MovieChat Forums > The Remains of the Day (1993) Discussion > I'm so glad that the deleted scenes were...

I'm so glad that the deleted scenes were not included


I was delighted to discover this board and find that so many of you share my very high opinion of this film. It is one of very few films which I can watch over and over again and not tire of. The acting is just wonderful all round.

It was also very interesting to discover a link to the deleted scenes which other users had very usefully posted on this board. Here is the link again: -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ8JvAJXHM0

It was absolutely wonderful to discover these scenes and enjoy them as little gems in their own right. But equally, in pretty much every case, I am glad that these scenes did not make the final cut. I will describe my thoughts on each of the deleted scenes below.

1. Stevens getting the car ready for his trip and Lewis meeting and photographing him.

Fun to watch, but this scene serves only to mock Stevens through Lewis's eyes, albeit in an affectionate way, and parody Stevens' character. I think it is too much. In the final cut of the film, we already get enough of this in the scene where Lewis is reading his newspaper, for example. This deleted scene takes it too far and could be considered as being inappropriately comical.

2. Small Dispute between Stevens and Miss Kenton.

Again, fun to watch in its own right, but unnecessary. We already have enough scenes that illustrate the tensions between the two main characters in the film. Also, the way Stevens laughs as he leaves the room is quite out of character and would have annoyed me if it had been included. In fact, I get the impression that this scene may have been filmed early as neither Stevens nor Miss Kenton seem quite right, and it leads me to believe that Hopkins and Thompson hadn't yet fully developed their interpretations.

3. Cardinal talking to Stevens in the conservatory.

To me this scene would have added very little to the film and the facts of life thing was laboured a little here. The way this issue was actually dealt with in the final cut was far more charming and provided just the right amount of light relief from the heaviness of everything else that was going on.

4. Darlington being shaved and apologising to Stevens.

Having Darlington explicitly apologise to Stevens for his humiliation by Spencer the day before, and a further illustration of his increasingly extreme political views was unnecessary. Stevens' humiliation and his complete acceptance of it was wonderfully portrayed in the original scene, as was Darlington's discomfort. To further labour this and for Darlington to explicitly apologise is too much and not in keeping with the subtle approach of the film.

5. Mrs. Benn on the pier with Stevens says that she sometimes wonders what a life with Stevens would have been like.

I am so pleased that this was not included. The mutual but inevitably unfulfilled aspiration of them being together is beautifully conveyed implicitly throughout the entire film and hangs in the air like a subtle mist without it ever being mentioned. To suddenly spell it out like that would considerably spoil the magic.

6. Stevens meets another butler on the pier and ends up breaking down.

Of all the deleted scenes, this is the one that would have spoiled things most if it had been included. Indeed, it would have changed my overall impression of the film from being one of my favourite films of all time, deserving 9.5 or almost 10 out of ten, to simply being a good film, worthy of 7/10, and possibly only to be watched once or twice.

Why? The whole film conveys Stevens’s internal struggles implicitly and subtly. It is the main theme of the film for me and almost every scene does this in one way or another. To just spell it out to us like that right at the end would not be in keeping with the wonderfully subtle approach of the whole film and would have considerably spoiled it. That said, the scene itself is very well acted, and it is wonderful to see Brian Pringle making an appearance. Good as a little sketch in its own right, but I'm delighted that it was not included in the film.

Well, those are my opinions! I would be very interested to read those of other members plus any reaction to the above.

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Unfortunately as I read the novel first and Steven's pier breakdown felt like the single most vital part (as it was the only moment where he is truly honest with himself and not acting as a unreliable narrator) I was quite disappointed that the film did not have a counterpart to it. You get no real sense from the film that Stevens recognises his lifetime of delusion. In the novel the whole point is to present Stevens' outlook through aspects of himself such as his profession and his unquestioning adherence to the class system, and then gradually erode the legitimacy of his point of view. Metaphorically this then reveals to the reader the illegitimacy of some of the institutions and individuals whose actions (or rather, lack of actions) resulted in the conditions from which the Second World War emerged. I always kind of feel like his lack of self-realisation in the film does not rule out completely the idea that, should he be given his time over again, Stevens would do exactly the same thing.






Reality is the new fiction they say, truth is truer these days, truth is man-made

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You could argue the pier crying scene spells things out a bit too much though.

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I don't think the film loses anything with any of them being left out except for the pier scene. Hopkins is so moving when Stevens breaks down in that scene. It's also a key moment of character development. Yes some might say his crying is out of character, but when he says he gave too much to Lord Darlington instead of thinking of himself and others dear to him(meaning Miss Kenton), you can see how much he regrets how he was in the past. It's an important scene to show how much he regrets not admitting his love for Miss Kenton when they were younger.

I also like the argument about the linen between Miss Kenton and Mr Stevens. I love when he walks out of the room laughing at her. I think there's probably a couple of reasons why that was deleted though.

1-It was very similar to the greenhouse scene and walk back the house where he says he is amused by her.

2-Miss Kenton also says he should write her a note if he wishes to speak to her, that is what he says to her later in the film, after the scene where she says she is tired in their evening meeting.



Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

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I appreciate that list, and will check out the video.

The commonality in that list is that almost every addition would have spelled out more specifically a point which is already clear to anyone paying attention. I have huge admiration for any creative team that resists the impulse to underestimate the audience. Looks like the director trusted us here to grasp things without being hit over the head.

That first scene you mention is interesting. Rewatching this last night, I noticed for the first time Lewis snapping a picture of the Bentley as Stevens pulls off down the driveway. Somehow I just hadn't caught that before.

Of course that might undermine my entire point about not needing to be hit over the head. 



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Nothing to see here, move along.

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Didnt know. I will check them out.

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[deleted]

I see that this is not a new post, but I must say thank you anyway for posting the u tube link to those deleted scenes..fantastic to see them and to ponder what they may or may not have given to the finished product we've seen!

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I think the pier scene should have been included. In the novel, it's the real gut punch scene and when I watched the movie I kept waiting for it. I feel like they missed a big opportunity by leaving it out. That's the scene that really emphasizes everything (Stevens unusual lack of control when he is realizing just how much he has missed out on) and I think the movie would have been much better had it been included. Without it, the movie is just okay. If that scene had been included I think it would have really elevated it from good to great.

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Thanks so much for posting that link. Really appreciate it.

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