Where did the title come from? It's not obvious from watching the movie. I'm guessing it's from a quote in the book.
shareThe movie is based off of the book "Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
I highly reccomend it =)
"It takes two baby
It takes two"
Link Larkin <3
Mrs. Sweeney Todd *Official Bleeder*
The title is actually referenced near the end of the movie, when the two main characters are at the pier.
Kenton: They do say that for a great many people the evening's the best part of the day. The part they most look forward to.
Stevens: Is that so?
Kenton: What do you most look forward to, mr Stevens?
I'd say it's a quite obvious metaphor for growing old, that it is at the evening of the day, aka the end of your life you realize where your choises have gotten you. And that quite summons up the movie, methinks.
Yes, and even literally. At the end "of a day's work", supposedly, if you're leading a conventional "normal" life with a home and family to go to after a long day's work, you relax and enjoy your family, or at least significant other. Stevens of course doesn't have much of a response for Miss Kenton (Mrs.....forgot her married name) when she asks him what he looks forward to (at the end of the day). He answers by talking about, of course, planning the next day's work...since that's all he had carved out for himself throughout his entire life. And now that he has reached "the end of his days", so to speak, he is reflecting while he answers her. It's a great scene, and his face says it all...he's turned away from her, and she can't see exactly how upset he is at having let his opportunity with her slip.
shareGood analysis, mmitsos.
"Did you make coffee...? Make it!"--Cheyenne.
The title is actually quoted almost verbatim from the book.
In the book, Stevens is sitting next to a stranger, not Miss Kenton, on the pier, lamenting that perhaps he was misguided in his total devotion to Lord Darlington. This man tries to cheer him up by saying that the evening, a metaphor for old age, is really the best part of the day, because by then a person will have done a full day's work and can finally enjoy himself without having to worry about responsibilities. Stevens takes his advice to heart, reflecting that "...I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day."
Oddly enough, though it comes after his bittersweet meeting with Miss Kenton, I find this an uplifting moment, because here Stevens is reconciling his mistakes to himself and finding a way to go on living, instead of being consumed by regret.
However, by doing so Stevens again falls back into his old behaviour, promising to himself that now he’ll try to learn how to banter with his new master, so as to serve him even better.
This, I think, is the bitter irony at the end of the book. To keep his dignity and not be consumed by regret and loneliness, Stevens again has to repress the realization of all the mistakes he has made, and he can only do this by again turning back to the ethos of perfect service.
Thus you can also read his comment and the title of the novel as bitter sweet: what remains of his day is basically an empty life, sacrificed to wrong ideals.