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By Rachael Grange
From frolicking forests to grand stages, Hamnet arrives on the big screen as a feast for the senses. Whether you have met him in an English classroom or are familiar with the famous line ‘To be or not to be’, Hamnet re-immortalises the playwright William Shakespeare through the eyes of his family.
With an incredible cast already snapping up two Golden Globes, Chloé Zhao’s adaptation steps away from Shakespeare’s literary fame. The film rather invites us to speculate on Shakespeare’s private life as a husband, a father, and a grieving parent struggling to make sense of unimaginable loss.
As a reader of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, I was curious to see how the story would translate from page to screen, and it did so beautifully. The adaptation breathes new life with thoughtful imagined characters, reinventing the beauty of the literature through film.
With visually stunning and rich scenery, the cinematography recalls similarities to the romantic elegance of Joe Wright’s 2005 Pride & Prejudice. Particularly scenes on pastoral landscapes, candlelit interiors, and tactile details.
Hamnet arrives at the Regent Theatre in Richmond from the 29th of January, offering local audiences a rare treat. This is a film that lingers long after the credits roll, offering an ideal opportunity to introduce William Shakespeare to fresh eyes, or to rediscover him for yourself.
Don’t be surprised if you leave feeling inspired to tame a hawk, learn some Latin, dabble in a bit of witchery, recite mythological tales, or even dive headfirst into a Renaissance fair.
If the film leaves you wanting more, I recommend exploring Maggie O’Farrell’s other novels, particularly The Marriage Portrait. It’s an excellent next read, especially for readers who love historical fiction and are drawn to the intrigue of Renaissance Italy.
