Interpreting Emotions.

[Newcomer]

To express mental state, strong emotions, takes great skill. Voluminous prose or a few lines of poetry is the best that we can do to approximate what we feel. For the sculptor or painter the task is harder since he has to do without words. He can use the expressions of the face, the line of the body and especially the hands to suggest what the subject is experiencing. The hands, the fingers, the endpoints of ourselves to the external world, visually are surprisingly communicative of internal turmoil. In the end the artist depends on the reader, on the onlooker to make the leap in transference based on common experience.
In the Wright’s version of P&P, Darcy takes the hand of Elizabeth in helping her into the carriage. A close-up of Elizabeth’s face shows a rapid progression from surprise, to doubt, to amazement. Amazement as she feels his hand holding hers, his thumb gently pressing to intensify the sensual contact. Elizabeth’s eyes are fixed in surprise on Darcy’s face but it may be that she is as surprised by what she feels, the surge of warm blood through her veins, the nascence of sensuality. The scene shifts to a close-up of Darcy’s hand as he spreads his fingers by flexing his hand. This gesture has caused a degree of controversy as to meaning. The actor playing Darcy has been supposed of lacking in clear and convincing body language. I saw the scene as poetic rather than explicit. The splay of the fingers was an unconscious gesture, a prognostication of consciously expressed love. It is worth noting that the same emphasis on a close-up of the hand is repeated in the scene at Pemberly when Elizabeth has surprised Darcy. Here the hand is cupped, flax, in disappointment of her leaving him so suddenly.
An aside – the gesture of Darcy holding Elizabeth’s hand is used in the BBC’s version but the hand is glowed, the skin to skin contact is missing and thus the emotional charge.
I recently saw a small exhibition of Italian Renaissance sculpture which had a statue of the Rape of Sabine Women - http://www2.students.sbc.edu/dwarzski00/giambologna.jpg
The woman is held as a trophy above the shoulders of the male figure. She is in a state of high distress with one arm reaching for the sky, the other for the earth, the fingers of both hands are spread out. The hands are similar to Darcy’s splayed fingers. I would suggest that the director used the image of splayed fingers to suggest an agitated state of Darcy’s mind, overwhelmed by a new emotion.

[sciencefan]

I would suggest that the director used the image of splayed fingers to suggest an agitated state of Darcy’s mind, overwhelmed by a new emotion.
Greetings, Newcomer!
You may be right.
I'm curious to see what others might think.
You already know how I thought the gesture was inappropriate.
But as you say, interpretation is very subjective.

I guess I would not have been so disappointed in Macfadyen’s hand gesture there had I not watched the
Bonus Material on the CD entitled: Pride & Prejudice HBO First Look.
During the interviews, Kiera Knightly says this:

“They don’t really touch. Women don’t shake hands with men, you know, so the first time Darcy touches Elizabeth is when he helps her into the carriage, which is a really beautiful moment because it’s the first skin on skin touch, and I think today, you know, we don’t think about that at all.”

I rather assumed that she was possibly sharing the views of the director in making her comment.
She certainly played it the way she described.

I think Macfadyen's opening and flexing of the hand, as if to shake off the touch makes it a very un-beautiful moment.

I think if it was a beautiful moment for him, he should have closed his fingers in such a way that would show that he regrets her hand being removed from his, and a longing to preserve the sensation of her hand in his.

If I had not watched the HBO special, I don't know what my impression would have been.

I did a little searching around online to see if I could get a feel for what other people thought of that gesture.
For some, it is one of their favorite moments in the movie.
For others, they, like me, were confused as to it's exact meaning and mistook it (apparently) to mean some sort of discomfort.

Perhaps I would have liked the scene better if instead of walking away,
he would have stayed there as they drove away, and perhaps looked down at his open hand, questioning what he had felt/was feeling.

[mazz]

gee, there are snippets of p and p all over the place. I,m with you sciencefan that flexing of his hand caused me to wonder also. Darcy already knew he was in love so why would he flex his hand so, on the DVD they say something about the shock of touch. I always took the look of wonder on Lizzies face to be surprise at change in Darcy's manners, that he could overcome his pride to be so pleasant. It would be expected of a gentleman to help a lady into the carriage, lizzie was surprised he showed such respect towards her and I imagine she was surprised at the flutterings of her heart when he held her hand. I would have had him hold his hand in the other. But what really annoyed me(in the movie)was when she left Pemberly after happening upon Darcy and Georgi and walked back to the village some 5 miles away and left her escorts (aunt and uncle) behind?????

[sciencefan]

But what really annoyed me(in the movie)was when she left Pemberly after happening upon Darcy and Georgi and walked back to the village some 5 miles away and left her escorts (aunt and uncle) behind?????
Yes, I would have thought she would have wondered where her aunt and uncle were.
And why did they not worry about her?
When she arrives, they are not the least bit curious where in the world she's been.
The writer did not handle that part very well.