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

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.