Intro

This release is a bit of a surprise – I’m surprised it hadn’t been released before. But here we are, at last, with one of Merchant-Ivory’s best films.

Synopsis

Anthony Hopkins turns in a superbly controlled and understated performance as Stevens, a man who is a butler down to his very soul. It is the 1930s, and Stevens is in the service of Lord Darlington (James Fox). He has also just hired Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson, also superb) as housekeeper. Stevens’ perfectly ordered life i… shaken emotionally by Miss Kenton, with whom he is falling in love (though he will not admit it, most of all to himself), and at the level of what his social and political responsibilities are, since Lord Darlington is a Nazi sympathiser.

Audio

Richard Robbins’ music score is a big part of the lush feel of The Remains of the Day, and the score gets a stunning treatment here, in full, powerful surround. The mix is just right, however, as the dialogue never disappears. There are some sound effects coming from the rear speakers, but they definitely take second place to the music, only coming to the fore when the music stops.

Video

The film’s colours are sumptuous, and they are preserved wonderfully in this trouble-free transfer. The contrasts are sharp, there is no grain or pixellation, and the overall look is nothing short of gorgeous. The 2.35:1 widescreen aspect is preserved, and even though this is essentially a lushly scored character piece, the cinematography is no less stunning, and deserves this respect.

Features

The menu is fully animated and scored on its main page, and the same applies to the transitions. The secondary pages are all still and silent. The main bonus is the commentary by Emma Thompson, director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. Their discussion is informative, and is as civilized as the movie itself, though a lot more playful.

Then there are the three documentaries. The first, “The Remains of the Day: The Filmmakers’ Journey,” is a 30-minute piece following the making of the film, and has new interviews from most of the key participants. The first featurette, “Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England’s Fatal Flaw,” focuses on the political dimension of the film, exploring what, precisely, led do people like Lord Darlington to side with the Nazis. The second featurette, an HBO “Making Of” piece, is the usual promotional bit of fluff. It isn’t terribly interesting, being nothing more than an extended trailer. And that is the one notable absence from the disc: no trailer.

There is a second page of features, which I didn’t realize at first – I found the symbol meaning “more” less than obvious. Anyway, these other extras are three deleted scenes, presented full screen and showing a bit of wear, with an optional commentary from director Ivory. There are also filmographies of Ivory, Merchant, Thompson, Hopkins, James Fox, Christopher Reeve and Hugh Grant.

Finally, you even get some production liner notes.

Closing Thoughts

All in all, a fine presentation of a fine film. Definitely worth rediscovering.

Special Features List

• Commentary by Emma Thompson, Ismail Merchant and James Ivory
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Director’s Commentary
• Documentary: “The Remains of the Day: The Filmmakers’ Journey”
• “Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England’s Fatal Flaw”
• HBO Making Of Featurette
• Filmographies
• Production Notes