Remains of the Day, The

Released by: Twilight Time
Released on: April 16, 2015
Director: James Ivory
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant, Peter Vaughan, Tim Piggot-Smith, Lena Headey
Year: 1993
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The Movie:

Toward the end of his career, an English butler named Stevens takes a road trip to convince a former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, to return to service at Darlington Hall. Along the way, he remembers the incidents in his life that have brought him to where he is. Interspersed throughout these memories is a detailed portrait of the man's relationship with three other people: his reserved father, also a butler and the man who led Stevens into the occupation; Lord Darlington, who formerly owned the massive mansion over which Stevens remains head butler; and Miss Kenton, the erstwhile housekeeper with whom Stevens may be in love.

With The Remains of the Day, the producer/director team of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory achieved a perfect film adaptation of a perfect novel. Kazuo Ishiguro's 1989 prize-winning exercise in Existentialism has Mr. Stevens recounting his life in subdued, glowing terms, yet, hiding between the lines is an insecure man who cannot assess his own shortcomings. His pursuit of human dignity in the occupation in which he's been raised by his aloof, self-serving father has overridden every other aspect of his life, leading to a lengthy, unspoken, and unrequited love. Never has a romance been so plainly offered without so much as an “I love you” spoken or a kiss stolen. Here is a love story for the ages, one in which deep-seated emotions are suppressed rather than indulged. Yet, it is this relationship between Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton that lies at the core of Ishiguro's story and Merchant Ivory's cinematic adaptation.

Fresh off the success of Howard's End, the producer/director duo scored another hit by casting the previous film's leads in the role of Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton. And as good as the actors are in the previous film, they're even better here. Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Stevens is akin to that of Bette Davis' performance in Hammer's classic adaptation of Evelyn Piper's novel The Nanny. Normally one to chew scenery, here Hopkins reins it in for the most restrained performance of his career, and in doing so he creates his most affecting characterization to date. Stevens' limited ability to connect to others is best exemplified in the scene in which his father is passing away. Miss Kenton tells him that his father doesn't have much time left, but Stevens is too busy with an important event taking place in Darlington Hall, a meeting of dignitaries over the issue of German appeasement in the wake of WWI. Miss Kenton repeatedly tries to impress upon Stevens the importance of seeing his father before he passes away, but Stevens fails to make the necessary time, an act that exemplifies his inability to deal with his own emotions.

Emma Thompson is no less effective as Miss Kenton; whether she's insulting Stevens out of sexual frustration or sobbing on her bedroom floor, she is never less than flawless. When she finds Stevens reading a book, she insists on knowing what it is and is surprised to learn that it's nothing but “a sentimental old love story.” Yet, the message in her eyes is clear: she desperately desires Stevens' romantic embrace even as he pushes her away, insisting that he reads such books to help him master the English language. His excuse is as pitiful as her expression, but the divide between them is simply too great for Miss Kenton to overcome. Stevens is a locked room, one that cannot be opened, even from the inside. When Miss Kenton finally accepts a marriage proposal from another man, it's intended—at least initially—as a ruse to force Stevens into admitting his love for her. The ruse does not work, and Miss Kenton finds herself trapped in a marriage with a man she does not love.

James Ivory's direction is in top form. Whether he's introducing Miss Kenton for the first time through the oval window of a hallway door or placing Kenton and Stevens in dark silhouette against a striking blue background, he never loses control of his image; The Remains of the Day is a live-action painting, a rich composition ripe for dissection and critique. It works on many levels: as a love story, as a soap-operatic melodrama, as a condemnation of anti-Semitism and an examination of class struggle. It's a masterpiece, one that ranks among cinema's greatest films. It's as multifaceted as Citizen Kane, as beautiful as Casablanca, and as engaging as Brief Encounter.

Video/Audio/Extras:

The Remains of the Day comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Twilight Time in an edition limited to 3,000 copies. The film is presented with an MPEG-4 AVC encode in 1080p high definition and retains its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The transfer from Sony is sharp, fully showcasing the film's ample British locations. Colors are lush, particularly greens and blues (of which there are plenty), and there's a healthy level of grain that remains organic without overpowering the fine detail. And speaking of detail, there's plenty of it: in tweed jackets; in grasses, flowers, and leaves; in architecture; in decorations; in faces… Seeing The Remains of the Day on Blu-ray is, in short, like seeing it for the first time.

The release has three audio tracks. The first is the film's primary track, which is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Dialogue is crisp, clean, and easy to understand, and Richard Robbins' original score is weighted appropriately. Speaking of that score, it has so many beautiful elements that only an in-depth study could do it justice. Take, for instance, the scene in which Miss Kenton insists that Mr. Stevens acknowledge the misplacement of a decorative “Chinaman” figure. When Stevens looks at the figure, director Ivory cuts to a medium shot of it, its bobble-like head swaying in perfect time to Robbins' score, which suddenly takes on an Asian inflection heard nowhere else in the film. It's a subtle musical cue, only one in a rich array of them. Thankfully, Twilight Time has chosen to give the score—which alternates between rousing, romantic, and subdued—its own separate track in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Finally, a third track is comprised of an audio commentary from director Ivory, producer Merchant, and actress Thompson. Thompson acts as a sort of moderator, though Ivory is very much in control, sharing anecdotes about every aspect of the production. Thompson is as sweet and charming as one would expect her to be, and while Merchant has the least to say, he holds his own just fine.

Extras abound, and all are worthy of viewing. First up is “Love and Loyalty: The Making of The Remains of the Day” (28:36). The program was produced to promote the film first-run and is presented here in full frame. It features interviews with James Ivory, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Ismail Merchant, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Kazuo Ishiguro, Mike Nichols, John Calley, and Christopher Reeve. It's particularly interesting to see so many of these same people in “The Remains of the Day: The Filmmakers' Journey” (29.52), where they're so much older and wiser. This second feature was shot several years ago for a DVD release of the film while Merchant and Reeve were still alive. Those interviewed include Ishiguro, Ivory, Merchant, Hopkins, Thompson (whose interview snippets appear to have been culled from other sources, one of which was used for the original promotional featurette), Calley, Reeve, James Fox, Richard Robbins, Luciana Arrighi, Jenny Beavan, and John Bright.

“Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England's Fatal Flaw” (14:51) deals with the appeasement period in the years leading up to World War II. It features interviews with Ishiguro, Hopkins, Thompson, Ivory, Reeve, Fox, and Merchant and was obviously shot at the same time as “The Remains of the Day: The Filmmaker's Journey.” It also contains fascinating historical footage before and during the Second World War, including live-action images of Adolf Hitler and Neville Chamberlain.

Seven deleted scenes running a total of 15 minutes are also included, all with optional commentary from director Ivory. These are open matte/full frame and unrestored; as a result, the mic is visible in several of them. It's too bad that some of them were deleted from the final cut of the film, as they do provide additional insights into some of the characters, yet Ivory's explanation for their removal makes total sense.

Two trailers are included as well: the original theatrical trailer (2:23) and an international trailer (2.44). Both are in high definition.

And finally, Twilight Time's resident film historian Julie Kirgo provides the best liner notes of her career, which is saying something considering the notes she's written for so many other great films.

The Final Word:

The Remains of the Day is a cinematic gem, a perfect adaptation of a perfect novel. The transfer used for Twilight Time's BD release is superb, the sound is rock solid, and numerous extras provide great insight into the making of the film. In short, this is one special edition Blu-ray that fans of classy, timeless entertainment won't want to miss.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!