Fennell's Saltburn: A British 'Dreamland' Bound for Hollywood Impact
In a discussion following a recent screening at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, Emerald Fennell dispensed a narrative morsel about her latest film, Saltburn, stating that it could have been "easily set in Hollywood." Fennell, celebrated for her Oscar Best Picture-nominated and Best Screenplay-winning film, Promising Young Woman, unveils geographically distant yet thematically familiar terrain tucked within the elitist British upper rungs.
Saltburn delves into the life of Oliver, a character portrayed by Barry Keoghan, an Oxford University student who finds an unlikely friend in Felix, an aristocratic figure brought to life by Jacob Elordi. Felix and his idiosyncratic lifestyle pull Oliver into the labyrinth of Britain's upper crest during a visit to Felix's sprawling family estate. The film introduces us to Felix's parents, played by Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant, his sardonic cousin, portrayed by Archie Madekwe, and his rebellious sister, personified by Alison Oliver. Fennell also rejoins hands with Promising Young Woman's star Carey Mulligan, who makes a brief yet memorable appearance as an unbalanced guest.
The thread that stitches Saltburn and Hollywood together, as Fennell observes, is the central character's evasion from reality, a phenomenon frequently experienced by ambitious dreamers. Oliver, who strived endlessly to join Oxford, believed that the esteemed university would be a portal to acceptance and a substantial life. However, upon his arrival, he remains an outclassed spectator among the effortless hippies. Embroiled in this upper-class chaotica, his long-valued victories feel meaningless, thus echoing Fennell's line - "All of the stuff he thought that was worthwhile, it's all a trick."
Reflecting the early 2000s, wherein the narrative is rooted, the costume becomes a noteworthy aspect. Sophie Canale, the film's costume designer, accentuated the era's essence by incorporating the layering of two polo shirts for Elordi's character. The film, according to Fennell, can be seen as a "vampire film," metaphorically speaking, as it delves into an outsider's efforts to absorb the life he covets. She references Caravaggio's art as an influence, emphasizing the need for beauty when stylizing fetishization of the same.
Fennell, despite basking in praises for her script, refrained from commenting due to the ongoing writer's strike, expressing solidarity with the Writers Guild of America. Saltburn finds its way into U.S. theaters from November 24th.
Dipping into the op-ed section of this article,
Who knew that hierarchy, polo shirts, and vampiric metaphors could amalgamate to reflect such a relatable state of human longing? Yes, dear reader, if 'Saltburn' was a drink, it would certainly be a hot toddy - seemingly simple yet nuanced, and comfortably warming yet searingly honest, just like those Oxford-educated-artfully-louche-posh kids.
Sprinkling her cinematic magic, Emerald Fennell manages to, yet again, invite us to a visual banquet where each morsel is flavored with relatable themes of belongingness, and garnished with the timeless throbs of frenzied ambitions. The leading character's journey to coveted destinations only to be "deceived" lends a Shakespearean touch - that all the world's a stage, or shall we say, all of Oxford's a mirage?
And fittingly enough, Fennell's reel world neatly crosses over to the unfinished theatrical production - real life. Fennell's stand on the ongoing writers' strike gives the whole picture a larger-than-life backdrop. It screams - Art and artists, just like Oliver, demand to fit in, to be seen, heard, and valued. So, as 'Saltburn' readies itself for the reel world, let's raise our glasses of hot toddy and toast to this cinema of "fetishized beauty," and hope - to quote Fennell herself - they "kick their f***ing asses" in the real world too.
