The provocative Saltburn has already arrived on Prime Video and, despite the film having brilliant cinematography and acting, the psychological thriller fails to convince audiences
Salt burnera film that premiered last Friday (22nd) at Amazon Prime Video, is a psychological thriller that arrived full of enthusiasm on the streaming. Presented at the Telluride Film Festival and distributed in limited theaters, Emerald Fennell’s feature film (Nice revenge) became the subject of controversy already at its first screenings thanks to some shocking scenes in its plot.
Present at various moments in history, these the scenes feature full-frontal nudity and unusual sexual moments — which includes a character scrubbing herself in a grave in the cemetery and, at another point, smearing menstrual blood on her face. Images which, although arousing strangeness in the public and arousing different types of emotions, do not appear freely in the story and are only one of the many elements of the film.
Just like the photography, the colors, the eccentricity or even the performances of Salt burner, the film’s sex and nudity scenes are just another component of its story. An important aspect of the plot, but which becomes a grain of sand compared to many other things that can be said about the feature film.
A story about obsession, seduction and lust
Salt burner tells the story of Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), an introspective boy, who begins studying on a scholarship at Oxford University. There he becomes close to Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), a young millionaire who sympathizes not only with his financial situation, but also with the past of Oliver, who comes from a family destroyed by addiction and mental problems.
Although they come from very different backgrounds, Felix and Oliver become very close over the course of the year, and when Quick’s mentally unstable father dies, Felix decides to invite his friend to spend the holidays at Saltburn, his family’s luxurious and eccentric estate. family.
Colorful and exuberant, Saltburn is practically another character in the film. In addition to being the stage for much of the narrative, the Cattons’ stately estate reflects the snobbery of the family, who live surrounded by plays, historical paintings, and idyllic landscapes, but have little interest in their surroundings.
Felix’s parents, played by Richard E. Grant and Rosamund Pike – as well as his sister Venetia (Alison Oliver) and his cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe) – are eccentric figures completely detached from reality. Introduced to “poor Oliver”, the son’s miserable and lonely friend, they are shamelessly invasive and condescending, driven by their parallel reality.
Despite all this, Oliver manages to fit into this scenario quite masterfully, proving himself to be a polite, cultured person and ready to listen to the other characters. A magnetism that grows more and more as the summer progresses and certain victims begin to occur in Saltburn.
Trying to justify the unjustifiable
It is as it heads towards this turning point, in which a major tragedy changes the tone of Saltburn’s narrative, that the film stumbles and loses some of the audience’s attention.
Although the film makes an effort to show that the protagonist is much loved by his family (with the exception, of course, of Farleigh), it is difficult to believe that Oliver could, from one day to the next, exercise such great persuasive power over him. the Cattons.
Not even the photography and the numerous visual suggestions of the film, which at times try to sell this idea, are enough to explain the boy’s fascination, especially towards the women of the family.
There is such a sudden change in the narrative that it feels like part of the film has been cut. The part that, ironically, would explain the protagonist’s magnetism over the other characters, who, although affected and influenceable, seem too naive for someone with so much money.
A film with brilliant performances
So, when the moments of greatest tension arrive Salt burner no matter how provocative and grandiose they are, there’s a strange sense that we don’t really know how we got there. There is a disconnect between the two parts of the film which, while interesting separately, don’t seem to be connected to each other.
However, it is worth underlining that in this last phase of the film there are memorable scenes, which require a lot from the actors in the cast.
In addition to Jacob Elordi, who is an excellent Felix, who embodies a sweet playboy, but who does not see his own flaws, Rosamund Pike shines as the affected matriarch of the family, who always seems lost in her thoughts. Barry Keoghan, in turn, seems to have been designed for the role, awakening completely different feelings in the viewer in the course of the plot.
Despite all this, in the end there is still a bitter taste in the mouth Salt burner. Although the film captures many aspects well and the atmosphere of obsession and lust created around its characters is commendable, it is difficult to ignore its development problem.
After all, for a film with so much potential, a poorly placed piece may not even affect the beautiful appearance of the result, but it clearly makes everything shaky and precarious, ready to collapse at any moment.
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
