Grief and Inspiration Take Center Stage in ‘Hamnet’

“Thou know’st tis common; all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity.”

William Shakespeare penned these words for his play Hamlet. What was his inspiration? Could it have been the death of his own son? This is a curiosity that gripped author Maggie O’Farrell over 30 years ago and inspired her 2020 best-selling novel named for that son – Hamnet. Adapted for the screen with the help of Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao, Hamnet is a film that explores love, loss, grief, and inspiration and has left an indelible mark on its viewers.

Simply put, Hamnet is the fictitious story of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal; Gladiator II) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley; Men). It follows them through their meeting, courtship, marriage, and the birth of their children — Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), and twins, Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe; Peter Pan & Wendy). We see them live and love. Then, Judith becomes ill, and Hamnet pleads with death to take him instead of her. His plea is granted, and he tragically passes away in his mother’s arms.

Though this story pulls from factual details of Shakespeare’s life, he is not the sole focus. Instead, we see things more from the perspective of his wife, Agnes, who is expertly portrayed by Jessie Buckley. It’s been said many times in many reviews, but only because it’s true — Jessie Buckley is phenomenal in this film. Her performance is so raw. You come to really understand Agnes’ depth of love for her family through Buckley. She loves Will so much that she pleads with her brother, Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn; The Brutalist), to give his blessing on their marriage. And she doesn’t flinch when Will’s mother, Mary (Emily Watson; Dune: Prophecy), vehemently protests. 

Because she loves so deeply, her anguish at the death of her son is equally as deep, as is the resentment she feels toward her absent husband. Buckley’s vulnerability is really on display during the moments when she is trying to save her children. You feel her fear and her desperation as she frantically tries everything she knows to do to ease their suffering. As Hamnet takes his last breath in her arms, the heartbreak in her cry is overwhelming. 

Truthfully, the entire cast does a great job with their characters. We see something wonderful in Mescal that hasn’t been seen in a while. The chemistry between he and Buckley in the beginning of their relationship is so tender and trickles down to the relationships with the children. This brings me to the titular role of Hamnet and Jacobi Jupe. Though his big brother Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) also does a good job as Hamlet in the last act of the film, Jacobi’s performance is fresh and pure. Watching him with his siblings and seeing the love he has for both his father and his mother makes the tragedy of his passing that much heavier, but also the ending more cathartic.

After his death, Hamnet is stuck in a type of purgatory, unable to fully pass on. Resentment has taken root in Agnes toward Will, who left their home shortly after seeing his son’s body. But here she is, with Bartholomew, in the playhouse, looking for Will and looking for answers as to why this play is named for their son. Now, in the audience, the play begins, and all her emotions rise to the surface. Why are they saying her son’s name? What has Will done?  Just then, she sees Will on the stage, and it’s his character that has died, and Hamlet, his son, is alive. It’s in that moment you can see Agnes begin to realize that Will didn’t abandon her, nor did he not care that his son was gone. Instead, he grieved in the best way he knew how — by incorporating his wonderful boy into a story that will live forever.

Though this sentiment is beautiful, it’s one that’s not fully explored in the film. We don’t really get to experience Will’s grief in the way that we do with Agnes. There are no scenes where we watch him wrestle with his pain and the need to complete his play. We don’t see him crumple page after page as he works through his emotions. We do finally get to see his tattered room, but not what has taken place there in the aftermath of Hamnet’s death. For a story that presumes that the process of grief can lead to inspiration, not including a window into that process was a greatly missed opportunity.

Zhao’s direction does show a deep level of empathetic understanding of the characters and their experiences. In her adaptation, she and O’Farrell changed the format of the story to linear allowing the audience to clearly see the progression of the Shakespeare family life. Beautiful locations like the Lydney Forest in Gloucestershire, England, and the skill of cinematographer Lukasz Zal (Zone of Interest), add a richness to the story and work to enhance the overall themes.

At the end of the play, young Hamnet stands at the opening of a void within the play’s forest backdrop and takes one final look at his mother. As Hamlet takes his last breath in the play, he says the words “Remember me.” It’s here that Agnes fully understands – she understands that her husband has not only honored their son, but through this work, he immortalized him. Then, she nods to her boy as he is finally able to pass “through nature to eternity.”

Hamnet is a beautifully sad, yet cathartic, story of the inspiration that can come from love and loss. Buckley, Mescal and Jacobi Jupe are extraordinary! The rest of the cast, the locations, the script – everything here works in concert in a film that will break your heart and mend it.

Bring tissues to the theater, enough to share!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars