such as a lecture to Miss Kenton for referring to his father by his first name, are fine. Those where he is uneasy are masterful. In one such scene, he attempts to fulfill Lord Darlington's request that he explain the facts of life to his newly engaged godson. It's wonderfully funny because Stevens is trying so desperately to maintain his dignity in an inherently undignified situation. This is one of the finest physical performances in many years, beginning with one of the first moments he appears on screen, walking with stooped shoulders through an empty parlor.
The technical end of THE REMAINS OF THE DAY is, as expected, glorious as well. Director James Ivory creates some marvelous shots, many framed through windows to lend a sense of voyeurism. The photography is sharp, capturing the vastness of Darlington Hall expertly, and a beautiful score by Richard Robbins lends the perfect air of gentility. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY is just as visually striking as HOWARDS END, and the performances are just as solid. What gives REMAINS an edge over its much-lauded cousin is a more focused narrative which is riveting where HOWARDS END wandered. The world of Stevens the butler is one well worth visiting for a thoroughly magnificent film experience.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 servants: 10.
-- Scott Renshaw Stanford University Office of the General Counsel
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