Voiceover in Remains of The Day
...ey prepare to meet at Miss. Kenton’s coastal home of Cleveden at some point in the 1950s. Their letters create the setting of the film and the majority of the plot that follows is flashback, begun by these letters. The Remains of the Day opens with the narration of Miss. Kenton’s letter to Mr. Stevens. The subject of the letter picks up after the end of the pairs’ working relationship at Darlington Hall. This voice-over provides the film with a disjointed narrative, as we witness in the first scenes of the plot what are to become the later scenes of the story. Much of the content of Kenton’s letter is alien to the audience at this point, as we have not yet been witness to life within Darlington Hall. The voice-over then serves to set up the first of several flashbacks to that period, where eventually events there and within the characters’ correspondence will merge. As Kenton reads her letter, the opening of the film unfolds and the setting is established. We learn that the once great Darlington Hall is being sold, that Miss. Kenton once worked there, but no longer, under the employment of Mr. Stevens, the house’s butler. She goes on to discuss her present life and reveal to the audience that she and Mr. Stevens will soon be having a reunion of sorts. It is this reunion that the 20-year span of the film eventually builds to. The ultimate payoff; where the leads’ unspoken love for each other can finally be addressed. As Kenton’s letter ends, we see Stevens preparing to leave the hall for his meeting with her. Soon after, his own letter begins in the form of voice-over. From then on, the narrative focus continues to shift from the present day as we follow Stevens on his journey to Cleveland, to twenty years prior detailing events in Darlington Hall. In addition to the voice-overs providing the impetus for flashbacks, Stevens’ encounters on his trip also cause him to reminisce about the past. When confronted by voice-over in a film, the audience must always be aware that what we hear – and sometimes see, via flashback - is subjective to the narrating character. The audience must question the narrator and his account of events, comparing it with similar evidence we may have gathered. In the case of The Remains of the Day, we are offered voice-overs from two different individuals. This allows us to compare and contrast their styles, the language they use and the subject matter they discuss. Miss Kenton’s letter is littered with nostalgic reminiscing of the “good old days” she spent in Darlington Hall. This contrasts, somewhat with what we see of her life on screen. While she obviously did enjoy some happy times there, she was constantly rejected by Mr. Stephens in any advance of friendship she initiated. Her loneliness and isolation were a constant companion, and towards the end of the film we witness her broken and in tears, contemplating he past choices and what awaits her in future life. From this, the audience can infer that she is either masking her true feelings regarding Darlington Hall, or that her present existence is even worse than her prior occupation. From the language and tone of Kenton’s letter, we can tell that although she is far more expressive with her emotions than Stevens, she still holds back, establishing a veil of decorum around herself. Stevens’ letter is formal, precise and strict. He conveys only information that is relevant, never allowing himself to stray into idle conversation or gossip. We gather through Kenton’s letter, that she is still unhappy with the way her life has turned out. We see this mirrored in Stevens’ life, although he never fully admits so. These two people have wasted their lives by making easy choices and never truly acting for their own benefits. Stevens dedicates his life to service, to such extremes that he is willing to remain silent while fascists and Nazi sympathisers conspire around him. We see his regret and misguided hope that things can change during his journey to Cleveland, and this is subtly reflected in his letters, where he hints at past mistakes and incorrect decisions. That he never finally makes the right choice to begin a new life with Miss. Kenton epitomises his character, however tragic it may seem. Voice-over, in its rawest state exists as an expositional tool. It has many other layers which add to its power and enhances the narrative of the film, but the screenwriter will typically employ it to further the plot along. By having a narrator describe occurrences directly to the audience, the writer holds the ability to fu...