If there is one thing we, as humans, know for certain, it is that death is inescapable, acting as a permanent overcast even in our brightest moments. In tandem, where there is death, there is grief—a weight no one can prepare you for, no matter how hard they try. Yet it is loss—and our struggle to grasp it—that guides us every day. With Hamnet, Chloé Zhao transcends the constraints of reality, beautifully articulating how love, anguish, and resentment in life are just preparation for mourning.
Based on the Women’s Prize for Fiction-winning novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, the film, which showed at the Toronto International Film Festival this past week, follows life through the eyes of Agnes (Jessie Buckley), watching her reconcile through all of the formative relationships she holds dearly and how entangled they are with grieving. The film follows her as she embarks on milestones in her life, such as companionship with the great William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and motherhood with her children, Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), and Judith (Olivia Lynes). Unbeknownst to her, though, is the turmoil she will encounter down the line.
Buckley delivers her best performance to date as Agnes, adding depth to a woman enshrouded by the bellowing shadow cast by her husband. While the film is named after her son, Agnes is the sun the story orbits. She unleashes the full force of emotions of how it feels to become a mother and the unimaginable pain of that being ripped away from you. Capturing these two intense poles of motherhood is one of the most emotionally, mentally, and physically draining performances a woman could possibly deliver. Luckily, Buckley leaves it all on the screen and conveys the distress of losing a child in a way that is expectedly messy, vulnerable, and heart-shattering.
In a similar vein, Mescal’s portrayal of Shakespeare showcases his talent in a way that we have never seen him before. Depicting one of the most influential literary figures in history, he brings Shakespeare down to earth, making him relatable, which is not a term we would typically associate with Shakespeare. Seeing him look at Agnes so hopelessly in love and stumbling at any sentence spoken to her brings a humanity to an otherwise otherworldly man. It’s a shift in characterization from what we are more familiar with: the serious, overworked poet who masks his grief by being swallowed up by his work. Quite simply, Mescal was born to play Shakespeare.
Although Agnes and William’s hearts beat in sync, their grief differs from one another. Buckley and Mescal masterfully portray the abrupt snuffing out of the fiery love they held for each other, proving that even the most stable relationships can be subject to destruction caused by the loss of a child. Agnes envelops herself in sadness while William writes through his suffering. Zhao does not pigeonhole the audience into believing that one is the more appropriate way to deal with these heavy emotions, but rather champions the idea that everyone deals with loss differently.
In the eye of the storm, Jupe’s breakout performance as Hamnet deserves every accolade imaginable. At the age of 12, he steps toe-to-toe with two of the best performances of the year. From the innocent and loving relationship he shares with Judith to the more adult themes of mortality he is forced to reckon with, he shows a range that even veteran actors struggle with.
To be loved is to be seen, and for those who are no longer with us, to be seen is to be remembered. Zhao reclaims the loving memory of Hamnet in the film as Shakespeare so desperately desired. There is a beauty in remembrance and retelling stories from centuries prior. It reiterates how, across time, humanity is collectively bound by the finality of death. It’s an oddly comforting thought.
Hamnet is the rare instance of a film adaptation enhancing the novel’s narrative; every criticism I had with the book was remedied by Zhao’s direction. The switch from the non-linear structure seen in the book to the linear structure seen in the film asserts Agnes as the focus of the feature rather than jumping between perspectives. Similarly, the ending of the story is expanded upon in the film, which delivers a harder gut-punch to sit with as the credits roll.
Production designer Fiona Crombie transports the audience to England in the Elizabethan era, with one of the most meticulously researched and well-crafted sets I have seen in recent memory. Stepping into William’s family home, it looks identical to the preserved Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, making it so authentic to what we know to be true about the Bard. The most impressive feat achieved by Crombie was the 70% scale replica of The Globe, which adds another layer, aside from the acting, of intensity to the film’s final sequence.
You cannot help but sit in awe of the visual spectacle Crombie delivers on screen. Coupled together with director of photography Lukasz Zal’s glorious colour grading and gentle cinematography, the audience fully sees themselves within this time period for the full 125-minute runtime, enhancing the cathartic release the film provides.
Zhao is a filmmaker who clearly guides her cast and crew with a love and warmth that emanates through the screen. While some ridicule her emphasis on guided breathing exercises before screenings at Telluride and TIFF, there is something to be said about the way it grounds you to be more present with what is around you. This perfectly aligns with the sentiment that Hamnet illustrates, appreciating each moment as it happens and confronting every emotion experienced head-on.
We are the product of lifetimes of loss. Without loss, we would not be standing tall as who we are today without the struggle of those before us. We must remember the names of those who have influenced even a fragment of who we are. Zhao’s Hamnet reminds us to reach out to the friend you haven’t checked in on in a while, hold your pets close, and call your family to say you love them. Make memories now that will carry you through your grief to come.
Review Courtesy of Nandita Joshi
Feature Image Credit to Focus Features, Courtesy of TIFF
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