Hamnet
“Hamnet” is a historical drama- albeit fictionalized- that manages to include superstition and the supernatural in its narrative in a powerful, haunting way. It comes in with Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley), the woman whom William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal)- simply called Will in this film- marries, and has three children with. She is much-rumored about before he and Will marry, in part because her mother was seen as a witch, and she has a hawk that she flies. At a key moment in the film- in fact, the pivot point of the film- this supernatural element comes into play in manner that we will either accept, or we won’t. It is the moment when this film fully had me, and Chloé Zhao’s drama continues to level me from there.
I think the idea of certainty in the existence (or lack thereof) of God is foolhardy. The religious notions of a Higher Power or an afterlife, I think, are more in line with an institution looking to control its adherents more than enliven them, but I do feel like there might be another plane of existence we go to when we pass on. It’s hard to imagine that we simply are born, live for as long as we are able to- with all the experiences (good and bad) that go with that, and die, and that’s it. Regardless of whether you believe in a specific religious doctrine or not, we as humans have formulated a sense of morality and life lived over the years that makes it hard to believe that, once we die, we have nowhere else to go. In adapting Maggie O’Farrell’s novel with the author, director Chloé Zhao makes me feel like she probably thinks similarly. The way this narrative plays out, how else can one think?
Real art is catharsis and communication. What do I mean by “real art?” Basically, anything drawing off the inspiration of a person’s lived life, and communicating an idea they want to communicate. AI art will never have the impact of a song written through the long toils of trial and error that can go into composing; an author challenging themselves to express something personal to them, even if the story is not directly from their own experiences; or a filmmaker leading others in realizing their vision of a specific story. “Hamnet,” like Zhao’s other films I’ve seen (yes, including “Eternals”), is real art, and even if I didn’t think it was great, it still would be, because it’s obvious that there is a mind behind it, with emotions to convey.
Zhao’s film begins as a straightforward movie about Will being captivated by Agnes and their passion leads them to be married after Agnes gets pregnant with their eldest daughter. A regular life, and a regular job, is hard for Will, though, and he finds himself in London, working with actors and staging his plays, even when their twins- Judith and Hamnet- are born. That is a difficult birth for Agnes, as it looks as though Judith is stillborn; almost by sheer will of love, however, from Agnes, she survives, and the twins are connected profoundly, even as they grow older. That includes when it looks like Judith may pass away again, and Hamnet tries to do something to help her. That- and its aftermath- is the moment where this film completely had me, and the performances turn from very good to extraordinary. Agnes loses herself in grief, while Will loses himself in his art. It comes to a head when Agnes finds out that his latest play- which he has been working on in London- is not the comedy she thought, but instead a tragedy, one which she goes to see for herself. From there, “Hamnet” achieves greatness.
The nature of art and creativity is another reason why I cannot completely dismiss the idea of something beyond us existing. Yes, the human is the one pulling that creativity out of the universe, but where does the inspiration come from? And why does it realize the moments we need it most? I’m not sure why it hit Zhao, Buckley, Mescal, the rest of the cast, and composer Max Richter (whose score immediately became one of my favorites of the year), but bless them for being inspired to create this beautiful film.
