Des pieds et des mains (1915) User Reviews

In Extremity

[boblipton · 8/10 · 29 March 2011]

This is a very cute little movie that would play very nicely in a program of other movies, since it never shows us the people involved; it only shows us their hands and feet, as he pursues her and she ignores him.

It's a sly and witty way to tell a simple and, in many ways, a banal story, and one that is nicely calculated to drive the audience pleasantly mad as a medium that can only show you things proceeds to not show you things..... and the audience, certainly, was in on the jest. The time of the unsophisticated nickelodeon audience long gone and the young co-director, Jacques Feyder, was already developing a reputation for biting the hand that fed him. The foot, too.

Wildly creative and MEGA-creepy!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 24 May 2013]

"Feet and Hands" is a very well made film--very well. But, at the same time, it's also very creepy and a bit disturbing. "Feet and Hands" is about a man who is obsessed with a woman. He keeps sending her letters--and she has returned them unopened. By chance, his manicurist is also hers and he manages to get the manicurist to get the letters to her. However, she still won't have anything to do with him, so he just hangs around outside her home and by chance, she is attacked by a robber. She also nearly dies in a freak accident--and both times he saves her. So, in gratitude she marries him.

The film is told using closeups of the hands and feet of the actors. This is very unusual and creative but also makes you wonder if the filmmaker had some sort of fetish!! It gets even creepier, though, when you look at the meta-message, it seems to say to stalkers 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again'! Disturbing, certainly...but well made.

By the way, pay attention to the letter at the beginning of the film. The one the audience sees and the one in the rest of the film are not at all the same!