"Hamnet" at the cinema This Shakespeare film won't leave a dry eye in the house
The historical drama "Hamnet" tells the story of how William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes come to terms with a tragic loss. With quiet power and overwhelming emotion, the film finds beauty in grief.
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- In "Hamnet", the famous writer William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes suffer a tragic loss, which puts their relationship to the test.
- The highly emotional historical drama was directed by Chloé Zhao, who won three Oscars in 2021 with "Nomadland", including Best Picture.
- In the lead role of Agnes, Jessie Buckley delights with a soulful, multi-faceted performance, while Paul Mescal lends humanity and genius to Shakespeare, the prince of poets.
- "Hamnet" has just been nominated for eight Oscars and is now showing in cinemas.
How do people deal with great loss? How differently do they grieve and how do they process tragic events?
Chinese-American director Chloé Zhao explores such questions in several of her films. The neo-western "The Rider", for example, is about a rodeo rider who is no longer able to pursue his great passion without restrictions after a life-threatening accident.
And "Nomadland" tells the story of a woman who lost her house and her husband after the economic collapse and has been living as a nomad in a van ever since. The gripping drama won three Oscars - for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress Frances McDormand.
Zhao's latest work "Hamnet" also deals with dealing with loss and grief. Based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O'Farrell, the historical drama tells the poignant and tragic love story between William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes.
Shakespeare's formative influence on culture
The film is based on a few true facts, but not much is known about the private life of England's most famous writer, whose works include "Romeo and Juliet", "Macbeth" and "Hamlet". What is certain, however, is that he was an excellent judge of character - a psychologist, so to speak. Otherwise his works, which are over 400 years old, would not have shaped our culture right up to the modern day. They are still being performed as plays or made into films.
In the early stages, "Hamnet" tells the story of how Shakespeare and his future wife Agnes meet and fall in love. She is a natural healer and feels a great attraction to the forest and the earth. She is labeled a witch by society, but William is fascinated by her mysterious beauty from the very first moment. The two have three children, first Susanna, followed by the twins Judith and Hamnet.
William, a trained glove maker, becomes a successful writer and theater director. He regularly travels to London for his theater engagements. During his absence, the family suffers a serious blow. Agnes and William deal with their grief in completely different ways and their relationship is put to the hardest possible test.
Confident mood despite tragic story
Despite its tragic and harrowing story, "Hamnet" conveys a hopeful, conciliatory mood.
Visually, it is characterized by a strong visual language. It contains a lot of symbolism, beautifully depicts Agnes' relationship with nature and captures the historical era well with the costumes and décor.
To what extent the acting performances of Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal contribute to the strong emotional impact of "Hamnet" and why the film inevitably moves you to tears, you can find out in our video clip.
The eight-time Oscar-nominated "Hamnet" is now showing at blue Cinema.
