Khaberni - The world's eyes turn to the Oscar awards stage to see who wins the golden statues, but the real movement within the global cinema industry begins before the announcement of the results, specifically with the unveiling of the nomination lists.
During this year's awards season, the film «Hamnet» stood out among the most competitive works after it garnered eight nominations in one go, reflecting an increasing presence of the production associated with RedBird IMI, one of the IMI Group companies from the UAE, which is expanding its participation in the global cinematic content industry.
The story is based on the life of Shakespeare
The film is adapted from the famous novel «Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague» by author Maggie O'Farrell, and it is based on limited historical events surrounding the life of the English writer William Shakespeare, presenting a dramatized imagined treatment of one of the most impactful moments in his life, the death of his only son «Hamnet», which left a clear mark on his subsequent creative career, notably in his play «Hamlet».
The novel was first published on March 31, 2020, a timing some considered a striking coincidence, as the novel revolves around an imagined story based on a few historical facts; among them that Hamnet Shakespeare died in 1596 at the age of eleven, presumably from the epidemic later known as the Black Plague, which ravaged Europe at that time.
A few years after the incident, the child's father presented one of his most important plays, revolving around the themes of loss and grief. During that historical period, the names «Hamnet» and «Hamlet» were sometimes used interchangeably, in a striking linguistic coincidence. Another notable fact is that William Shakespeare lived most of his life in a world constantly threatened by the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague, yet he did not directly address this pandemic in his literary works.
The novel, and subsequently the film, presents the Shakespeare family's story from a human angle, where the foreground of the events includes the life of Agnes Shakespeare and her children, alongside the artistic work woven by the bereaved father, and what it might mean for the relationship between Agnes and William. In the background of the events, England is depicted living under the shadow of epidemics, with quarantine measures, the spread of death, and the presence of plague doctors.
After 5 years.. A novel becomes a film
Five years after the novel was published, the story was adapted into a cinematic film, as the author Maggie O’Farrell participated in writing the screenplay in collaboration with the film’s director Chloé Zhao, who presented the work with a vision that combines human sensitivity and aesthetic depth, a style known from her previous films like «The Rider» and «Nomadland».
Zhao relies on a calm visual language in many scenes, where simple details such as an object placed on a table or the movement of the wind among tree branches carry a striking visual presence, while at the same time the film carries a great deal of emotional turmoil, presenting the viewer with a mix of deep grief and flowing emotions evident in the course of events.
actress Jessie Buckley plays the pivotal role of Agnes Shakespeare. Her first scene shows her lying under a tree in the forest, wearing a red dress, presenting an image close to the world of myths and folktales. Each time Agnes appears amid the trees, the director uses visual proportions that make her seem part of the forest world, as if she belongs to a mythical space beyond daily reality.
Agnes comes from a family of women believed to possess the ability to see beyond visible appearances, closer to a world of pagan beliefs compared to the Christian environment that is rapidly modernizing in the village she lives in.
During the events, Agnes meets young Will, played by Paul Mescal, a Latin teacher who spends his time writing by candlelight. Their relationship quickly turns into a familial bond, forming a shared life.
The story gradually shifts from a joyful atmosphere to an experience of profound loss, then to a state of extended grief that imposes a heavy presence in the characters' lives, making the world seem to have lost its balance. In this emotional course, Agnes occupies the center of events, while Will spends most of his time in London.
Impressive acting and multiple nominations
The narrative leads indirectly to a connection with the play «Hamlet», but the film does not present the relationship between the two works directly or stereotypically. The work shows that personal experiences don't become artistic works through literal translation of events, but through a cumulation of experiences and memories that the artist reinterprets over time.
The film exemplifies this through the lessons Agnes learned about plants from her mother, which she then passed on to her children, ideas that later appear in the words of the character Ophelia in the play «Hamlet», treated with precision that reflects a deep understanding of the mechanisms of artistic creativity.
Throughout the film, Jessie Buckley’s performance is compelling, starting with a steady pace and gradually escalating with the progression of events. Her deep, musically toned voice adds a special weight to emotional scenes, especially at the moments when the Agnes character reaches the pinnacle of grief, where her feelings transform into silent screams reflecting the depth of pain.
While Buckley forms the emotional heart of the film, Paul Mescal also delivers an impressive performance, particularly in scenes where he recites lines from Shakespeare's texts, where the playwright's words intertwine with the emotional state of the character he portrays.
On the other hand, some moments appear to be weighed down by visual or emotional details in the directorial treatment. This is particularly evident in the use of the piece «On the Nature of Daylight» by composer Max Richter during one of the pivotal scenes. Despite the beauty of the music piece and its sad character, its repeated use in several cinematic and television works such as «Arrival» and «Shutter Island» and «The Last of Us», diminishes its impact for some viewers.
It is noteworthy that the cinematic version did not expand the presence of the plague epidemic in the background of the events, except for the illness that affects the child Hamnet and leads to his death, as the film focuses more on the human course of the characters.
Hamnet received eight nominations at the Oscars, including the following categories: Best Picture, Best Director for Chloé Zhao, Best Actress for Jessie Buckley, Best Adapted Screenplay, in addition to nominations in casting, original music, costume design, and production design.
This presence in nomination lists comes after a notable participation of the film during the award season, enhancing its position among the works nominated to win a number of major global awards.
