The Remains of the Day (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Love or Loyalty
Review: Love or Loyalty
Kuldip Kumar Garhwal

When we talk about Love, don't we think about two persons love towards each other with loyalty? Love and loyalty are interrelated. The pillars of love are made by the bricks of loyalty. Love and Loyalty go together. But it is not true in the case of The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Mr. Steven is loyal towards Lord Darlington and he loves Miss. Kenton, but if he gives more weight to love, he won't be able to be loyal to Lord Darlington because "Steven thinks that such abandonment of a professional post for marriage is irritating and thoroughly unprofessional." (Spark Notes 1)

In The Remains of the Day there are two stories going on, first the love between Stevens and Kenton; and second the loyalty of Stevens towards Lord Darlington. In real life love and loyalty go on collectively. For example marriages fall apart if there is no loyalty between partners. In The Remains of the Day love and loyalty does not go hand-in-hand, because if Stevens loves Kenton and wants to marry her, he cannot keep up with his position of well-contended-service towards Lord Darlington. That is because if Stevens wants to continue with his love life he has to leave his current job as a butler at Darlington Hall and which will prove him to be disloyal towards Lord Darlington. "In the totality of his professional commitment, Stevens fails to pursue the one woman with whom he could have had a fulfilling and a loving relationship. His rim mask of formality cuts him off intimacy, companionship, and understanding." (Plot Overview)

Stevens values dignity, loyalty & respect more than love. He believes that love & loyalty cannot go together. It's not only Stevens who value this but other people from the same era also believe in this concept. Take the example of Mr. Benn, who was also a butler, he resigned from his job and went to some other city to start a new life, when he found out that he loves Kenton and they would like to marry each other.

Stevens believed in 'dignity in keeping with his position'. He talks about dignity throughout his narration. What does that 'keeping with his position' means? In Steven's context it basically means to be loyal to his Lord Darlington. Now if Steven loves Miss. Kenton he will not be able to keep up with his current position as a butler of Darlington Hall and therefore he cannot continue being loyal to Lord Darlington. Loyalty comes in the way of Stevens love life and he chooses loyalty as he values the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect.

"Butlers cannot choose whether or not to react to any given situation; they are always expected to repress their own feelings." (Spark Notes 2) Stevens follows this rule of gentlemen of stature, and which is why he never expressed his own feeling towards almost anything in general except in his area of expertise, which is taking care of the household. But this does not mean that Stevens did not love Kenton. Stevens loved Kenton a lot but could not express his feeling towards her because of loyalty. "Despite the fact that the two frequently disagree over various household affairs when they work together, the disagreements are childish in nature and mainly serve to illustrate the fact that they two care for each other." (Plot Overview) There are many incidents in the story where Stevens and Kenton disagree over each others decisions or opinions, and most of them were not even worth quarrelling, which show a "notable relationship by far, however, is his long-term working relationship with Kenton." (Plot Overview)

Steven loves his father also but does not put it down in actions or words. "Stevens says that he will come up and see his father in a little while, but that his father would have wanted him to take care of his duties as a butler first." (Spark Notes 1) Steven knows that even his father would want him to do his duties towards his master first. Again loyalty comes in way of love between father and son.

John Rothfork, a critic, says, "For most of The Remains of the Day, Stevens feels that his tragic and wasted life resulted from mistaken loyalty, so that if he had backed a different horse or had played different cards, he would have been a winner instead a loser." (John Rothfork) There are two scenes in the movie which I really liked, and they are the best examples of Stevens putting forward his loyalty and backing up with his love. Scene one is when Kenton caught Stevens reading a romantic novel, the room has a dim lighting to create a romantic atmosphere. In this scene Kenton and Steven get so close, which calls for a kiss to express love, but Steven played a "different card" by staying silent. Scene is two is when Steven goes to fetch a bottle of alcohol from the cellar for the dignitaries. After Steven return from the cellar, he hears the sound of tears from Kenton's room, so he slowly opens the door and go inside the room, and he finds that Kenton is crying. Instead of sympathizing Kenton, Steven told her about some dust which she should clean. This shows again that how Steven respects loyalty more than his love. But still there is love existing here, because if Stevens would not care about Kenton, he would not have entered the room.

Steven goes all the way to Cleveland to see Kenton, from outside he pretends that he is going to hire a Kenton as a housekeeper at Darlington Hall, but from inside he is more interested in seeing her, as they have not met from the last twenty years. "Although it might appear that end of the novel leaves Stevens a wreck, regretfully cynical of his misplaced trust, this is not the case. Stevens talks about hoping 'to make the best of what remains of my day,' in a tone that is not glum." (John Rothfork) Steven wants to lead his remains of day serving his new employer the way he (new employer) wants it to be. So Steven is trying to learn the language of "bantering" to please his new employer and being loyal to him.

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Citation

1. Spark Note 1, Summary, Day Two-Morning / Salisbury,

2. Spark Note 2, Analysis, Day One-Evening / Salisbury,

3. Plot Overview, Spark Notes,

4. John Rothfork, "Zen Comedy in Postcolonial Literature: Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day," In Mosaic, Vol. 29, No.1, March 1996, pp. 79-102. Reprinted in Novels for Students, Vol. 13.
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Kuldip Kumar Garhwal
Undergraduate
Webster University Thailand
Email: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Website: http://www.geocities.com/vitkul
This paper was written for 'Literature into films' course taught by Eric Sysak in Summer 2004.


Rating:
Summary: Remains of the day
Review: Adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, the film "Remains of the day" made a deep impression on me. It is shown in a simple and monotonous way, but still there is something that makes viewers absorbed in it. That is because of the major actor's emotional life.
There is no doubt that the acting of Anthony Hopkins (Mr.Stevens) and Emma Thompson (Ms.Kenton) contributed to the success of the film. Anthony Hopkins has convinced us in his role of a loyal butler and a piteous person in love. Altogether, Anthony Hopkins has displayed most of the emotions through his face and eyes. In the scene of Chinaman, we see the coldness, formality and his exertion to restrain emotions. In another scene, when Mr. Stevens lies to Ms. Kenton about what kind of book he is reading, Anthony Hopkins shows an embarrassed face like a child. When I watched this film, I had the feeling that I was seeing Anthony Hopkins as the real Mr. Stevens in the novel.
Emma Thompson is excellent at her job as a housekeeper with a complicated character. She loves Mr. Stevens, but he did not respond. After all, she has to suffer through unhappy marriage. However, she is a kind of person who is able to admit and speak up her true feelings. Emma Thompson acts very honestly and brilliantly to show her major emotions in the film.
Overall, the beautiful landscape and costumes portray the exact British style that Kazuo Ishiguro described in the novel.






Rating:
Summary: The remains of the day
Review:

This is a story about the life of a loyal butler who always puts dignity at the top and swaps everything to be a good servant. This movie goes around the two main characters, Steven and Kenton.

Two characters Mr Steven and Ms Kenton are performed by Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson very successful. They stand in old generation to be an example and enthusiasm. They are two main actors I like the most in this movie. They act so well to each other and both of them take attention on audience.

In this movie, dignity is very important to Mr. Steven and he will not exchange it with anything at all cost. For my opinion, I think dignity is very necessary for being a good butler, but Steven almost lost everything such as his life, his love... because of dignity and it is not worthy

Not easy to evaluate a movie but more hard to evaluate one of the most famous literary work in the world. This movie carries with history and education to everyone. It is very good to show at school, at home. We watch it and we are attracted because we cannot guess what is going on after that. It is very good to talk about the real war, the people at that time. This movie can be watched at any time, anywhere.



Rating:
Summary: The Remains Of The Day
Review: Housekeeper Mr. James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) and Miss Sally Kenton (Emma Thompson) is not displaying their emotion. Stevens didn't show out his emotion not only because of being a housekeeper, but also he is not willing to show his emotion. In this situation the writer of Kazuo Ishiguro also lines and words. More over the director James Ivory also use a good actor Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. They use body movement and face to make a lot of sense.
Stevens' love for Miss Kenton remains unanswered and he denies having any feelings for Miss Kenton right till the end. The unbelievable emotional poise and dignity that Stevens displays, makes his declaration of sorrow at the end that much powerful. Stevens is a person given to major understatements, and it is this very fact that makes us fell so sad for him. Ishiguro conveys Stevens' love for Miss Kenton through clever means such as Stevens' re-reading the letter that she writes. Miss Kenton tells him that her husband has died and she wishes to return to service at Darlington Hall. He reads the letter, and keeps reminiscing about the "perfect way Miss Kenton carried out her duties". Even in his reminiscences, Stevens's talks about her work, never talk about her. Because he don't want to show out his emotion until he die. He wants to keep it for the sake of duty, for the sake of living up to the standards of being perfect butler for his whole life. He wants to be a professional butler.
This is a good film and very complex book because they show it out the Steven's life if he wants to be a professional butler he cannot take two things at the same time, should release one thing". That is why he gives up showing his emotion to Miss Kenton choosing his professional butler life. It has to be one of the best books I have ever read.



Rating:
Summary: Being professional butler in The remains of the day
Review: The remains of the day happen in 1958 with the main characters are Mr. Steven, played by Anthony Hopkins and Ms Kenton, played by Emma Thompson. This movie is about sentiment, loyal, sacrifice....
Because of being perfect butler, Steven almost lost his life, family sentiment. One of the film's scenes comes when Steven's father, who is working in Darlington Hall, is dying, but Steven still wants to serve the international party. Steven blinds all the aspects of life to be a perfect butler. Moreover, Steven loves Miss Kenton so much but he did not express his feeling at all. Even Miss Kenton shows her love and gives him many chances, Steven tries to ignore them and pretend, as he does not know anything. For his job, Miss Kenton is just a second choice. He can exchange everything in life to be a good servant.
Anthony Hopkins played an excellent actor; the way he expressed is perfect. His face shows many meanings in several hard situations. In the scene at the end of the film, when Steven looked out from the window and saw the dove flying up in the sky, I think he compared himself to the free dove and he seems to realize that he got nothing finally. This scene is so meaningful and I really like it.
Watching this movie, I not only enjoy the story of Steven but also the beauty of England. Many sights in the film are so beautiful and wonderful. The building is so ancient and I discover the way people wear in that time. They wear very formally even the servants.


Rating:
Summary: Dignity in Remains of the day
Review: "Dignity in Remains of the day " by Shahzada Gofran

An American mother lost four out of five of her sons at war in Vietnam during 1954. Yet her head is as high as Mount Everest with patriotic dignity. But it's not the same dignity that we see in Stevens's life depicted on both in Kazuo Ishiguro's novel and James Ivory's film Remains of the day. It is Stevens' dignity that provokes questions to the readers and the viewers mind. It poses them to ponder what dignity actually means in life when they read or watch the film. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) is the protagonist whose dormant feelings and self-indulgence have been suppressed by the concept of "dignity" that he cherished with profound delicacy throughout his service life at Darlington hall. But unfortunately, that "dignity" has brought little meaning and many unhappy moments in his life. His dignity has existed like a mist in a winter morning that goes away in the glare of a dazzling sun. Nearly at the end of the novel and also in the film, the viewers get to see how dignity plays a treacherous role in Stevens's life. Nevertheless, the film did an excellent job in changing some scenes to emphasize and show dignity that is so ingrained in Stevens' life. Although the book has a greater detail of events than it is in the film, the director kept the central themes congruent.

In the realm of modernism and capitalism, the English aristocracy and the formality of a butler's profession remain as an interesting story, but not as a pervasive manner of lifestyle for today's' generation. The modernism, individuality, and freedom of expression took over the habitual human thinking that was existed during the Darlington's era. Generally ordinary citizens have little right to express their opinions on issues of politics. The English colonialism and their mannerism have also had an impact on the people during that time. According to Bert Cardullo" the elegiac representation of the British imperialism and celebrates its heyday by depicting a return to the practice of social hierarchy"(The servant,1). We also have seen in the movie that the international delegates are so secluded from the touch of the ordinary people. However, one may argue though that the impact of Modernism we have seen in Remains of the day would shape and mold the English civilization gradually rather than occurring as a revolution. There were people during the Darlington era who also have similar mannerism and modern thinking as today. For example Miss Kenton who believed on her opinions and has the dignity of choosing for her own as oppose to Stevens. She opposed the idea of firing those Jews servants and she chooses to marry and quite the job for her own happiness that was impossible for Stevens. For her it is the confidence in what she values has the high dignity and self esteem just as we would in today generation.

The dignity is a quintessential idea in the novel. In the film it is undeniably repeated many times in order to simply establish the importance of it to the readers and the viewers of Remains of the day. The idea of dignity here has revolved around from the perspective of professional success and achievements. But both Stevens and his father have been a merciless victim of "dignity". Stevens father also suppressed his feeling for dignity. He served indifferently to the general even though his son died in war because of his absurd decision ( the remains of the day). But the dignity is nothing but merely a product of social and traditional legacy passed on to the so-called English gentleman's society, which was an impediment to the growth of individuality.

Nonetheless, dignity is not a valuable security that Stevens had thought about throughout his youth while providing service to Lord Darlington. It is unfolded at the end quite dramatically in his life. Because of the dignity he had lost an opportunity of having an affair with Miss Kenton who is Emma Thompson in the movie. Miss Kenton has implied her interests and feelings to him couple of times and tried to convey her love. Once she was invited to go out for a dinner with Mr. Benn and later proposed to marry him. And when she got back to Darlington, she asked Stevens about his opinion on it. But Stevens remained cold and formal as usual and expressed only congratulation that was inadequate and ignited subtly Miss Kenton's emotional feelings( film- remains of the day). It is his dignity once again that has not only left his life sad and gloomy, but lonely as well. Stevens' dignity was all about Lord Darlington. His satisfaction comes from providing a better service without making silly mistakes. But the honor and dignity put Stevens in an awkward position. According to one of the critiques of the Remains of the day, Jennifer Bussey " what a terrible mistake he realized that he made about both his failed romance with her and his support of Lord Darlington's Nazi sympathies. This may be no more than denial and evasion in Anthony Hopkins' performance, but there is more at work in the novel"(critique on Remains).

Eventually, Steven's remuneration of service to lord Darlington has become a nostalgic memory only. Because of his dignity, he remained with the international congregation and did not go to see his dead father. He even had to keep his identity secrete from the outside world because disclosing his identity and his former employer Darlington would demean his value to the people of England. Essentially, his dignity made him a man who has no room for learning his feelings until the end. The director of the movie James Ivory says "he portrays a kind of butler who does not talk or share opinions, but observes and sees ways to serve the master" (ljlkjljlkj). Thus, his "dignity" and professionalism demolished his life that he could have had throughout his youth.

Bibliography

Ishiguro, Kazuo: The Remains of The Day.1989; London.

Cardullo, Bert: The servant, Eden-Webster Library. Info Trac One file Plus.

Jennifer, Bussey article: critical essay on "The Remains of the Day"
<www. http:80-galenet.galegroup.com.library3.webster.edu/servlet/litRC?>

Ivory, Jmames: Remains of The Day. Colombia Pictures Ltd.

Rating:
Summary: White Ties and Black Shirts
Review: This is a film that is as simple or complex as you want it to be. It's also, for what it's worth, my favourite movie. Top of the list.

Watch it for the delicious, charged, complicated love story between butler and housekeeper. Or watch for the incredible detail in recreating an era long gone. Watch for a reminder of the political ambiguities during the lead-up to the Second World War, or its startlingly thought-provoking study of the British class system.

Just, for Pete's sake ... watch it.

Anthony Hopkins is at the top of his game as James Stevens, the devoted butler to Lord Darlington. Emma Thompson, accordingly, raises her own game and turns in a fabulous performance as Miss Kenton, the housekeeper. The two of them together are quite brilliant; volatile, incendiary, heart-breaking.

As the author of the novel from which this screenplay was adapted, Kazuo Ishiguro, observes during an interview on the DVD extras: this is a story about the ways we can waste our lives. Politically, professionally, romantically ... each strand of story adheres to the theme, so don't expect to be cheering wildly as Our Hero and Heroine stroll off into the sunset just before the credits roll.

Thing is - the story is perfect as it is. It wouldn't mean anything, any other way.

(And having mentioned the DVD extras once, I must also say - the commentary for this movie, featuring Messrs. Merchant and Ivory, and Ms Thompson, is one of the most entertaining I've ever heard.)

With swelling score, impeccable direction, an ensemble without a weak link and a story which offers insight, humour and poignancy, 'The Remains of the Day' is up there with the best of them. Enjoy.