Put together two great actors, a marvelous screenplay and a high level director, then you will get a masterpiece!
“The book scene” is one of the most touching love scene ever shot, although there are no kisses but Emma admitted that Anthony Hopkins “is a human volcano, quietly ready to go off”, so she was completely breathless at the end of each take.
Miss Kenton (the housekeeper) and Mr Stevens (the butler) are in love with each other but they never come out explicitly. This scene shows us the moment when they finally are phisically closest and she wants to snatch a book out of Mr Stevens’s hand to see if he is reading a racy book. They start flirting together, the emotional tension reaches the climax when she gets closer and closer and puts him in the corner while he’s keeping his eyes glued to her face.
The music becomes dramatic, Ivory skilfully uses lights and shadows and we can feel that the unspoken love has filled the room.
Great acting performance, Emma and Tony!
I love Emma Thompson 