Study Notes: The Remains of the Day (1993) Dir: James Ivory

Hello everyone! Welcome to your study guide for James Ivory's beautiful and heartbreaking film, The Remains of the Day. This is a story about a butler, a country house, and the big, life-changing moments that pass us by when we're not paying attention.

Don't worry if it seems like a quiet or slow film at first. It's packed with deep emotions and important ideas. These notes will help you uncover them, understand the characters, and analyse how the director uses film techniques to tell this powerful story. We'll break everything down step-by-step. Let's get started!


Part 1: The Basics - What You Need to Know First

Film Snapshot

Title: The Remains of the Day
Year: 1993
Director: James Ivory
Based on: The novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro (who later won a Nobel Prize in Literature!)
Main Stars: Anthony Hopkins (as Stevens), Emma Thompson (as Miss Kenton)

Socio-Cultural Background: Setting the Scene

To really get this film, we need to understand the world it's set in. It takes place in England, but we see two different time periods: the 1950s and the 1930s.

  • The English Class System: In the 1930s, England had a very rigid class system. Your position in society was everything. For servants like our main character, Mr. Stevens, the goal was to serve the upper class (the aristocracy) with perfect loyalty. The house he works in, Darlington Hall, is like a mini-kingdom with a strict hierarchy.
  • The Rise of Nazism & Appeasement: The 1930s was a tense time in Europe. Hitler and the Nazi party were gaining power in Germany. Many people in Britain, including powerful aristocrats like Lord Darlington, were terrified of another World War. They believed in a policy called appeasement – giving in to some of Hitler's demands to avoid a conflict. They were well-intentioned, hoping for peace, but history shows us they were tragically wrong. This political background is crucial to the story.
Quick Review Box

Appeasement: A political policy of making concessions (giving things up) to an aggressive foreign power in order to avoid war.
Why it matters: Stevens's employer, Lord Darlington, is a supporter of appeasement, which has disastrous consequences for his reputation and legacy.


Key Takeaway: Part 1

The Remains of the Day is a story set against the backdrop of a rigid English class system and the dangerous politics of pre-WWII Europe. Understanding this context is the key to unlocking the film's deeper meanings about loyalty, duty, and regret.


Part 2: The Story - Plot and Structure

The Two Timelines

The film doesn't tell its story in a straight line. It cleverly jumps between two time periods.

  1. The "Present" (1950s): Mr. Stevens, now an older man, takes a road trip to the West Country of England to visit a former colleague, Miss Kenton. His new employer, an American congressman named Mr. Lewis, has encouraged him to take a holiday.
  2. The "Past" (1930s): During his journey, Stevens remembers his time serving Lord Darlington in the glory days of Darlington Hall. These memories are shown to us as flashbacks.

Analogy Time! Think of the structure like this: Stevens's road trip in the 1950s is like you scrolling through old photos on your phone. As you look at each photo (a landmark on the road, a letter from Miss Kenton), it triggers a vivid memory (a flashback to the 1930s). The journey forward in the car is also a journey back into his own past.

Key Plot Points

Here’s a simple breakdown of what happens, blending the past and present:

  • 1950s: Stevens begins his road trip, hoping to persuade Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn) to return to her old job at Darlington Hall.
  • Flashback (1930s): We see Miss Kenton arrive at Darlington Hall as the new, efficient housekeeper. She and Stevens have a professional, often tense, relationship.
  • Flashback (1930s): Lord Darlington hosts important political conferences, trying to promote peace with Germany. He is influenced by Nazi sympathisers. Stevens's father, also a butler, is old and failing at his job.
  • Flashback (1930s): A key moment: Lord Darlington, influenced by his anti-Semitic guests, orders Stevens to fire two Jewish maids. Stevens carries out the order without question, which horrifies Miss Kenton. This is a major point of conflict between them.
  • Flash-forward (1950s): On his trip, Stevens struggles with simple things like talking to strangers in a pub, showing how isolated his life has been.
  • Flashback (1930s): Stevens's father dies during a major international conference. Stevens is so dedicated to his duty that he doesn't leave his post, missing his father's final moments. Miss Kenton is the one who shows emotion and grief.
  • Flashback (1930s): The famous "book scene." Miss Kenton finds Stevens reading a book in private. She playfully tries to see what it is, but he becomes intensely defensive. This moment is full of unspoken romantic tension and reveals his deep emotional repression.
  • 1950s: Stevens finally meets Miss Kenton. They talk about the past. She admits she is unhappily married but will stay for her daughter. She asks him, "Did you ever love me?" but he cannot answer directly.
  • The End (1950s): They part ways at a bus stop in the rain. Stevens returns to Darlington Hall, realising he has wasted his life serving a misguided man and has missed his chance for personal happiness with Miss Kenton. He is left with only "the remains of the day". A pigeon gets trapped in the house, symbolising Stevens's own trapped life, until his new, more modern boss helps him set it free.

Key Takeaway: Part 2

The film's dual-timeline structure is not just a fancy trick. It constantly compares the promise of the past with the reality of the present, highlighting the central theme of regret. What Stevens remembers is just as important as what is happening on his journey.


Part 3: The People - Character Analysis

Mr. Stevens (The Butler)

  • Obsessed with "Dignity": Stevens's life goal is to be a "great butler". For him, this means showing no personal emotion, opinion, or identity. He believes a butler's personality should be completely erased in service to his master. This is his tragic flaw.
  • Emotionally Repressed: He is unable to express his feelings, especially for Miss Kenton. Watch how Anthony Hopkins plays him: his posture is rigid, his face is a mask, and he rarely makes eye contact. The feelings are there, but they are buried deep.
  • Unquestioningly Loyal: His loyalty to Lord Darlington is absolute. He follows orders even when they are morally wrong (like firing the Jewish maids). He refuses to judge or criticise his employer, even long after Darlington has been disgraced as a Nazi sympathiser.

Miss Kenton (The Housekeeper)

  • A Foil to Stevens: A "foil" is a character who contrasts with another character to highlight their qualities. Miss Kenton is the opposite of Stevens. She is professional and efficient, but also warm, emotional, and not afraid to speak her mind.
  • Seeks Connection: She repeatedly tries to break through Stevens's professional shell. She brings him flowers, challenges his decisions, and tries to get him to open up. She represents the possibility of a different, more human life that he rejects.
  • Moral Compass: She has a strong sense of right and wrong. She is horrified by the firing of the Jewish maids and threatens to resign in protest.

Lord Darlington (The Master)

  • A Tragic Figure, Not a Villain: It's easy to label him as evil, but the film shows him as a well-meaning but naive "amateur" politician. He genuinely believes he is working for peace.
  • Easily Manipulated: Because he is an idealist, he is easily used by more cunning German diplomats and Nazi sympathisers. He cannot see that he is a pawn in their game.
  • Represents a Dying Era: He stands for the old English aristocracy, who believed they could solve the world's problems over dinner. The film shows how this old way of thinking was no match for the brutal reality of 20th-century politics.
Did you know?

The character of Lord Darlington was partly inspired by a real British aristocrat, Lord Londonderry, who also tried to build friendly relations with Nazi Germany in the 1930s and was later heavily criticised for it.

Key Takeaway: Part 3

The characters are defined by their relationships and their inner conflicts. The central tragedy comes from the clash between Stevens's dedication to professional duty and Miss Kenton's desire for personal connection. He chooses duty, and both end up living with regret.


Part 4: The Big Questions - Themes & Ideas

Themes are the big ideas the film wants us to think about. Don't just list them; think about how the story and characters explore them.

Dignity vs. Humanity

This is the central theme. Stevens's idea of dignity is about hiding his humanity. He thinks being a perfect butler means being an unfeeling machine. The film asks: Is this true dignity? Or is real dignity about being a good, moral, and feeling human being, even when it's difficult? Miss Kenton represents this more human kind of dignity.

Duty, Loyalty, and Blindness

Stevens is incredibly loyal to Lord Darlington. But the film suggests that blind loyalty can be dangerous. Because he refuses to question his master, he becomes complicit (involved) in immoral acts. The film forces us to ask: When does loyalty stop being a virtue and start being a weakness?

Regret and Lost Opportunities

This is the emotional core of the film. The entire 1950s road trip is steeped in regret. Stevens is haunted by the past: the political mistakes of his master and his own personal mistake of letting Miss Kenton go. The final scene at the bus stop is one of the most powerful portrayals of regret in cinema.

Politics and the Personal

The film shows that big historical events are not separate from our personal lives. Lord Darlington's political choices ruin his own life and indirectly prevent Stevens and Miss Kenton from finding happiness together. The "big world" of politics and the "small world" of the heart are intertwined.

Key Takeaway: Part 4

The Remains of the Day explores timeless questions about how we should live our lives. It uses the specific story of a butler to make us think about our own choices regarding love, duty, loyalty, and what it means to live a fulfilling life.


Part 5: The Filmmaker's Toolbox - Filmic Techniques

A film is more than just a story. The director uses a "toolbox" of techniques (camera, sound, editing, etc.) to create meaning and emotion. In your essays, you MUST talk about these techniques!

Mise-en-scène (What's in the Frame)

This French term means "placing on stage". It's everything you see in a shot: the setting, costumes, props, and actors.

  • Darlington Hall: The house is a character in itself. In the 1930s, it is grand, pristine, and full of life (and staff). It represents order, power, and tradition. In the 1950s, it is empty, dusty, and silent, reflecting the decline of the aristocracy and Stevens's own emotional emptiness. The house is a metaphor for a bygone era.
  • Costumes: Stevens's butler uniform is like a suit of armour. It hides the man inside. He is rarely seen out of it, symbolising how he is trapped in his role.
  • Props: Objects are very important. The letter from Miss Kenton starts the plot. The book Stevens reads is a symbol of his secret inner life. The polishing of the silver is a ritual that represents his dedication to surface appearances over inner truth.

Cinematography (How the Camera Tells the Story)

  • Camera Movement: The camera often moves in slow, gliding, and controlled ways, just like the butlers. This creates a formal, stately, and sometimes claustrophobic atmosphere. It reflects Stevens's constrained personality.
  • Lighting: The interiors of Darlington Hall are often dimly lit, with shadows and dark wood. This suggests secrets, repression, and moral ambiguity. The few scenes where Stevens is outside on his road trip are much brighter, hinting at the possibility of freedom and a life outside the dark walls of the house.
  • Framing: Characters are often seen through doorways, windows, or reflected in mirrors. This visual trick suggests they are trapped, separated, and unable to connect directly.

Sound and Music

  • Silence: This is a very quiet film. The long silences between Stevens and Miss Kenton are filled with unspoken tension and emotion. What is NOT said is often more important than what is said.
  • Dialogue: The language is very formal and polite. Characters rarely say what they truly mean. This is called subtext – the hidden meaning beneath the words.
  • Music: The musical score by Richard Robbins is gentle, sad, and melancholic. It perfectly captures the film's mood of nostalgia and regret.

Scene Analysis: The "Book Scene"

Let's break down a key scene to see how these techniques work together.

  1. What happens: Miss Kenton finds Stevens alone, reading a book. She asks what it is, and he awkwardly hides it. She playfully tries to take it from him, and he becomes genuinely angry and upset. It turns out to be a simple romance novel.
  2. Mise-en-scène: The scene is in Stevens's small, private room (his "pantry"). It's his only personal space. Her "invasion" of this space is also an invasion of his emotional privacy. The book itself is a prop that symbolises his secret desire for love and connection.
  3. Cinematography: The camera is in close, making the encounter feel intimate and uncomfortable. We see the desperate look on Stevens's face as he tries to hide the book, revealing the panic beneath his calm exterior.
  4. Effect: This is a heartbreaking moment. It's the closest they come to physical and emotional intimacy, but it ends in conflict. We see that beneath the perfect butler is a lonely man with feelings he is terrified to show. It proves that Miss Kenton was right about him: he is hiding his humanity.
Common Traps to Avoid

Mistake: "The film is sad because Stevens and Miss Kenton don't get together."
Better Analysis: "The film's tragedy stems from Stevens's flawed ideology of 'dignity', which forces him to repress his humanity. The director uses the stifling interiors of Darlington Hall and the constrained performances to show how his professional role prevents him from seizing his chance at personal happiness with Miss Kenton, leading to a life of profound regret."

Key Takeaway: Part 5

James Ivory is a master of subtlety. He uses every filmic tool—from the shadowy lighting to the unspoken dialogue—to create a powerful emotional experience. To get top marks, you must analyse HOW he tells the story, not just WHAT the story is.


Conclusion: Wrapping It All Up

The Remains of the Day is a profound meditation on a life unlived. It's a story about the danger of putting duty before humanity and the deep, lasting pain of regret. Mr. Stevens is a tragic hero for the modern age—not a king or a warrior, but an ordinary man who loses everything by being too afraid to feel.

When you write about this film for your SBA, remember to connect the characters' personal stories to the wider historical context and, most importantly, to analyse the specific filmic techniques James Ivory uses to bring this unforgettable story to the screen. Good luck!