The Remains of the Day Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

The Remains of the Day Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 6, 2015

The recent Downton Abbey phenomenon, which finally seems to be showing signs of abating now due to understandable attrition as well as the fact that it’s been announced the series will be wrapping after the forthcoming season, reacquainted audiences with the ins and outs (not to mention the ups and downs) of a British class system separating landed gentry (or even nobility) from their servants which had previously been part of another viewing phenomenon, Upstairs Downstairs. Not exactly bisecting the interim, but coming close, was Kazuo Ishiguro’s 1989 novel The Remains of the Day, an elegiac if tart “reminiscence” by a butler named Stevens whose memories cover some epochal events in 20th century English history, not the least of which was England’s questionably lax treatment of Hitler in the early days of the Führer’s march across Europe. Playing out against these global sociopolitical elements was a more personal story tying Stevens to housekeeper Miss Kenton, in a plot arc which Downton Abbey fans may find curiously similar (if ultimately fairly different) to the recent developments between Carson and Mrs. Hughes. The Remains of the Day was initially supposed to be a Mike Nichols film (with a screenplay by vaunted playwright Harold Pinter), but as is so typical in the annals of film, the project matriculated to other artistic forces, ultimately appearing under the lustrous Merchant-Ivory imprimatur, boasting a screenplay by Merchant-Ivory regular Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Regularly touted as among the best, if not the best, of the Merchant-Ivory films from this period, The Remains of the Day provides showcases for stars Anthony Hopkins (as Stevens) and Emma Thompson (as Miss Kenton), both of whom received well deserved Academy Award nominations for their work.

A quick elision courtesy of a narrated letter from Miss Kenton at the beginning of The Remains of the Day acquaints the viewer with the fact that Darlington Hall has fallen into dire straits, as was the case with so many longstanding British estates in the wake of World War II and the dawn of the troubled post-war English economy. A retired United States congressman named Lewis (Christopher Reeve) has come to the rescue, buying the manor house and its store of art pieces at a public auction, thereby preserving the job of butler Stevens, who has been working at Darlington Hall for several decades. Miss Kenton, now actually Mrs. Benn, has written to Stevens more or less congratulating him on being able to keep his job while also bringing him up to speed on her life. Despite what was apparently an at times prickly relationship between the two, Miss Kenton thinks back fondly on her days at Darlington, calling them among the happiest of her life. That piques the curiosity of Stevens, who just so happens to be looking for a new housekeeper. When Lewis offers Stevens a well deserved vacation, not to mention use of Lewis’ Daimler sedan, Stevens sets off to meet with Miss Kenton in the hopes of offering her a new (or in fact old) job, as the film then segues into a long flashback detailing the histories of the two characters at Darlington.

That sets up the main arc of the story which plays out in a somewhat bifurcated way. On one level, there’s the slowly unfolding relationship between Stevens and Miss Kenton, one addled by Stevens’ old school (and frankly sexist at times) proclivities, as well as his time honored allegiance to tradition. The first part of the film is actually focused somewhat on Stevens’ father (Peter Vaughan), whom Stevens brings on staff as a under butler, as his father is very old and infirm and no longer able to fully function as a “real” butler. Unfortunately, it turns out the elder Stevens isn’t really able to function as even an under butler, something Miss Kenton realizes right away, but which Stevens refuses to acknowledge until Lord Darlington (James Fox) gets involved.

Lord Darlington is actually concerned at making a good impression, as he is knee deep in the appeasement movement in England and is attempting to negotiate a Neville Chamberlain-esque agreement with the various combatants, in an attempt to right the perceived wrongs of the Versailles Treaty. It’s here that Congressman Lee actually first visits Darlington and plays an unexpected role in the proceedings.

The Remains of the Day is, as its title suggests, unavoidably elegiac, but it’s also surprisingly unsentimental. Stevens often comes off as an unabashed boor, a man completely controlled by his environment and fealty to tradition, but that of course is part of the film’s thesis— these worthy people are stuck in a rut of society’s making and don’t quite know how to escape (and perhaps they don’t even really want to escape). The (at least relatively) passionate Miss Kenton may provide Stevens a ticket out of his predicament, but he’s too tamped down to even really consider it.

Slow but never dull, The Remains of the Day boasts an impeccably handsome physical production and offers brilliant performances all the way around. Smart but subtle, the film ably depicts the stultifying repercussions of various facets of British culture. It’s a “warts and all” approach, but as with all things British (and most things Merchant-Ivory), even blemishes seem to come off as inherently cultured if sometimes misdirected.

The Remains of the Day Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Remains of the Day is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Reportedly sourced from the new 4K restoration and scan which served a similar function for the British Blu-ray. This is a sterling presentation of an often very beautifully burnished film. Cinematographer Tony Pierce- Roberts' evocative camerawork is rendered very faithfully here, with elements in tip top condition (or restored to the point of excellence). Colors are richly saturated and accurate looking (one or two times I felt flesh tones tipped slightly toward a ruddy wine color). Fine detail is exceptional, offering nice views of the richly appointed furniture in Darlington Hall as well as elements like the Oscar nominated costumes. Contrast and black levels are consistently solid, and grain structure is intact and very natural looking.

The Remains of the Day Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Remains of the Day's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is surprisingly aggressive for such an elegantly appointed historical drama. Unusual elements like brief bursts of LFE or unexpected scoring choices by Oscar nominated composer Richard Robbins (listen to the almost Jaws like cue accompanying the elder Stevens leaving a dustpan on some steps—ironically, Robbins lost the Oscar that year to John Williams for Schindler's List) provide a surprisingly rich and full bodied low end a lot of the time. Dialogue is very cleanly presented and there are no problems of any kind on this subtly immersive and very enjoyable track.

The Remains of the Day Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Director James Ivory, Producer Ismael Merchant and Actress Emma Thompson.


• Love and Loyalty: The Making of The Remains of the Day (480i; 28:36) is a good vintage featurette which looks at the historical context of the film while also including some good interviews.


• The Remains of the Day: The Filmmakers' Journey (480i; 29:52) looks at the adaptive process and has some great interviews with author Kazuo Ishiguro and James Ivory.


• Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England's Fatal Flaw (480i; 14:51) looks at elements like appeasement during the nascent days of World War II.


• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary (480i; 14:27)


• Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:23)


• International Trailer (1080p; 2:24)


• Isolated Score Track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

The Remains of the Day Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A superb if somewhat languorous meditation on the overly structured British class system and servitude, as well as some of the historical faux pas of England's appeasement crowd in the build up to World War II, The Remains of the Day is a compelling portrait of a man incapable of breaking free emotionally, despite several opportunities to do so. Hopkins and Thompson are at the top of their game here, supported by a uniformly excellent secondary cast. Directed with the typical unshowy aplomb of James Ivory, and boasting the typically burnished physical production of most Merchant-Ivory outings, The Remains of the Day is the kind of uniquely satisfying historical drama that Merchant-Ivory excelled in offering. Technical merits are first rate and The Remains of the Day comes Highly recommended.