Five spread fingers: the sensual film moment of the past twenty years?

The sensual film moment of the past twenty years? For countless film lovers it appears that a shot of five fingers that are spread – also known as the ‘Hand Flex of Mr. Darcy ‘. I only recently got to know this ‘spread Hand-Hartstocht’ through the many articles following the jubilee of Joe Wrights Pride and preliminary from 2005. Girlfriends, self -proclaimed lovers of swimming films, made it clear to me that the ‘hand flex’ has been a cultural phenomenon for several years. Not only does it appear extensively about the moment Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) in the film his fingers tightly spreads after his hand briefly touched that of Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley), there are also countless videos on YouTube and Tiktok. Some more than a million times viewed. Or are it being kidded in other films and series by having characters do something similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Z_LEA5TSE

Wrights Film is seen as one of the most successful films by Jane Austens Classic Pride and preliminary (Pride and prejudice) from 1813 and can be seen on Netflix in the Netherlands. The film is about five sisters in the late eighteenth century, their mother hopes to help each of them with a man. A well -to -do man. The women are in danger of ending up in poverty when their father dies, the estate on which they can live can only go to a male heir. The story follows the quirky sister Elizabeth, who learns about pride and prejudices during the search for spouses. She develops a weakness for the smooth officer George Wickham, is the court made by the stiff MR Collins, but also the at first sight arrogant Mr. Darcy gets feelings for her.

The moment that the latter becomes visible in Wrights Sweet interpretation of Austens Satire is the hand flex. Elizabeth is bothered to the estate where Darcy stays with others, because her sister is sick in bed. There are noise interactions between her and the very rich Darcy. After the visit we see her step into a carriage, after which close-ups follow darcies and bennets into each other as he helps her get in, her surprised look after the unexpected touch, turn his steering away and ultimately so The hand flex. Macfadyen announced in an interview that the hand movement was not in the script, but spontaneously happened during a recording. Wright saw it and had a close-up made. Smart assembly took care of the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPT4LTVK3XW

What is the reason that ‘The Hand Flex’ causes a heart subsidence for many? After a short search through online love declarations at the shot, I learned that there is more to it than I thought. Of course, romantic souls sing how this image shows that the body knows what the head does not want to admit. But ‘The Flex’ also appears to tell something about Elizabeth’s character. At that time, women normally always wore gloves. The fact that skin-to-skin contact could take place in those few seconds is due to her rebellious character, Elizabeth is the only woman in the carriage that has no gloves. For others, the scene is a good example of The Female Gaze: Here the desire is depicted from a male character for a woman, without – as it is done too often easy to do – a camera slides sensually past a body. An illustration of feminist filmmaking. Not what you expect with a film about 18th-century young women whose biggest dream is to get married. I actually had to adjust my own prejudices about swift films.

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