One of the most unforgettable moments in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice film — Mr. Darcy’s subtle but powerful hand flex — wasn’t in the script at all, according to director Joe Wright. In a recent interview, Wright revealed that the now-viral gesture, which sent fans swooning when the film first hit theaters, was completely improvised by Matthew Macfadyen.
The fleeting hand movement, which comes just after Darcy helps Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) into a carriage, has since become a symbol of intense, unspoken longing. “It wasn’t in the script, but it was an important moment in the book,” Wright explained. He wanted to show how their bodies betrayed their emotions, even as their minds tried to resist.
Wright admitted he wasn’t confident in the scene at the time. “It had been a gloomy day when we shot it,” he said. “I thought, ‘Oh no, we didn’t get it. It didn’t work.’” But nearly two decades later, the scene continues to resonate. “People are still posting it. It’s odd and really nice.”
The moment exploded online again in 2021, thanks to TikTok, where fans rediscovered the electric tension captured in that tiny gesture. Wright credits the power of physical expression. “Their bodies are like magnets,” he said. “That polite, period-appropriate touch becomes something so charged he has to shake it off.”
As the film approaches its 20th anniversary this November, a special re-release is set for April 20. Macfadyen, meanwhile, has mixed feelings about his iconic role. “I felt a bit miscast,” he once admitted. “I thought, ‘I’m not dishy enough.’” Still, being recognized as Mr. Darcy today? “It’s probably the most flattering thing,” he said.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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