Full disclosure: when I was offered the opportunity ton review the 4K release of Hamnet, I hesitated before accepting. It’s a brilliant film (I awarded it a perfect five star rating upon my initial viewing), but it’s so singular, so emotionally harrowing, that I wondered if it was a film I’d ever watch again. Alas, the writer in me (and the physical media collector) won out, and I requested a review copy. And ya know what? I’m very very glad I did. Upon rewatching this gem, especially with the director’s commentary, I gained a whole new appreciation for it. I can now definitely see myself revisiting it a few more times.
So yes, I will undercut the content of my review right here by saying I wholeheartedly recommend picking this one up. The director’s commentary alone is worth your money and time.
(And the movie remains a masterpiece — a sad, difficult masterpiece).
Let’s start there:
The Film:
When I first saw Hamnet last fall (at the Philadelphia Film Festival), I knew for a fact that it would be an Oscar contender. I attended the screening as a matter of course, fully aware that films like this are not typically what I seek out unless I’m doing awards homework. Yet within minutes of the opening, I found myself transfixed by the filmmaking on just about every level. From Chloe Zhao’s thoughtful direction, to Max Richter’s stirring score; from Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal’s powerful leading performances, to a script that builds, in real time, a deeper appreciation for the works of William Shakespeare than any of his works have ever done for me on their own; I knew I was witnessing an all-timer. A brutal all-timer (Shakespeare in Misery is the go to joke title), but an all-timer nonetheless.
The film follows the life and times of Will and Agnes, playwright and mother respectively, chronicling their romance, family life, and personal challenges, including a powerful, all-consuming grief that informed not just their lives, but artistry for centuries beyond their deaths. It’s an astonishing picture, and it’s one I’d recommend to anyone willing to sit with it. But those looking for a passive “I’m doing chores with a movie on in the background” need not apply. Viewers who can give all of themselves to the film will be rewarded exponentially.
The Package:
Hamnet continues the trend of non-boutique releases reintroducing special features into the world of physical media. This release includes a full-length director’s commentary, and three behind the scenes featurettes. These short documentaries are fascinating, if boilerplate, but the commentary track is where it’s at. In it, director Chloe Zhao breaks down her creative process, using instances from production as guiding insights. As a big fan of David Lynch, I was pleased to hear how in tune Zhao is with her own muse, and how, like Lynch, she prefers not to be so married to a filmmaking choice that it cannot be changed by circumstance. She speaks of many choices that came from a change in weather, or a technical mishap. She sees this as the universe offering hints.
“We don’t fight against what’s given to us.”
The commentary track doubles as a therapy session. Thematically, Zhao’s personal views are interwoven with the text of the film. She urges everyone to be open to the lows in life, because those lows give us perspective to experience its great joys. Closing oneself off from loss is a surefire way to guarantee you miss out on the best life has to offer. I watched this commentary for some filmmaking know-how, which I did indeed receive, but I never expected to emerge from it with a new perspective on life itself.
The best bit of filmmaking advice comes from Cinematographer Lukasz Zal, and I provide it to you free of context: If you see a hole in the ground, shoot it. It may be useful.
Family is Forever:
Featurettes like this one have become standard for physical releases looking to pad their special features list. Typically, these take the form of the cast and crew talking about how wonderful it is to work with one another. This one is no different, except that it features Jessie Buckley, who makes everything better.
Cultivating Creativity:
Building off of the commentary track, this featurette goes a bit deeper into Zhao’s filmmaking methods, as well as how her intangible qualities facilitated a warm, creative set. Seeing how much joy and collaboration occurred behind the scenes of a dramatic, emotionally challenging film shatters the myth of “Method.” The proof is in the pudding.
Recreating the Tudor Period:
This featurette covers the painstaking detail that the production/costume designers went into in creating a period accurate setting that also proves to be cinematic. Most notable is the way they were able to bring the legendary Globe Theater back in time to its early days. I love a featurette like this because it highlights the creatives whose faces you never get to see, and whose work is meant to bring life to a project without announcing itself. These folks are the baseline: you tend not to hear it, but when it’s gone everything crumbles.
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audio
English (Dolby ATMOS for feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital5.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles
English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Discs
4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD-100, 1 BD-50)
Digital
Digital 4K
Movies Anywhere
Packaging
Slipcover in original pressing
Playback
4K Blu-ray: Region free
2K Blu-ray: Region A (B, C untested)
