The Remains of the Day by an absolute country mile.

Really like both movies, but I have to go with Remains of the Day.

Comparison of apples to oranges. Only the manor house settings are similar. Neither is better, but they are both magnificent film making.
What would Joan say?

I can watch Gosford Park over and over and over I don't think movie experts would rate it as highlythere is a smaller cast of less regaled actors and less a serious message/meaning. But Gosford Park has that music that I can hear over again many times. From the song sung by Jeremy Northam to the piano playing that is in much of the movie, particularly the ending, I'm in heaven when that movie is on. I also love the way it is shot compared to the Remains of the Daynot as distant, cold, detailed, it's warm er, bigger, more beautiful to me. So hands down it's my favorite. One of my favorite movies period.

To begin with, they have two total different tones. One is made to be more of a dark comedy whereas the other is drama and only drama.
Even the sets and cinematography are meant to be different. There is really no way to compare them and pick which is better. They are both excellent films and get 10 stars in my IMDb opinion.
Now if the question is "Which is funnier" or "Which is depressing" then there are simple answers for those questions.
Which is funnier: Gosford Park
Which is depressing: Remains of the day.
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Gosford Park much, much better. I felt there were a lot of irrelevant details in Remains that I just don't care about.

I love both films and its been a while since I saw Gosford Park, but I have to say Remains of the day. It studies more closely each character (mostly Kenton and Stevens) than "Gosford Park". The latter has too many characters which makes it a little more difficult to like, hate, pity, understand or feel sorry with them. I felt I got to know Remains of the days characters better than Gosford Parks.

both, although i liked gosford park a little better, because you can watch it for the 50ieth time, and still discover something new.
But they are both great movies, so really hard contest.

I'd definitely say "Remains of the Day" While Stevens is, of course, infuriating, it's a very watchable film, whereas I really stuggled to make it all the way through "Gosford Park" - I've always found Robert Altman's work very unengaging.

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Yes, but try watching both films a couple more times and see which one grows with repeated viewings.
Altman's film is the kind that allows for multiple viewings. He takes the class politics of Renoir's "La Regle du jeu", inserts a murder-mystery game for the audience to play, deconstructs British drawing room detective stories (Cluedo etc) and throws in lots of mini-stories for the audience to tease out. It's also a very architectural movie, chartering all the little spaces of the manor.
"The Remains of the Day" is probably the best Merchant Ivory film - and I'll take it's lecture on fascism over that of "Schinder's List", released the same year - but it's a much safer picture. Where I think "Remains" trumps "Gosford" is in Hopkin's performance. It's a very tragic performance. Very affecting.
"Rape is no laughing matter. Unless you're raping a clown."

The Remains of the Day is better. In Gosford Park there are too many characters and not enough screen time for each of them, so we get cardboard cutouts instead of people.

The Remains of the Day.

Gosh, so difficult to choose, but I'm going with The Remains of the Day. Gosford Park is right behind though.
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Tough question. I like both films but if I have to pick just one, that film would be Gosford Park.
Anyway everybody should watch both films at least once.

Wow, what a tough question. I think it really depends on one's mood. If one is more in the mood for a story of comedy rather than unrequited romance then GP is obviously the better option, but both movies are definitely great in portraying and analysing what "downstairs" life was all about during the time between the wars.
I almost want to give The Remains of the Day the edge over Gosford Park, if for no other reason than Richard Robbins's beautiful soundtrack.

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ROFD is far better in my opinion. Gosford Park talked down to its audience by having to explain what the servants were for and why people lived that way, whereas ROFD just takes it for granted the audience will understand.

Apples and oranges. Gosford Park is a comedy. I won't choose. lol
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I adore them both, but I'm afraid GP has the edge for me; I just love to watch it over and over again! This is brilliant too, and if only GP had Emma Thompson (it does have her sister Sophie) and Anthony Hopkins as well as all those wonderful actors, it would be perfect.