‘May December’ Director Todd Haynes Breaks Down the Film’s Use of Mirrors to Reinforce Key Themes | How I Did It

Presented by Netflix, the filmmaker, cinematographer and writer of the drama explain how they captured visual tension between characters

Mirrors play a key role in acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes’ latest film “May December,” and the “Carol” and “Far From Heaven” director worked closely with his cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt to visually emphasize the drama’s themes of watching and being seen.

“May December” stars Julianne Moore and Charles Melton are a couple grappling with their tabloid-covered past when an actress, played by Natalie Portman, shows up to research a role.

“It doesn’t redeem either of these women, they’re always in this tension,” Haynes said of the film’s approach to the central relationships in TheWrap’s How I Did It presented by Netflix. The director said he wanted to drill down the way the two women at the center of the story are mirroring each other through the use of mirrors and direct address, in which characters speak directly to the camera.

Comments

One response to “‘May December’ Director Todd Haynes Breaks Down the Film’s Use of Mirrors to Reinforce Key Themes | How I Did It”

  1. A.L. Hern Avatar
    A.L. Hern

    “Haynes said his initial idea for the shot was much simpler, but it evolved from there. The performers are surrounded by mirrors and the camera had to be positioned just right so it wouldn’t catch any errant reflections of the set or crew. It was one of the most complicated scenes in the entire shoot and Blauvelt said it was a true team effort to nail it.”

    Maybe Haynes should’ve called the film The Ladies from Shanghai.

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