Remains of the Day: Pier Scene

[stephanebodin]

The Remains of the Day soundtrack

[rssfeedslive]

THIS MOVIE HAS THE GREATEST "DAMN IT YOU FOOL KISS HER AND RAJE GER AS YOURS" MOMENT IN FILM...EVER! A FILM THAT MUST BE REMEMBERED FOREVER. AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC

[calendanime]

This movie has the most 'DAMN IT' moments in the history of film!

[BelatedCommiseration]

I wonder if the Mrs Kenton character, taken as she is, would really have ever been interested in Stevens. However, if you allow a suspension of disbelief and watch the way Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson engage with each other it is affecting and you really get that sense of two people trying to reach out to each other across the void that seperates them, and failing in the attempt almost right until the end where they touch briefly, physically and emotionally, and then are gone forever.

[LPCLASSICAL]

I have just read the book for the second time - understand it better now. There have been many films/books on this theme - dedication to duty, professionalism - Stevens takes that principle to its limit - the sacrifice of personal happiness. He admits, at the conclusion of the book - to feeling satisfied - but speaks nothing of happiness. He cannot even permit himself full emotional involvement with his father's death - he cannot - the smooth running of Darlington Hall is more important.

[notdeadjustlazy]

1.33 a man with a death mask, his soul has just died, brilliant delivery from Tony.

[johnnybriggs118]

Oh kiss her! YOU FOOL. No No No! You should grab her and snog her gob off. Time is running out and you're both going to walk away from happiness...

I love this film.

[septip123]

1:55 - and the wall goes back up

[melosebrainuhoh]

This movie (and book) killed me. I'm so much like Stevens and even though I recognize that I'm throwing away my life by acting that way, I just seem unable to change.

[Prancer1231]

most depressing movie of all time

I can't find the whole thing here though several parts are missing

[jwnrtj]

You can find the exchange at 'The Remains of the Day - Deleted Scene'.

[jwnrtj]

The most moving exchange in the film, in my opinion, was deleted from this scene. Mrs Benn tells Stevens, as she did in the book, that she often wonders about a different life she might have had. "I sometimes wonder about a life I might have had with you, Mr Stevens." Stevens, heartbroken, his head bowed, replies, almost in a whisper "Oh, Mrs Benn." (Worth the price of the dvd on its own).

[chattan258]

@jwnrtj

I agree, it's a shame they didn't include that scene (also because then Stevens knows for sure that she loved him).

[HarveyDentLives]

Anthony Hopkins is our greatest living actor.

[brandon1ucas]

I didn't like the liberty they took with this scene. They combined the bus stop scene with Ms Kenton and the pier scene with the stranger, giving Ms Kenton the stranger's profound lines. It's still a powerful scene, but I thought having a complete stranger saying it was a better choice on Ishiguro's part.

[1960unclemort]

cant quite see them eating candy floss can you

[PersianPaladin]

I cried at this movie.

[RaikenXion]

hopkins face at 1:30, the way hes looking away, he knows that it's all too late and he's let her slip away, how sad is that. i wonder if he won an oscar for this film? power house peformance, the english truly are masters of the stiff upper lip

[gdprosper]

I need to see their last scene on the bus.

[mahlstadt]

but it will make you weep all night

[clazza01]

@mahlstadt just the norm 4 me

[mahlstadt]

@clazza01 oh dear.

[clazza01]

@gdprosper me 2

[c1130762]

its so cute when people clapped! =)

that innocence and pristineness of simple joys =)

[MissMalone1992]

0:39 is so bloody frustrating because you just want him to shout

"I NEED YOU DAMMIT!!"

[clazza01]

@MissMalone1992 r u an american? lol

[septip123]

heartbreaking....

largely a story of 3 men who make terrible decisions which have dire consequences that haunt them for the remainder of their lives.

The men are Lord Kensington, Stevens, and Stevens Sr.

[mahlstadt]

not sure about stevens sr.

what bad decision does he make?

[clazza01]

Hugh grants character also and her decision to move away and get married to that loser. Maybe if she had stayed at Darlington Hall, who knows?

[jeepersfreepers]

Hopkins is such a great actor. When she is sitting down talking to him, he is looking away and thinking about the missed opportunities in his life and is so sad. She doesn't even notice how sad and regretful he is. A very frustrating story, but one many people can relate to if only in a small scale.

[septip123]

Think about what he's done. A president, a seriel killer, a quiet butler...amazing talent!

[psychkoala]

@septip123

Yes, he is great !

[jeepersfreepers]

Just curious why you cut the scene there and not just a little bit later where they are saying goodbye and she gets on the bus? This abbreviated piece is sad enough, but the bit just after always gets me. I was on that pier too in WSM in the 70's when I was a little girl. Great memories. Hopkins is kind of dressed like my grandad too. If he was wearing an Englishman's cap, he would be just like him.

[rmawatson]

pitty the peir has burnt down! nice surprise to see it in this film tho

[manground]

a big bravo for the choice of this scene!!

[vmdct]

This ending is a little sad, but I guess everyone can wonder how their life would have been if they had made different choices. Mr. Stevens and Ms Kenton did have great chemistry, but I think their personalities were worlds apart. I love this movie!

[mixedgrain]

Trivia: This scene was shot in Weston super Mare in Somerset - the town where John Cleese was born.

[jeepersfreepers]

And home to my grandparents :)

[principessa1121]

OK, my previous comment got lost somehow. I just wrote that for me the emotional climax of the movie is missing (sadly), coz it's only in one of the deleted scenes that Miss Kenton actually tells Stevens she sometimes wonders what her life cd have been - for example - with him. It is somehow like a symbolic kiss in the end that they never gave to each other. But it's in the book, so I recommend everyone to read "Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's excellent.

[principessa1121]

That said, it's a wondeful movie with outstanding performances, thrillingly beautiful music and just the atmosphere I imagined while reading the book. Thx for posting!

[jcdraws]

This is, for me, the emotional climax of the film -- so difficult, poignant, tender, subtle. That look is given to us, but denied to Ms Kenton. Thank you.

[newonda27]

does anyone know if the scene where she asks him what book he's reading is posted?

[VthatsME]

I want ot see that one too! Could anyone put it on youtube?

[Tigerlily21]

where's teh scene where they say goodbye for the last time and Emma gets on the train and just bursts out crying. That always gets to me.

[frankzito1]

even though its not shown here.

[frankzito1]

Heart wrenching when thier hands let go.

[ewlalah]

I shed tears everytime I watch this scene. quite sad I must say!!

[angiskaly]

fuck! why they don't kiss each other for once!!!??¬¬

It remains me the bridges of madison country ending....rain and pain...¬¬ I want a kiss!!!¬¬

[PaulMJohnson]

That would be to entirely miss the point of the film and the book.

The whole point is Stevens is a man who has become an entirely flawed person due to repressing his feelings at all times. That he fails to find redemption at the end is what makes this so special. That it lacks a "Hollywood" ending makes it real.

[darkprose]

I know this is 3 months later, but, revisiting this scene, I have to comment: finding redemption or not is out of place here, and he isn't flawed, as I read it, he is a simply a man of his culture -- that is what makes it anti-Hollywood: sometimes love simply is not possible, even as hope, or dream. You can't underestimate the enjoyment produced in repression, submission and loss! I think Stevens is, as much as he can be, "happy."

[PaulMJohnson]

You make a fair point, though I have to admit, I disagree and do believe him to be a flawed character.

However, I'm not looking for a disagreement - lets settle on the fact that it is an outstanding film, and book, regardless of how we choose to interpret it.

[darkprose]

Certainly.

[LPCLASSICAL]

Yes he is a flawed character. And this is tragedy for Miss Kenton and for him, and the loser which Miss Kenton married. The failure to which Miss Kenton refers to here is not hers, it is his - but he fails to see it. For gods sake she gave him every chance to propose when they worked together.

[zoushaomenohu]

Actually upon reading the book, Stevens reveals that he isn't happy. When Miss Kenton talks about her husband and how she can't leave, Stevens confesses to the reader that his heart was breaking. Strictly speaking Miss Kenton wasn't sitting next to him on the pier anyway. It was an old, retired butler that Stevens had been chatting with. "The evening's the best part of the day."

[osuvalpal]

Indeed. The book reveals much more of Stevens' thoughts. If anyone has the DVD of this movie, you should watch the deleted scenes, because this scene is in it. He is talking to the old butler and suddenly begins crying. Very powerful stuff, I wish they had left it in the movie! :/

[zoushaomenohu]

Indeed.  I spent an entire semester class talking about this book (and Vladimir Nabokov's confusing meta-novel "Pale Fire," but that's another story.)

[mahlstadt]

listen to james ivory's commentary about that scene in the dvd - he wasn't particularly motivated to shoot it. he consequently thought he did a lame job and deleted it.

[osuvalpal]

I did listen to it, and I think if they had left it in the movie it wouldn't have worked very well, but I do wish they had left it anyway, if only just so everyone could A)see that side of Stevens and B) see Anthony Hopkins show that side of Stevens.

[septip123]

Stevens cries!!!!!!! No way! It seems so out of character of Stevens' desire to be the perfect butler.

[osuvalpal]

Its like the moment he finally breaks down and realizes he's alone in the world. Its powerful stuff. I encourage you to see it!