What’s in a name? Quite a lot, it seems. Two strikingly similar names might not be so coincidental- at least not in the imaginative world of Maggie O’Farrell, whose novel inspired the film Hamnet.
Hamnet envisages a backstory for Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, exploring what compelled The Bard (Paul Mescal) to write it. It may be the death of his son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) or the growing distance between him and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley), due to his work.
Chloé Zhao imbues the script with a sense of mystique that makes it feel like a fairytale or fantasy. This holds even without overtly fantastical elements- aside from Agnes having some kind of connection to the forest. It befits a story about Shakespeare, whose words evoke an eternal sense of beauty, even with sounds unnatural to the modern ear.
Zhao and O’Farrell’s script does an amazing job of humanising the playwright. The film feels more about Shakespeare as a person rather than a literary giant. There were times when I found myself forgetting that this was a film about him. At the same time, it fictionalises the creation of Hamlet beautifully. A standout scene is the rehearsal for Hamlet, where an actor repeats a line while Shakespeare listens. It is not only a script but also the inner thoughts of The Bard.
On a technical level, the framing of the characters in the film creates some gorgeous scenes. One noteworthy example is during the death of young Hamnet. In a single shot, Łukasz Żal strategically places all three important characters in frame, without resorting to lazy jump cuts or close-ups to convey emotions. The ethereal score by Max Richter also deserves high praise.
Buckley, however, is the scene-stealer, giving a raw performance as Agnes. Her facial expressions of joy, sadness, and anger elicit sympathy from the audience. Mescal’s award season snub will go down in history. He offers an emotional and authentic portrayal of a father so embroiled in the work that he is absent at his son’s death. Jupe, a rising child star, leaves a lasting impression with a mature performance.
Hamnet continues screening in cinemas until the end of February.
