The Hand is currently showing as part of the excellent World of Wang Kar Wai season available in various cinemas. The film was originally released as one segment of the three-part Eros with films from Steven Soderbergh and Michelangelo Antonioni. Wong Kar-wai later developed it into an (almost) one hour stand-alone feature, though given how he works it was perhaps easier to make a longer rather than shorter version.
Set in Hong Kong (the clothes and make up suggest the 1960s), the film features a courtesan, Ms. Hua {Gong Li] who meets a young tailor Zhang [Chang] Chen. At their first meeting, Zhang is sexually excited by the sounds of her making love with one of her many lovers and she is soon showing the young man the importance of touch to a tailor.
The film contrasts her luxury apartment (where Zhang always appears in a suit and tie) with his rundown workplace where he and his colleagues work in vests.
Their relationship continues over an unspecified period of time as Zhang’s employer [Tin Fung] provides clothes for Ms. Hua. At first, she is living in luxury balancing various lovers, a gigolo Mr. Zhao [Zhou Jianjun] and work in a nightclub. Later she falls on hard times and is reduced to a rundown hotel and prostitution. But Zhang always stays in touch.
The film is certainly erotic even if sex is largely absent (after the opening few minutes). Ms. Hua makes phallic dumplings which are devoured by Zhang while he sensually caresses her clothing.
I saw the original film over a decade ago without it making much impact on me but perhaps this was due to the other segments which were generally not well-received. Director Wong wisely does not overstretch the slight material but as a stand-alone feature this holds up as a contribution to the Wong Kar-Wai collection, even if a minor one.
While it resembles other films (such as In the Mood for Love) in the beautiful clothes and make up, it is much more linear than most Wong films. Given the transferability of characters in the Wong universe, Gong Li’s character resembles that of Lulu (played by Carina Lau) in 2046 or perhaps an older and more emotionally hardened Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi’s character in that film).
A rare Wong film where the dialogue is mainly in Mandarin.
dianyingblog 电影 