Director Chloe Zhao’s Academy Award-winning historical drama, released late last year, moves to the ultra-high definition format for home theater viewers to immerse themselves in the life and loss of a celebrated author and his true loves in Hamnet: Collector’s Edition (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, 126 minutes, $32.98).
Based on the 2020 novel from Maggie O’Farrell, Ms. Zhao and Ms. O’Farrell co-wrote the screenplay that takes viewers back to late 16th-century England to introduce tutor and fledgling playwright William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) still living with his mommy and daddy while paying off debt.
Enter Agnes, the daughter of a forest witch. Jessie Buckley took home the Oscar for her performance as Agnes, who immediately mesmerizes William, and they quickly fall in love.
Agnes gets pregnant, gets disowned by her family, and she marries William and moves in with his clan to raise their daughter, Susanna, and eventually the twins, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and Judith (Olivia Lynes).
With the encouragement of his wife and her brother, William moves to London to focus on his writing and stage productions, and his career begins to flourish.
However, the combination of the couple living apart for extended periods and the impending plague set to ravage England delivers almost life-crushing events that will change their family forever and test the bonds of their love — but will also allow William to write one of his most famous plays.
Ms. Zhao’s fictional exploration of Shakespeare’s household absolutely immerses viewers into the challenges tied to daily life in the Elizabethan era and pulls no punches on the toll it takes to survive.
The performances throughout are emotionally drenching, led by Ms. Buckley, Mr. Mescal and acting savant Jacobi (a 12-year-old boy going on 40), who can all instinctively carry scenes to the point of making audience members openly weep on demand.
Their characters maneuver through the joys of family and the heartbreak of loss while demonstrating the enduring creativity of the human spirit.
4K in action: This screen-filling, richly detailed and saturated visual immersion into the period grabs the eyes immediately in an opening scene with Agnes in a red dress standing out amid dense shades of green flora and fauna and rich brown soil.
Continuing throughout, all outdoor scenes offer a very natural and organic, sometimes wistful, appearance with a preponderance of glistening leaves and reflecting ponds that invoke the spirit of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The often dimly lit indoors are revealed within an amber glow, highlighted at night by an abundance of candlelight or an active fire in the fireplace. Contrast that with the more orangish palettes of an aggressive fire in an outdoor scene where the people burn bodies who died from the plague.
Ms. Zhao and cinematographer Lukasz Zal are also not afraid of lengthy static camera shots that just slightly pan to reveal the action that allows viewers to meticulously examine the miserable living conditions, interiors of rooms with intricate wooden construction, walls with painted patterns and furniture.
Equally impressive to the eyes is the recreation of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare brought his plays to life, that offers a well-rounded look at the open-air, multilevel arena featuring painted forest backdrops on stage and an array of finely detailed backstage props.
That scene, one of the most emotional of the film, also allows the best chance to view the wide variety of costuming as well as the actors’ garb, spotlighted by Shakespeare wearing caked white makeup on his entire body to portray Hamlet’s ghostly father.
Best extras: Let’s start with an always-welcome optional commentary offering a solo track with the director. Since she had a hand in editing the film and writing the script, Ms. Zhao has the absolute best insight to explore her masterpiece both technically and philosophically.
She covers comparing the script to the book; changes to the script; actors working on bonding with one another (she refers to as archetypal connections); the production design; the visual language of her camera shot choices; costuming (believing colors can tell stories); the themes of the heart; working with young actors; and a well-rounded overview of her vision.
Next, viewers get three short featurettes that cover 7 minutes on the actors’ thoughts about portraying members of the Shakespeare family and the chemistry between Ms. Buckley and Mr. Mescal, 5 minutes on crafting the screenplay and working with the director, and a 10-minute look at the detailed set decoration and costuming with a focus on building the Globe Theatre set.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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