The Quill & The Cross

Summary

Hamnet is a movie based on the book by Maggie O’Farrell, detailing William Shakespeare’s marriage to Agnes and the birth of their son Hamnet. Soon, however, the plague enters their lives and after a terrible tragedy, they must cope with their loss. The film is heartbreaking and yet beautiful, detailing their marriage, their family life, their grief, and how the death of Shakespeare’s son inspired his masterpiece, Hamlet.

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, Emily Watson, Noah Jupe

My Review

My Rating: 5/5

My Recommended Age: 15+

Things To Be Aware Of

Violence: 2/5 (Will’s father is a harsh man, occasionally hitting Will. We see a woman gown covered in blood after childbirth. Child writhe in pain when they have the plague. A character considers suicide.)

Sexual Content: 4/5 (Agnes gets pregnant before she is married to Will. We see an unnecessarily long sex scene between the two of them: they’re both clothed and there’s no explicit nudity, but its obvious and uncomfortable. We see glimpses of Agnes bare legs and stomach while she gives birth, but nothing explicit. Will and Agnes kiss a few times.)

Language: 0/5 (There’s none.)

Other Negative Content: 2/5 (There’s not really any other negative content, but the movie is VERY emotionally heavy: it deals with grief and the loss of a child. There are a couple scenes where Agnes gives birth and, although not explicit, they are intense. The scenes where the children have the plague are also very intense, and painful to watch.)

My Take

Hamnet is one of the those movies that packs such a emotional punch that its hardly a re-watch: I walked out of the theater and thought about it for the next 5 days. First of all, the cinematography is just… gorgeous. The movie switches between intense scenes to beautiful, simplistic scenes of nature, creating an lush, immersive atmosphere. You’re drawn into the setting, the world, and the intimate lives of the people that we get to witness. The story is told through Agnes’ eyes, and we see the love she has for her husband, for her children, and for the world around her.

The acting is just superb: Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal do an incredible job bringing Agnes and Will to life. Agnes is a woman who loves her family fiercely, and goes through some heartbreaking things, but experiencing the story through her eyes is truly wonderful.

At first sight the story of Hamnet isn’t particularly extraordinary: it’s about a mother, her family, her love for her children, and her immense grief at the loss of her son. But yet, it’s such a powerful story. Ignoring everything to do with the plot, the movie overall is just a masterpiece of cinematography. But when you really look at the story, it details the beautiful love a mother has for her children, and for her husband; the tragic loss of a child, and the way love and art can help heal grief.

I think the best way to describe it is the way Jessie Buckley finished her acceptance speech when she won the Oscar for best actress. To close her speech, she held up her award and dedicated it to, “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”

So keep your heart open.