Interview with... The Last Thing Mary Saw director, Edoardo Vitaletti

“I think there isn’t necessarily a lot happening, but because there isn’t a lot that's happening outwardly, it makes you wonder what's going on”, says Edoardo Vitaletti of the 19th century Vilhelm Hammershoi paintings he admires. I can see how these quiet, reflective pieces have informed his first feature film - The Last Thing Mary Saw. This is a slow-burning film, lit by candles that illuminate the faces of the cast as the circumstances surrounding a murder and an illicit affair are investigated.

I spoke to Edoardo on Zoom, and there is none of this quiet gloominess in his bright apartment, with his friendly cat making frequent appearances. There is a reason for this, “I think for the first half of this shoot I was very self serious and I think when you’re tackling themes and topics and a storyline that is very dark and serious you kind of want to be on the same wavelength” he admits, but “I think I became the director who loves to enjoy the moment a little bit, I think you need to let go of the self seriousness and get off the pedestal and find some wonder in what you’re doing, cause hell we’re making a movie - it’s so fun!” 

The Last Thing Mary Saw stars Isabelle Furhman (The Hunger Games) and Stefanie Scott (Beautiful Boy) as lovers determined to be together, despite their ultra-religious circumstances. Choosing to centre queer characters was important to Edoardo, “it still feels to me that there haven’t been enough steps taken to stop regulating queer characters to a sphere of otherness and it is something that the religion that I grew up being a part of does on a constant basis”, he speaks about this sheltered Catholic upbringing, where he was, “not exposed to learning about identity and queerness”. This feeling of over-protection runs through the film; Eleanor and Mary are always being observed, often only to the viewer’s knowledge. In some ways, we become a part of this game of eavesdropping, and I ask Edoardo what message he might want viewers to take from the experience. “ I think Christianity and Catholicism, so many times they kind of get away with murder being taught as philosophies of inclusivity, but I think they exclude”, he shares, “I think that is the message I want people to hopefully take from the story - that there is a lot of exclusion happening, that no matter how much you speak about love you have to also put it into practise”.”

Although the film is influenced by Edoardo’s past, it is set in the historical period of 19th century New York. “I always wanted to make a genre piece that was as drama leaning as possible. I do think that when I’m writing I naturally go into that direction.” explains Edoardo. The film is exquisitely lit by cinematographer David Kruta as faces are haunted from beneath by candle light, and when it’s dark, it is really dark. “I think we supplemented the candles in a couple of scenes but really we were trying to go for as much natural light as possible, because you know after sundown in the 1800s, unless you have a candle you can’t see anything.” Edoardo explains, and admits this use of authentic lighting had additional benefits for the production of the film, “I think it is something that allowed us to really slip into that atmosphere much more easily, cause when you actually see that you only have a candle to see, there are dark corners - performance-wise it helps. Performance is very physical so seeing little light and being shrouded in darkness really does help everything and everybody.” The performances in The Last Thing Mary Saw are certainly physical.

Much of the film's most shocking scenes use body horror, in the form of physical punishment. In fact, bodies and their expressions are used much more than dialogue throughout the film, especially in its climax. Eduardo says this was intentional- “[Silence] was also part of the plan. I always wrote the script with a lot of unspoken lines. My actors and I had a great time collaborating on that because acting is such a physical medium when you take the line away from the scene you’re just left having your eyes and mouth and your face having to say something”. 

Edoardo seems very certain of all his decisions for the film, and so I ask if anything scared him about creating his first feature film. “Everything was scary. Everything about stepping on set on the first day and every day after that is scary” he jokes, but he shares his secret, “I think more than confidence it's just about accepting that perfection doesn’t exist”. For such a young filmmaker, Edoardo seems to have a wise attitude. His first feature film has been reviewed by publications such as the Guardian  and The New York Times, and currently boasts a 69% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s no surprise then, that he has more in the works - “I am working on a couple of different things, the next thing will probably be in the same vein, another period piece”.

There is a possibility of the Italian American director landing in Britain as well, “I dream of moving to the English countryside!” says Edoardo, “I would love to shoot something in England, I love historical films and Europe has history and the US doesn't have history, so hopefully.” Wherever he ends up next, it is worth keeping an eye on this promising director. 

The Last Thing Mary Saw is available to stream with subscription on Shudder.