Watching SALTBURN (2023) For The First Time! Movie Reaction and Discussion
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- Hope you enjoyed my reaction to Saltburn
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
2:26 Reaction
45:05 Discussion
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#saltburn #emeraldfennell #moviereaction - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Going in blind vs letting people/internet spoil movies for you hits so different. I’m happy I avoided spoilers and “buildups” before watching.
I wouldn't exactly say I let myself get spoiled, I would have avoided them if I could, there definitely is merit going into things blind, I like to do so if I can but sometimes its unavoidable, esp with having to wait for a streaming release and people are already talking about it. But it is a double edged sword because without hearing some of the hype around it, it might have been a film that passed me by, I was more interested after seeing some of the hype and hearing tid bits of the discourse
True. I watched at the cinema before streaming and had only watched like the first 10 seconds of the trailer. Very fun to discover in real time the movies depravity. It was even more fun because i was in a "silver screening" which is meant for 60+ aged people, so i was watching with loads of shocked elderly people who clearly had no idea what the movie was aswell.
Yep. I had no idea what to expect but I saw Rosamund pike so I gave it a try. Never watched/heard of the actors who play Oliver or Felix
I went in completely blind too & am so happy that I did. These days, whenever there is a film that I want to see, I tend to avoid everything online about it. I first watched on Amazon Prime & loved it so much that I went to watch it again in the cinema the next day. I like Barry Keoghan anyway, so I want to see anything that he is in. Saltburn did not disappoint. I was expecting a love story & ended up with a Gothic fairytale! Amazing!!!
Massive height difference between Oliver vs Felix and Farleigh makes all of the tense scenes with them so effective too
Brilliant casting and helps sell that Felix and Farleigh are related. Tallness just runs in the family. The actress that plays Venetia has a similar chin to Felix. Brilliant casting.
The only time Oliver showed genuine sadness was when he heard of Pamela’s death. I wish she hadn’t died. I would’ve invited her back and given her a permanent room.
i dont think your kindness wouldve afforded you the position to give her a room
You should’ve…invited her, now that she’s eliminated.
This is my fav reaction to Saltburn so far. The class system in England is so interesting.
Really enjoyed your reaction ✨, I actually don't think it's meant to be a social commentary and I'm sad that in some ways that discourse has stopped further analysis on the characters. these are my thoughts about the movie.
To me, it was all about Oliver's obsession with Felix. His plan from the beginning was to get close to Felix, to establish a connection. I do think he loved him in his own obsessive way.
When Oliver enters Oxford he is an outsider, Despite being smart and diligent none of this earns him people attention; Felix is totally the opposite, of course, a significant part of his infatuation with Felix is due to Felix's privileged background. It's this upper-class upbringing that allows Felix to be carefree and charming, to effortlessly gain everyone's affection and love.
Felix is only troubled by the fact that too many people love him, I supposed that's part of the "comfort" he found in Oliver like Venetia said.
Felix's "compassion" is a trait Oliver exploits. This kindness, seemingly pure, also appears condescending, we could say it's "savour complex" observing a human tragedy up close, sighing with both sympathy and satisfaction knowing he can be the hero that saves them, Felix and his mother feed from the lives of the "Unfortunates", they treat them like pets as you said, they dress them, feed them, care for them, but until lose interest just as quickly (Pamela, Oliver even Farleigh).
Oliver knows what type of person Felix would be interested in, knows what role would gain Felix's attention and friendship. So, he holds onto this character tightly, he also knew that Felix wouldn't gave him what he wanted do he found other ways to take it from him (the bathtub, venetia, Farleigh even the grave)
Unfortunately, the moment of rejection came earlier than expected. Felix wanted to help Oliver reconcile with his family, inadvertently exposing the carefully crafted lies.
when Oliver fully understands there's no turning back in his relationship with Felix, that Felix won't forgive him, finds him disgusting, no longer considers him a friend-that's when he made the choice to end Felix. In his mind, he preferred Felix to be d34d than not being able to be with him.
He killed the lover he couldn't keep and replaced him with Saltburn, shifting the focus of his obsession to the only thing he had left to worship: Felix. I think he genuinely regretted killing him, and his way of coping was to live, worship, and own the remaining pieces of Felix's life in Saltburn. To chase his Ghost and live with regret, it's his form of self-punishment.
As emerald said for GQ magazine
"Were there any other endings in mind? “No, no, because I don't really work like that,” Fennell says. In Oliver's perfect world, however, Fennell feels it would've gone quite differently. “I think it's a happy ending, [but] the happiest ending [for Oliver] would of course be with him and Felix married, living there together,” she continues. “I think that in his mind, and in my mind, that would be the dream. That dream is not possible. So, therefore, this is the best of a bad bunch of options.”
I like your comparison between Felix and Elsbeth, how they both have saviour complexes and how Pamela acts as a bit of a warning for Oliver as to what happens when the family has lost interest in you.
I'm inclined to agree that it wasn't the intent to be social commentary but I also believe that all art is inherently political so even if it wasn't her intention there are analyses we can make about class here, especially with the context of Fennell's own upbringing. I can see the film as a critique on the middle class just wanting to move up the system rather than dismantling it being a good premise, if it came from anyone other than Fennell. It feels fearful coming from the upper class, punching down instead of punching up.
I do wonder about that happy ending, if Felix never uncovered the lie, would Oliver actually be satisfied being second fiddle? I think eventually he'd snap there still, as I said in the reaction it's almost impossible to fully become like them unless you're born into it, maybe he'd learn the etiquette around breakfast and such but I think he'd always still be seen as an outsider by the elites and it might still drive him mad. Although that might also be what would continue to make Oliver interesting to Felix
In my opinion, this is a character study film, this is an actor's actor movie the subtly in which Barry changes the character to fit whoever he is opposite of on scream is a sight to behold. Most people say it's an Eat the Rich film but it isn't. I think that just what people want it to be but ultimately it is just a character study of everyone in the film.
@@yourvalentine3726strongly agree. Knowing Emerald Fennels background long before this film and and knowing she is a fan of Get Out, and knows she can never write a movie like Get Out, I wouldn’t expect her to write some sort of dismantle the class system movie. Definitely a character study of a pathological liar and manipulator who finally saw some success with his manipulations. At least for now.
Yes, it is obsession become worship. The hymn played during the funeral service continues during the indecent act on the grave, and this is not an accident.
When it comes to the party costumes, it relates a lot to Shakespeare, the party’s theme. Felix is dressed as Juliet from the movie Romeo + Juliet while Oliver resembles fairies from Midsummer Nights Dream (I’ve heard arguments for Puck and Oberon and I don’t remember enough to agree with one or the other but the ideas are similar in being tricksters that play with the humans).
this movie will now dod a great job helping define "gaslighting" and "batshit crazy".
I loved when he is right there with Felix and his parents and straight up gaslighting "no, I always talked about sisters"
I didn't care much for the movie but I find the discourse around it very interesting. The rigidity of the class system is very different from what I'm used to in the US. There is of course class division, but for the most part it doesn't matter if you're new money or old money, or where it came from, money is money and if you have it, you're in the club.
Michael Gavey reminds me of Owleyes from The Great Gatsby, for some reason. He’s the only character that can see right through Oliver (and Farleigh & Duncan, though Duncan’s imposing seriousness is something more like Mrs Danvers from Rebecca) & his charade in the same way Owleyes was the only real stranger (+ Nick, Jordan and perhaps Tom too, to a lesser extent, although it took him a while to figure out) who saw through Gatsby’s veneer at the party. He knows Oliver is lying about the letters, and then calls him a bootlicker because he knows Oliver is trying to work his way into Felix’s group. Michael literally wears glasses, like he can see Oliver clearly for who he is and was able to understand him because he has a sharp and penetrating gaze. I think that’s interesting because it reveals that Oliver can’t function with honesty; everything - meaning EVERYTHING - must be a lie. Everything about him a fabricated. There’s no truth, no tangibility. He’s not just a chameleon that changes depending on what the person wants to see, he’s a shapeshifter. He’s a moth, a chameleon, a vampire - he can assume all those things because he’s none (or all) of those things. Oliver couldn’t be friends with Michael; he sees all and for an inherently deceptive person like Oliver, that must be unnerving. He tries to lie about getting letters (foreshadowing the lies to his parents about being the best student at Oxford and being popular), but Michael KNOWS he’s lying & Oliver KNOWS that Michael knows he’s lying, and that is not conducive to his deception. Michael’s sight makes him someone Oliver couldn’t prey on & that’s why he left him and latched to a trusting person like Felix. What happened to Felix & his family couldn’t have happened to Michael; he was just too discerning. Very haunting.
Pathological liars are incapable of functioning with honesty. Oliver even lies to himself, saying he protected Felix.
The sparsely attended funeral (though that might have been the family's choice at the moment) also reminded me of Great Gatsby.
Loved the reaction! You're one of my favorite reaction channels, I love your vibe, very calm and refreshing. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Happy new year!!
I really like your reaction! it's the closest one to my own experience watching the film.
The style of the cinematography and the overall aesthetics of the film are much more reminiscent of the Hannibal tv show as well as the general mood and relationships of the characters 'on the edge'. It’s strange that this comparison is mentioned much less often than with TTMR.
Love your reactions and reviews. I was so intrigued to see this one come up!
The twist at the end WAS shocking to me and a lot of other people lol. Just look at the other reaction videos on here.
I knew he was up to something and had some suspicions, but wasn't sure of anything. The reveal pieced it all together.
I loved your reaction! I’m glad you brought up the end when Oliver rolls up his sleeves and crawls up on her bed. I was almost relieved that he ONLY killed her. Aside from you, I haven’t heard anyone comment on the death scene, that Felix was probably meant to look like a fallen angel with the wings. The angle was brilliant. He also resembled a dead bird. So sad. Everyone has been asking what’s wrong with Oliver? Why did he do any of that. The most logical explanation is that he’s a sociopath. He does everything because he CAN and he’s incapable of feeling much empathy or sympathy. Excellent movie, though. Barry Keoghan is my new favorite actor.
I was relieved that Oliver only killed Elspeth too. I was *so scared* when he lowered the hospital bed.
It could also be Icarus, whose father designed the maze to hold the minotaur. And of course the minotaur's origin story is a divine curse and desire gone wrong. When the bird's eye view of the body shows the minotaur's shadow reaching for him, you also see a brief flash of sunlight off the wings like his shortlived flight into the sun.
The question is why that school why Felix..... its obvious thats part of the plan and studying this family came before him starting that university and placing himself in the situation.
I saw the trailer but actually managed to avoid any other spoilers before I watched it. This was thoroughly disturbing but Barry's performance was superb.
I can’t believe you weren’t just blown away by Barry Keoghan. He absolutely broke my heart, & I suspect many other’s as well, (admit it, I saw how your face fell, when Oliver’s true story was revealed) & that’s why Saltburn’s reviews have been all over the place. We related to Oliver, and rooted for him, and every time he “got back” at someone for their insulting remarks to, or about, him we cheered him on. He betrayed us, so it’s like Emerald Fennell betrayed the audience. Frankly, I say “Bravo!”
And Barry Keoghan deserved an Oscar nomination if not the Oscar itself.
BTW, the film is not about class. It is a spoof of the English country house/ Gothic genre. Why is it when a woman makes a film it has to say something??? The Usual Suspects didn’t say anything, and yet it won a couple of Oscars. Maybe it’s just that audiences are too educated and political now, they just don’t know how to sit down & listen to a good fairytale.
That graveyard scene? A nod to Wuthering Heights. And yes, Oliver was really crying not laughing. He wanted Felix and Saltburn, together, but Felix rejected him, so he had to get rid of the one person who he wanted by his side at Saltburn.
I know the social commentary of the film is quite shallow and the ending "twist" was laughably predictable yet played as shocking (i disagree with you that Fennel wasn't trying to play it off as a twist, i think she thought it was a genuine reveal), but i think this film is getting more flack than it deserves. Maybe people are thinking the social commentary was meant to be taken more seriously than it was and are thinking the movie is un-self-aware about its shallowness. I feel like Fennel included the class aspect as more of a joke (simply making fun of rich people), not anything that is meant to be substantive.
Despite its shallowness in parts i think there is still cool symbolism and interesting deconstruction of some archetypes (masochist, sadist and whatever Felix would fall under... Altruist maybe?). Seeing Oliver use each characters personality as a way to manipulate them was interesting.
Just because you insist that it's a twist doesn't mean it's a twist.
@@zach.0 It was meant to be a twist. You are right that it wasn't a twist because everyone understood what was happening before the reveal scene, but Fennel meant for the scene where we get a montage of what Oliver actually did, to be a "twist".
@@askechadd2473 It was already established in the movie beforehand that he was a liar and manipulative. Farleigh's confrontation of Oliver at the party would make no sense if it wasn't already understood that Oliver was responsible for Farleigh being kicked out. The only revelation was that it was planned from the beginning. They were just showing the details of how he did it.
@@zach.0 When you hide information from the audience and then display that information later in the movie over dramatic music, it's because you are trying to make a "twist". Why not show Oliver killing Felix and Venetia when it happened, if not for the purpose of making a shocking reveal at the end?
"The only revelation was that it was planned from the beginning" this is true if you ignore the most important "revelation" which was that Oliver killed Felix and Venetia, which was not established at all and intentionally hidden from the audience so that it could be shockingly revealed at the end. But maybe you think Fennell meant for us to know those things before, which is why she didn't show them until the reveal and didn't allude to him killing either of them until the reveal.
@@askechadd2473 If you were surprised by it, then you can't use your surprise as a defense of it being a twist and then criticize the twist for not being surprising.
5:11 Probably a lot of cliques already imported of kids coming from the same school to Oxford
Felix in the flat tyre has that childlike posture from being used to someone always handling problems for him. You see the same childlike posture sometimes when they're sunning at the manor.
I did a rewatch and I can’t help but wonder if Elspeth didn’t want to die. “Coast is clear now isn’t it” is just a bit on the nose. I wonder if she felt guilt letting a kid in who slaughtered their family and decided that’s what she deserved too. Idk
I think she chose to be in denial so it was easy for James to hide the payoff from her. "I never wanted to know anything." Oliver reminded her of Felix and she shows how she's trapped in the past when she is surprised to see that he aged 15 years like everyone else still alive since then.
This film reminds me of Patricia Highsmith's character Tom Ripley and "The Talented Mr. Ripley.' Nihil sub sole novum.
There is a lot of similarity, although Dickie in the Ripley movie (haven't read the book so can't say) was a more malevolent person than Felix and this sordid life ends up fooling the detective into thinking Ripley was not why Dickie vanished, getting him off the hook even though the detective has ferreted out that Ripley is a con artist.
R U Welsh? Northern? Cheers. American.
Now I think it's near London. (Thoughts becomes "fawts".)
Did Oliver kill Pam in the beginning?
No but her death showed Oliver how Felix’s family reacts to death and tragic events and how they treat their “ toys” .
I think she was killed by her billionaire Russian ex boyfriend who they discussed throwing his ex business associates out of buildings
@@specificsoup Yes. I'm surprised that more people who watched the movie didn't understand that part. I suppose it's possible that she killed herself because she couldn't take living in fear of him anymore.
@@user-os3oe3bi8j Yeah! I think living at Saltburn, a huge place with such security, with people who were so wealthy, made her safer. It seems like she doesn't want to leave because she likes mooching off their wealth, when maybe really it was because she would be unsafe. Whether it was perceived or real danger..
She killed herself. People are always saying about someone who *attempts* suicide, “Oh, they just want attention.”
Your saying "I don't think there is any commentary here" cements my thoughts exactly. This was visually pleasing, the actors were excellent, and I hope to see them all (especially Barry Keoghan, Rosamund Pike) in future projects. But this movie was devoid of any true message.
Does it need a message? I think it was saying that the privileged, those who have had all the obstacles removed in life, are vulnerable to predators. This can be applied to societies as well as people. Be careful to whom you open your door is quite an important message. They can destroy everything you hold dear.
@@TomRipley7350 Wealthy people live in a bubble and have security, private flights, vacations, etc...Oliver was an outsider and would've immediately been seen as a leech.
@@sarahwhite4906 Apparently not. Elspeth wouldn’t have invited him back to Saltburn if she regarded him as a leech. She willingly signed over the estate to him.
@@TomRipley7350 Yes, he managed in a short time to get her very emotionally dependent on him in a way that her children's deaths not only don't turn her against Oliver, but actually make her clingier.
The movie is pretty unbelievable but fine. I would have ended the movie with Duncan the butler talking to investigators.
Have you heard of Lori Vallow?
We don't see the aftermath of Elspeth's death as the movie ends with the dance and whether they accused Oliver because they found the tube torn out. But it's clear from James' response to losing his child that he prioritizes silencing talk about the family and tabloid coverage. Checks to make it all go away. Emerald said that Saltburn has this sort of power to avoid reality and that Oliver has inherited that as he did the estate.