The Cinematic World of “Hamnet” – Adapting an Emotionally Complex Novel through Visual Language

Oscars 2026

by Mascha DeikovaMarch 11^th, 2026

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Hamnet, Hamnet, Hamnet… I cannot remember when I’ve cried so hard in the cinema. Lingering between history and fiction, this adaptation of the award-winning novel Hamnet explores the emotional world surrounding William Shakespeare and his family. Director Chloé Zhao and cinematographer Łukasz Żal approach the story through a visual language that is both metaphorical and deliberately raw. Let’s take a closer look at how the film’s imagery builds a human connection to the legendary playwright.

“Hamnet” is an intimate period drama based on the celebrated novel by Maggie O’Farrell. It explores the relationship between Agnes Hathaway, played by Jessie Buckley, and William Shakespeare, played by Paul Mescal, as well as their transformation after the tragic death of their son Hamnet. The story also connects to Shakespeare’s classic play “Hamlet,” which emerged from his attempt to cope with devastating grief. The film received significant critical acclaim and eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Jessie Buckley, and Best Casting for Nina Gold in the recently added category. Although “Hamnet’s” cinematography didn’t get the Academy nod, it was truly mesmerizing and impactful, so we just have to talk about it. Are you in?

World of “Hamnet” – adapting the novel

Together, Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao adapted the novel into a screenplay. In one of the interviews, Maggie admits it was a very unusual experience for her. She compares the process to the shape of an hourglass. Imagine that you take a large story structure, and then reduce it down to the “bare bones” of a 90-page screenplay:

And then you have to trust the director, and the cinematographer, and the actors, to build it up again into this other new entity – to put all the detail and nuance and emotion back.

From Chloé’s previous films, like “Nomadland,” we know that she likes to improvise and follow her instinct. This was no different on “Hamnet.” Even during filming, she would sometimes turn to Maggie O’Farrell and ask her to write a new line that sounded as if it came from the 16th century, adjusting the dialogue to shift the meaning of a scene. Chloé also gives the actors a great deal of space and respects where the story is taking them. In my opinion, this is almost a superpower and exactly what helps create an emotional connection to the story of a family that lived centuries ago. That’s not the only tool at work, though.

Building the imperfect cinematic world for “Hamnet”

This is the first collaborative project for director Chloé Zhao and DP Łukasz Żal (whose last film, “The Zone of Interest,” earned the Academy Award for Best International Feature). When Chloé approached Łukasz about collaborating on the film, there wasn’t even a written script yet. Still, he read the novel and immediately knew he wanted to be part of the project. The story felt deeply human and personal, yet at the same time universal. It didn’t feel like other films about William Shakespeare, whether documentary or fiction. In the dedicated episode of “The ASC Clubhouse Conversation,” Łukasz shared the references that he and Chloé exchanged in the early pre-pro, as well as the thoughts they began to develop for building the cinematic world of “Hamnet.”

Both for Chloé and Łukasz, it was important to capture the present: the fleeting moments of life, the feelings, the wind, the sun. One of their biggest inspirations was the legendary Soviet director and screenwriter Andrei Tarkovsky, for his mastery in encapsulating time and space, and his distinctive camera movement. They also looked at other important Russian directors like Aleksei German. Łukasz particularly liked that in their films, not everything is perfect. Sometimes the camera arrives a little too late and falls slightly out of sync with the acting, the framing misses small details, or the staging is not entirely precise. Coming from a documentary background, Łukasz believes that this kind of imperfection is what makes the film feel less like a film and more like fragments of real life. Their main visual approach was therefore to build a world and then move freely within it, almost documentary style, remaining open to whatever might happen. As a cinematographer, Łukasz did not want the camera to feel flashy or overly beautiful. Instead, he wanted to keep it simple and modest, letting it reflect different points of view, a thought we will return to in a moment.

What does “imperfect” mean?

The creators of “Hamnet” indeed stayed true to this approach of imperfection and of capturing the present. Although many frames in the film feel like artful paintings, there is also a strong sense that the filmmakers do not intend to show everything in the most flattering light. Sometimes characters leave the frame too early, and we only hear them from off-screen. At other moments, the action shifts the composition, yet the camera does not follow. In one intense dialogue scene, William prepares to leave for London again while Agnes tries to stop him. As he attempts to calm her, the struggle becomes so chaotic that they both end up under the table, with only parts of their heads visible. There is no pick up, no close up, no additional angle showing their faces, nothing that interrupts the feeling that the moment is simply unfolding in front of us.

The tableau approach

As additional references, Łukasz Żal mentioned Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese filmmaking master, and Jean-Luc Godard, a pioneer of the French New Wave. Speaking about Kurosawa, he and Chloé admired the way he worked with elements that unified the entire scene. From Godard, they drew inspiration from the idea of tableaus in composition. In simple terms, a tableau is an image that resembles a living painting, where the essence of an event is captured in a single visual moment. They did not want to rely on this approach too often, but rather to build the cinematic world of “Hamnet” from fragments, like a mosaic of different images. As Łukasz put it, in such a mosaic, the off space becomes just as important as what we actually see within the frame.

Another important aspect for Łukasz was combining two different perspectives through two distinct camera styles. The first was a subjective camera, staying close to the characters and deeply intertwined with their emotions and everything they experience. And then there was a second camera perspective, which he called “the death point-of-view.” Set in the corner of the room, or high up, like a CCTV, it just observed the actions and events, as if “death” were observing them. We can see such an angle in the still above – the last time William sees and hugs his son, Hamnet.

The forest as a character

The forest also plays an essential role in this film. Not only because, according to the story, Agnes felt a strong connection to it and wanted to bear all her children there. No. Chloé and Łukasz wanted the forest sequences to feel raw and authentic because it was a symbol of the life and death cycle to them. Sometimes sunny and beautiful, other times wet and dirty, with green grass growing and dead leaves falling, it visually represented the film’s main idea and created a sense of interconnectedness.

Finding inspiration for building “Hamnet’s” world

Łukasz recalls that while they were still in pre-production, Chloé called him and invited him to come to Great Britain to shoot some tests in the forest together. They took a camera and spent 4 days there, exploring and filming with no rush or pressure. Chloé would put on the music by Max Richter (who composed the soundtrack for “Hamnet”), and they just let the melodies and the surroundings affect and inspire them. This is also when they found black holes, or as Łukasz calls them, “voids,” that later became a powerful visual metaphor in the film.

Overall, it was a very insightful journey for the filmmakers. After that, they knew they wanted to portray the forest as a living character and, at the same time, convey our deep human connection to nature. We are part of the cycle. We are born, and we die. Nothing lasts forever. Death is watching us. Yet once we accept that this is how things are, and how they have always been, a quiet sense of peace can emerge, much like the feeling you get when standing in a forest, watching the trees, the wind, and the sky.

Contrasting worlds of William and Agnes in “Hamnet”

The forest is Agnes’s space in the film. This is where she feels at home. There is air, light, movement, life – compared to the interiors, which, in Łukasz’s words, “are a bit dead.”

William, on the other hand, is a man of words, trapped in his head. He lives in a house full of divisions, geometrical structures, pressed by a low ceiling. So, in the film’s visuals, the creators of “Hamnet” sought to reflect the difference between the characters. We can notice this in the very first scene, where Agnes and William meet. He is stuck tutoring children in a dark, cramped space, while she is completely in her element outside.

Camera choices on “Hamnet”

At the beginning, Łukasz Żal thought of the 4:3 aspect ratio, but after some discussion, they settled on 16:9. First, because it is a classic format, less noticeable to the eye, so it wouldn’t distract from the story. (Remember, we mentioned his approach of a “modest” camera?) Second, the wider aspect ratio felt more spacious, and that was important for the forest sequences.

In general, they tried to avoid complicated gear and any electronic systems between the camera and the operator. The idea was to stay prepared while remaining flexible, observational, and open to new ideas, something that often emerged during rehearsals. Large pieces of equipment could also disrupt the atmosphere they were trying to create on set. For example, in the Globe Theater scene, they initially used a technocrane, which allowed for faster setup changes. However, it was ruining the authentic feel for the crew, actors, and extras. Thus, they quickly got rid of it.

Regarding the camera, filmmakers decided to shoot digitally on an ARRI ALEXA 35. This approach was especially beneficial for filming night scenes lit with real candles. At the same time, they could view the scenes instantly on a high-resolution monitor. As for the lenses, they chose Zeiss Super Speed for a soft, honest look and paired them with standard speeds and Zeiss Master Primes for the darker sequences. Apart from that, in the London exterior shots, Łukasz sometimes used an Angénieux Optimo zoom lens to create a slightly restricted sense of perception within the city.

Production design and time travel in “Hamnet’s” world

To achieve this level of authentic storytelling, they had to film on location. During pre-production, they searched for houses and landscapes that could genuinely evoke the 16th century. Interestingly, the original Hathaway cottage still stands in Stratford and has belonged to the family for 13 generations. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction.

However, for filmmakers, Stratford seemed too modern, so they set out to find something more 16th-century-like. Chloé Zhao was not only after a picturesque backdrop. She wanted to find a place with real spirit. And so they did! Just 90 minutes west of Stratford, in Weobley village, they found striking black and white timber-framed houses, the signature architecture of Shakespeare’s days

Production designer Fiona Crombie and her team built additional facades. They also dressed and painted existing storefronts and covered the roads in dirt. So, at the time of the shoot, the village looked just like it might have over 400 years ago. Here is a great peek behind other locations, if you want to dive into this topic further. The important part is that the creators of the film did everything they could to create a real, tangible atmosphere on set. Which, in turn, made this story real and emotional.

What do you think of this approach to the visuals and the entire filming process? Have you seen “Hamnet”? If so, what did you feel while watching? How would you describe the cinematic world of “Hamnet”? Let’s continue in the comments below!

Feature image: a film still from “Hamnet” by Chloé Zhao, 2025.