The Hand

Director: Wong Kar-wai

2004 / 56min / DCP

Originally made to play as part of the triptych omnibus film Eros, then expanded by Wong into this short feature, The Hand stars Chang Chen as Zhang, a meek dressmaker’s assistant plying his trade in 1960s Hong Kong, and Gong Li—also seen in Wong’s 2046 of the same year—as the enigmatic Miss Hua, a regular client who casts a spell over the mild-mannered Zhang, becoming over time something like his muse. A sultry study in muted longing and a film that revels in the discreet eroticism and shared intimacy of measuring and cutting couture to custom fit for an adored model; when Zhang tells Miss Hua, in hushed tones, “I became a tailor because of you,” one has no difficulty believing in and sympathizing with the totality of his infatuation.

Distributor: Janus Films

Part of Empress Li