'May December' was planned in black and white—here's what changed
In a recent interview with The Film Stage, cinematographer Ed Lachman revealed that Todd Haynes's May December was initially supposed to be shot in black and white. The stylistic choice was a tribute to Ingmar Bergman's Persona. "Todd and I discussed a totally different conceptual idea—more like Persona—and then he wasn't able to shoot it in black-and-white, I guess, by that time," Lachman stated. The film stars Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore.
Lachman's exit led to change in 'May December' visual style
Lachman was forced to leave the project due to a hip injury, ending his contribution to the film's visual narrative. This prompted Haynes to rethink his original plan of shooting May December in black and white. "So he had other ideas of how he wanted to shoot it. But, you know, I wasn't part of that at that point," Lachman added.
Christopher Blauvelt replaced Lachman in 'May December'
After Lachman's exit, Christopher Blauvelt stepped in as the new cinematographer for May December. This was a major shift in the film's visual style from its original concept. Despite the changes, the film has been well-received and received rave reviews from critics worldwide. May December dives into the life of a Hollywood actor (Portman), who visits Maine's coast to study a controversial woman she is to play in a film. The character is portrayed by Moore.
