Film Discussion: Hamnet, Reimagining Our Most Famous Bard

Discuss the Oscar-nominated film Hamnet (2025) by Chloe Zhao and starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. How does this visually imagined film, based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell about the fictionalized life of William Shakespeare, help us to understand the Bard of Avon? How might this film shed light on new paths to interpret Shakespeare’s works, especially Hamlet? Discussion will also touch on the earlier films of Chloe Zhao, such as Nomadland (2020), The Rider (2017), and Songs My Brother Taught Me (2025). The film must be viewed prior to class. Suggested but not required readings are the novel Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell and the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Other short readings will be sent prior to the class.