Remains of the day-Self denial for Dignity of Service

Remains of the DayProduced by James Ivory (1993)
Directed by Ismail Merchant
Written by Ruth Prawar Javbhala

I happened to watch this movie based on the 1989 booker-prize winning novel of the same name by Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro. Remains of the Day is a period drama set in 1930's Britain starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

The story reveals in flashbacks rolling out in form the reminiscences of the butler James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) of Darlington Hall, an old British mansion, now acquired in a bid by a retired American Congressmen viz. Mr. Lewis. James Stevens has been serving Darlington hall for the past 30 years, since the time of Lord Darlington, to whom James was completely devoted in service. The movie opens with James receiving a letter from a former employee of the Darlington Hall, the ex-housekeeper Miss kenton, Now Mrs Benn. Mrs. Benn hints at her failing marriage, which she had preserved for the last 20 years and now expresses her desire to find a job back at Darlington Hall. Seeking permission of his present master, we find James setting out in a Bentley for a rendezvous with Miss Kenton at Oxfordshire and slowly the stories of past unfold.
James played out with impeccable skill by Sir Hopkins, is an English Butler, beleiving in complete subservience to his master, perfection of duty and dignity of service. It seems Stevens' entire existence is dependent of his servitude to Lord Darlington, a British aristrocrat in 1930s England. Darlington Hall is managed deftly by Stevens, who maintains a keen eye serving the guests, making sure the china-crockery and the silver-cutleries all glistening bright, the activities throughout the mansion are timely, punctual and everything are in perfect order, controlling the hierarchy of service, however with complete detachment and disaffection towards his own emotions. It seems for Stevens' "dignity of service" is entrenched in the belief of repression of personal feelings and opinions. Stevens here almost appears as the worn out gasps of British Imperialism. Stevens represents the belief of forgoing personal fulfillment in the name of professional duty.On the contrary Miss Kenton (Emma Thomson) is more liberal and headstrong. She refuses to accept oreders unquestionably. In fact she is horrified to find Stevens employing his father as an under butler when he is almost in a worn-out health conditions. Stevens' self- denial intrigues her and even irritates her at times when she finds him absorbed in seeing to the comforts of the guests at a party in Darlington Hall, while his father lay dying. This unconditional surrender to duty, to serving his Lord, extreme loyalty defined Stevens' "being of himself". Therefore he refused to accep or reciprocate to Miss Kenton's feelings for him, lest his personal wills and fancies come in-between his duty. Hence we find him reacting to a hurt, sorrowful, rejected Miss Kenton by reminding her of some slip in duty. His reserve even brushes off the subtle raillery hurled at him by Miss Kenton questioning his complete agreement to his Lord's actions. His explanation is always, "His majesty knows the best". And through Stevens thus we get a notion of the era. Undoubtedly this movie is mostly a study of one man's self-imposed repression, but also a country still wrapped in tradition, where doing the noble thing didn't always coincide with what was the best thing. This is the time when England had to choose between gentlemanly complacency or bold interference, contenting themselves on the maintenance of a measured outward appearance, while inside the feelings are hard to keep swallowed down.
And slowly we come to face the overplot of the film, "the history". Lord Darlington, we find is one of those aristocrats with pro-German stance. Lord Darlington was brokering the policy of appeasement towards nazi Germany. And hence Darlington Hall along with Stevens sees many such peace-now conferences just before Munich. Lord Darlington, is one of those british novelties who wanted to stop war (seen as a ploy to save the estates and the remnants of feudal imperialsm in England). To the American Congressmen, Mr. Lewis who was a guest at one such party, such attempts were nauvice and he feels these policies to be dealth with Realpolitik "Professionals' rather than "honorable amateurs". This clearly sets the tone of the slow declining state of the Empire hedaing towards extinction. However our dutiful Stevens is a silent spectator to the happenings of history. In fact . influenced by the anti-semitic writing of Howard Stewart Chamberlain, when Lord Dalmousie dismissed the two Jewish girl-servants, Stevens merely carried out his order, instructing Miss Kenton to release the girls. Miss Kenton argues against such a decision since it concerns the security of the girls who might to deported to Germany. And again we find Stevens citing "I am not in a position to express opinions". Thus subtly Remains of the Day hints on the empire's class system, denying even the freedom of expression and questioning to the lower classes. The snobbery of the class system becomes more vivid in one of the most viscious scenes of the movie. Lord Darlington allows two of his friends to question Stevens about politics. Stevens curtly and true to his self (deft at suppressing his own opinions and emotions) replies " I am afraid Sir, that I would be unable to offer you any assistance in this matter (sorry.. i donot recall the exact dialogue)". The noblemen to their snug pride infers "universal suffrage to be a waste of time". They never consider lower or working classes to be capable of having any thoughts or opinions of their own.
The relentless, dutiful Stevens still continues with his loyalty to Lord Darlington who slowly realises the mistakes he has committed and finds the only support in Stevens who believes his master to have had the right intentions and is not a perpetrator of treason s painted by the media. In the meantime, Stevens does suffer a personal loss through the resignation of Miss Kenton, who leaves Darlington Hall, to marry and settle elsewhere. However he is too committed to allow him accept the fact. Lord Darlington dies a broken man facing many a humuliations and even alleged as a traitor for his sympathies towards Nazi Germans. And 20 years later we find Stevens, now setting up the Darlington Hall for Mr. Lewis.
Times have changed. Darlington Hall's banquet now has a table-tennis board, instead the chandeliers and guest tables. Though we still find the unduanted, dutiful Stevens. The shock comes, when we found, Stevens, now finding his loyalty to Lord Darlington embarrassing. Thus reveals the worn out remnants of Stevens' life. The person whose mere existence was defined by his "dignity of service" and "unconditional loyalty to his master" now suddenly finds both as embarrassments to be revealed (lest it is interpreted by the world as a pro-Nazzi stand). He goes to meet Miss Kenton (now Mrs Benn) with the hope of her rejoining him at duty in Darlington Hall. However Mrs. Benn has decied to carry on with her marriage, now that she knows her daughter is pregnant and to be with her. Stevens leaves, with a stoic face and a broken and bruised heart.Kenton cries, while Stevens, still unable to demonstrate any feeling, simply raises his hat.

The movie ends with Stevens resuming his duties back at Darlington Hall and pondering upon the last remains of his wrecked existence bereaved of any personal happiness, something he forcibly denied to himself. He now prepares for a fresh start.
However Stevens even at the evening of his self-castrated life, sets to free him from the burden of repression. This is symbolically represented by his efforts to free a pigeon trapped in the ceilings of the Darlington banquet hall. While, Stevens sets the pigeon for a flight of freedom far away from the Darlington Hall, i get a feeling about his resolve to gear up for a new tomorrow, ridding himself off the baggage of past silent and unconditional subservience.

Both Hopkins and Thomson are great and this is a must watch if you still havent watched the movie.