Described as jaw-dropping and silencing, Emerald Fennell’s latest thriller ‘Saltburn’ has left audiences with mixed reactions.
The film follows Oliver Quick, played by Barry Keoghan, who becomes obsessed with his Oxford University classmate, Felix Catton, played by Jacob Elordi. Although the high-profile cast boosted viewership, it also caused many to lose grasp on the content of the film.
Senior Chloee Simmons was left dumbfounded by the movie. “I walked out of the theater in silence. Yet, without giving any spoilers – the infamous bathtub and grave scenes were watered down by how well-known the actors were. I think the scenes would have been more unpleasant if I didn’t know who the actors were,” she explained.
Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All” had a similar effect, having cast Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell. Though the film was a cannibalistic love story, fans overlooked the disturbing plotline because of their love of the actor.
Keoghan did a magnificent job portraying the nuances and complexities of his character. Depicted as an enigmatic character, Keoghan’s portrayal of Oliver Quick is exceptional. His Oscar-nominated part in “The Banshees of Inisherin” and his role as an antagonist in “Killing of a Sacred Deer,” prepared him well for the role. From the start of the film, it is hard to decipher Quick’s intentions or emotions.
Saltburn’s aesthetics, acting and writing style beautifully satirize the absurdity of British wealth. Fennell took seemingly disturbing themes and transformed them into something unique and mesmerizing.
Exploring the reality of impossible beauty, the film focuses on the desire to obtain the impractical. Keoghan’s character shows the dark side of human nature, as he attempts to take everything from the Catton family: love, wealth, and everything in between. The message of “Saltburn” is not supposed to be clear-cut. Fennel explained that she wanted people to leave the theater not knowing what it was exactly that they saw.
Mixed audience reviews produced almost the same amount of 1 star and 5 star ratings and left the movie with a 72% rotten tomato rating. Some critics believe the movie is simply aesthetic with empty provocations. Others were left dumbfounded at the disturbing scenes within the homoerotic storyline, highlighting that they were unneeded.
Senior Sofie Mousing Hansen had different thoughts. “It is very clear a woman directed the film. The sexualization of the male characters is the same as how women are depicted in countless movies. “Saltburn” made [male audiences] more uncomfortable than [female audiences].”
A female is 4 times more likely to be shown nude in movies than their male counterparts. But, men are not accustomed to being sexualized the same way as women. “‘Saltburn’s plot began to shift gears as soon as Quick drank that bathwater. Although it makes everyone uneasy at first, it would be far more accepted if it was a girl who did it.” Mousing Hansen continued.
Despite mixed reviews, “Saltburn” is a film full of risk and revolutionary artistry, inevitably making it a future cult-classic.
