“Hamnet” co-editor Affonso Gonçalves was in a unique position when he started work on the film.
Director Chloé Zhao had already completed the first cut. “I came in, I watched the first cut, and because Chloé was away at that time, I watched all the footage, and I kept watching all the footage,” Gonçalves says. He began to rearrange and refine some scenes. He says, “The one thing we agreed on, if possible, was to bring more of the family into it.”
Based on Maggie O’ Farrell’s book, the film follows William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), who is in the midst of writing his latest play. He finds love with Agnes (Jessie Buckley) but also experiences grief when his young son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), succumbs to the plague. The story of love, loss and grief lead to him writing his tragedy “Hamlet.”
Zhao and Gonçalves discuss the editing.
How did that death scene come together?
Gonçalves: That scene is so much about the actors and how they connect with each other. The cast was a gift because they were amazing, and Chloé was so great with them. But we always talked about the intention of the scene.
So much of that is about Jacobi’s performance. What did you tell him?
Zhao: When I auditioned them, I put them through some intense scenarios. I brought them into the room and said, “Here’s the situation: We don’t know the script or anything. You’re twins. One of you is about to die. You’re very ill. You come in, you find her like that, and you try to help her. Go out there, look for your mom. You come back, and then you’re going to try to make a decision to give your life to her, and then you’re going to breathe together.” I yelled, “Action!” and they just started going.
My job is to make sure they feel comfortable on set, surrounded by actors, cameras and all of that, and if anything, feel even more embodied than they were. There’s a fearlessness to connect, an ability to be present. That’s what you look for in both child and adult actors.
How are you cutting that scene, and what conversations did you have about whether to use Max Richter’s score or not?
Zhao: We were very aligned in terms of whether music should be there. A vibration of sorts is what we were looking for — this primordial force coming toward his children. Johnnie Burn, the sound designer, did a lot.
Buckley’s scream is such a powerful moment. What was that like on the page, and what was it like directing that sequence?
Zhao: I think I used Maggie’s description. She wrote, “Death is violent. Death is something, and everyone is trying to go down.” It’s simple in the script — a small paragraph. I knew that moment was going to be discovered on set. By the time we were filming that scene, the cast and crew had such a strong ecosystem going. On the day, it felt very ceremonial. Everyone was bringing some kind of loss they had experienced to the set, and you could feel the collective energy. I didn’t really have to do much. After a couple of takes, we moved into more handheld shots, and that was the first time Jessie’s scream came out. When it happened, I was like, “This is it. We’ve got to use this.”
Gonçalves: There was more around it. I think Chloé and I kept simplifying it. We cut around the moment to give more focus to Jessie beforehand, but it felt wrong. It was always about how to simplify it because once you have that scream, you don’t need anything else.
Zhao: We also had more coverage of other characters in that moment when he dies, showing their reactions.
You were pretty much in agreement as you edited, but was there a scene in the film where you didn’t share the same opinion?
Gonçalves: My close-up?
Zhao: We didn’t need it. And Focus Features was like, “We don’t want it.” And I agreed that we didn’t need it.
Gonçalves: It’s the moment when William says, “I’m going back to London.” She swings at him, and she leaves, and then he stands by himself. I added a close-up of him after she leaves, and he’s just standing there by himself. I felt like it was important to that moment. I loved that moment. I loved what Paul was doing.
Zhao: It doesn’t happen often. When we disagree on something significant, I spend a bit more time with the footage, so whatever Affonso says, I’m usually receptive to it. I’ll take things out, even at the very last minute. But for the most part, I don’t say no.
Gonçalves: That was the only time. Chloé did the first pass by herself, and she said to me, “Don’t watch anything. I want you to come in fresh and watch the very first cut.” And that’s what I did. I came in, I watched the first cut, and because Chloé was away at that time, I watched all the footage. I kept watching all the footage. I knew all the footage, and from that point on, we could have a dialogue. I moved some things around. We cut some scenes. Early on, the one thing we agreed on was to bring some levity to the head of the scene, if possible, and to bring more of the family and Joe’s character into it.
Zhao: One thing I’m not good at is deciding which coverage to use when you have shots of people around the table, and there’s footage of everyone’s performance. I’m just like, “I don’t know who to go to first.”
Gonçalves: She’s an amazing editor. She can pick a performance like no one else can. It’s so precise. And I think that’s another reason why we work so well together — it’s that skill of an editor. It’s a very refined process. But sometimes you don’t know when something will click.
Zhao: I struggle with figuring out how to get her from here to there. I’m fearless in some ways, but I don’t always know how to navigate certain decisions.
This interview has been edited and condensed.