She made a smart choice as a narrator. This clumsy young man seems to have a way with words as he tells the tragic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. And he should: one day he will be known as the best wordsmith in the world.
But Agnes, though provoked by William Shakespeare himself, does not have the same relationship with words, nor does she need them. In contrast to her studious lover, her mystical nature – some say her mother was a forest witch! – and her zest for life gives her easy access to a seemingly volcanic range of emotions, from giddy joy to unfathomable sadness, all within the tips of her earth-stained fingers.
And volcanic is the best way to describe Jessie Buckley’s surprising performance in “Hamnet,” Zhao’s unashamedly emotional adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel. Also starring a magnetic Paul Mescal as Will, it is a story that depicts the early lives of the young couple from Stratford. And as O’Farrell readers know, it centers on a life-changing loss: the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet.
You may have heard that early viewings of the film left large portions of the audience in tears. Spoiler alert: this is no surprise. Zhao, writing with O’Farrell, goes straight for the tear ducts, with crucial help from a stellar cast led by Buckley – who, like her character, seems to have an extraordinary ability to forego artifice and access a wildness simmering beneath the surface. We recommend you watch her face during the riveting conclusion, where she is part of a large crowd. But really, your eyes don’t go anywhere else.
So we start with a tempestuous love story, which will soon be put to the test. “Love does not die, it transforms,” Zhao said. Her first task is to show how even the most stubborn love can be transformed by grief.
But of course there is another act. In ‘Hamnet’, love is transformed by sadness and then transformed again by art. What art, you ask? Well, that’s clear from the title. The play is what matters.
Speaking of ‘Hamlet’, a crucial fact is stated right at the start: in 16th century England, the names ‘Hamnet’ and ‘Hamlet’ were interchangeable.
Scholars also know that Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway (also called Agnes), did indeed have a son named Hamnet, who died at the age of 11. Little else is known, including how he died or what – if any – connection there was to the creation, a few years later, of what many call the greatest play in the English language. It is worth noting that it is a play about untimely death and grief.
Author O’Farrell naturally imagines a deep connection. The film remains largely faithful to her book, but changes structure and moves chronologically rather than switching between time periods.
It begins with a vision of Agnes curled up in a tree hollow as if she was born there. No wonder Will is enchanted when he looks out his classroom window and spies this free spirit, whose main companion is a hawk. He thinks she is a maid; actually, she is the eldest daughter of the house where he tutors to pay off family debts. Their connection is electric. She will soon be pregnant.
Agnes will give birth to their first child, a daughter, alone in nature, clinging to tree branches. (Cinematographer Łukasz Żal makes particularly deft use of light and lush foliage). A few years later, when she gives birth again, Will’s strict mother (Emily Watson) insists she stay indoors. She gives birth to twins: a boy and then a girl who initially appears stillborn, but comes back to life through her mother’s touch.
Yet Agnes is terrified, having had a vision of two children – not three – on her deathbed. Meanwhile, Will spends a lot of time in London, pursuing business opportunities and then pursuing his theater ambitions. Agnes herself encouraged this move. But that changes when Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe, nobly endearing), who promised his father to take care of everyone, falls ill.
When he succumbs, Agnes falls into inconsolable grief. And when a devastated Will comes home, she explains matter-of-factly how, no, he actually has no idea what it was like. “You weren’t there,” she says coolly. If he had been, he could have said goodbye.
But soon Will will have to leave again. He’s working on a play. We see early rehearsals of “The Tragedy of Hamlet,” and at one point Mescal—frustrated with his players—shows his Shakespearean chops with an angry rendition of “Take you to a nunnery!” speech. (Side note: If all of this leads to Mescal playing Hamlet in a theater somewhere one day, we’re here for it.)
The mastery of these words and the way they are delivered are in stark contrast to Agnes’ most impressive scenes, which often occur with few or no words at all. We’ve already hinted at the grueling conclusion, where love, sadness, and art all come together in the film’s most powerful moment. Seeing Buckley here makes you realize that even in a Shakespearean story, the gaps between words can resonate deeply.
So yeah, look at Agnes’ face as she listens. The famous words coming from the stage are only part of the equation. The rest – okay, we’ll say it – is silence.
(“Hamnet”, contains thematic content, some strong sexuality and partial nudity)
Associated press
‘HAMNET’
Rated PG-13. At the AMC Boston Common, Landmark Kendall Square, Coolidge Corner Theater and suburban theaters
Quality: A-
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