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Anthony Hopkins stars as Stevens, an emotionally repressed English butler working for an influential Lord in the years leading up to World War II. When he hires a new head housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), the two slowly develop a fondness for each other while working day and night to maintain the manor, where politicians and diplomats frequently meet to discuss the direction of world affairs. Kenton challenges Stevens, both to nurture his near-absent emotional well-being, and to question the morality of their employer, a man who sympathetic to the growing Nazi movement.
The Remains of the Day, based on a book by Kazuo Ishiguro, skips back and forth between the pre-war years and decades later, when Stevens and Miss Kenton arrange for a meeting and possible rekindling of their nascent romance. Hopkins’ character is put to the test in both timelines — will he be able to profess his love for her, or will he again subjugate himself to his duties and obligations? Thompsons’ character does more than meet him halfway, frustrated to the point where she quits her position in the pre-war storyline and marries someone she doesn’t really love. The dramatic suspense of this film, beautifully muted by intention, is constant: Will Stevens take the first step toward being a full human being and profess his feelings, or will he remain a robot forever? He missed his first opportunity with Miss Kenton in the flashback storyline, but will he miss his second chance in the later one?
Under the direction of James Ivory (A Room with a View, Maurice), The Remains of the Day is a sumptuous period piece drama dressed impeccably to the nines, featuring career-best work from Ivory’s regular collaborators Tony Pierce-Roberts (cinematography) and Richard Robbins (score). The supporting cast is an embarrassment of riches, including Christopher Reeve as an American who challenges the Brits’ pre-war thinking, James Fox as the controversial Lord of the manor, Hugh Grant as the nephew who might publicly expose the Lord’s shady schemes, and Peter Vaughan as Stevens’ ageing father and fellow servant who begins struggling to physically perform his day-to-day duties.
I enjoyed the period setting and design immensely. It transported me to another time and place as compellingly as any good sci-fi or fantasy film. It succeeded in doing much more by putting me into the shoes of this painfully guarded butler with his pitiable inability to make a genuine human connection — not even with his dying father or a potential lover. And where does duty get him when it’s in service to an employer with impure intentions? I also appreciated that the romance subplot remains incredibly understated throughout the film. These are not characters who outright say what they are feeling. A scene in which Thompson tries to wrestle a book out of Hopkins’ clutches is akin to a sex scene in any other film. It’s subtle, but powerful — a tragedy and a cautionary tale about burying our feelings.
With Ben Chaplin and Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) in only her second feature film.
Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Actor (Hopkins), Actress (Thompson), Director, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, Costume Design, Score