‘Hamnet‘ delivers Powerful Performances, But Narrative Focusโข Divides Critics
The film Hamnet, โbased on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel โand exploring the โgrief surrounding the 1596 โdeath of William Shakespeare โand anneโค Hathaway‘s โข11-year-old son, Hamnet, is garnering โattention for its performances, notably paul Mescal’s portrayal of Shakespeare.While lauded for its emotional weight,the โขfilm’s narrative prioritization of William Shakespeare’s grief overโค his wife’s has sparked debate.
Early scenes โฃdepict Shakespeare,โ as William, as a โฃ”truly โคbelievable lovestruck dum-dum”โ attempting to woo โคAgnesโ Hathaway (Buckley). โคA small, telling โmoment involves William presenting Agnes with โa handmade โfalconer’s glove, which she dismisses with a dry remark โandโข aโ casual toss โover her shoulder.
Critics note that despite a mother’s grief being universally recognized as profoundly painful, Mescal’s performance conveys a man’sโ grief with greater impact. William โฃis portrayed as internally constricted, unable toโข articulate or process his feelings, channeling โคhis sorrow into writing a play – Hamlet. Noah Jupe plays the titular roleโข in the film’sโ production of Hamlet,โ with his younger brother, Jacobiโ Jupe, portraying Hamnet. mescal directs Jupe’s Hamlet with “almost cruel ruthlessness,” demandingโข aโ performance that alignsโข with hisโข internal experience of grief.โ
The film is rooted in historical fact: William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway did lose a son, Hamnet, in 1596. O’Farrell’s novel,โ and the โคsubsequent film adaptation, explore a fictionalized account of Anne Hathaway’s life and grief. โขThe review highlights a common historical โimbalance, noting that women’s innerโค lives often receive less attention thanโ men’s accomplishments. However, the film ultimately positions Shakespeare as โคtheโฃ central figure of suffering, transformingโฃ his sorrow into โฃsomething “heavier than โคlead โคand lighter than air,” and leaving him “trapped in his own โriddle.”
