The camera gently swoops through the woods in the opening moments of Chloé Zhao before it discovers Jessie Buckley’s Agnes taking refuge under a tree. She’s curled up under the safety of the branches with her eyes close, the wind rustling her hair and the air filling her lung. Belonging to the physical sensation of the earth was important to costume designer Malgosia Turzanska for a tale of love and grief. The costuming feels like it originates in blood and flesh.
Turzanska and I begin our conversation about one of her other recent projects, Prime’s Expats, because it feels so different from her work on Zhao’s film. In that limited series, we could chart how Nicole Kidman or Sarayu Blue’s characters purchased their clothes or assembled a closet, but with Hamnet, she relied on the rumblings of emotions and worked outward.
Buckley’s Agnes is mostly seen in red, but I was mostly curious about the first time that we see her giving birth. She’s surrounded by the brilliant greens of the woods, but the camera captures her leaning her weight on the trees as her screams look heavenward. The smock she is wearing is simple but Turzanska wanted something that felt different from her everyday garb. It almost feels like the earth attaches itselt to Agnes’ feet, and, with every step, she moves herself forward.
Turzanska’s work on Zhao’s film becomes more detailed the more you dissect how it belongs to the ground we walk on. It’s not unlike how we interpret and re-interpret the works of William Shakespeare’s words. We constantly discover new things to appreciate and hold wonder in. It connects your heart and your mind.
Hamnet is in theaters now, but you can also rent and purchase the film across multiple platforms.
