A strange romance? A coming of age story? A satire of class in Eat the Rich? “Saltburn” tries to be a little bit of everything.
despite salt burn had no official theatrical premiere and was immediately available on streaming platforms, viewing results in the United States secured its place in lead Last year's products were so-called limited distribution (limited release). Emerald Fennel, who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for her debut, prospective. young. womenThis time instead of topic Rape revenge bets Gothic country house. how ClaimsWe offer black comedy with a Victorian flavor.
Screenwriting skills or empty provocations?
His second feature film stars Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), a shy, ambitious student at Oxford University who catches the eye of everyone's favorite Felix Cato (Jacob Ellord). After being invited to the Cato family estate, she spends the holidays surrounded by a new friend and his eccentric upper-class family: parents, Elspeth (Rosamund Pike) and James (Richard E. Grant), and Venetia (Alison Oliver). ) and a cousin named Farley (Archie Madekeve).
Occasional comparisons to the film adaptation of Patricia Higsmith's psychological thriller The talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Drama A club for the elite (2014), Melodrama Those days, those nights (2017) or comedy-drama in a triangle (2022) allows us to predict what type of plot we are dealing with. This is stated directly in the first scene of the film, in which the mature Oliver reluctantly admits that although he – like everyone around him – loved Felix, he was never in love with him.
A strange romance? Genre story coming of age? Class satire in the mainstream Eat the rich? salt burn Trying to be a little bit of everything. In Poland, Daria Sienkiewicz receives quite favorable evaluations Statesthat “the director once again showed his screenwriting skills”, A in my opinion Rafal Christ, “We are dealing with a performance that is more confident, more comprehensive and proudly reflects its genre.” Markin Telega praises Photos by Linus Sandgren (Babylon, This is not the time to die, La La Land), on the other hand, Adriana Prodeus characterized by The film as “rebellious, surprising and inconsistent”.
Far more critical voices are heard abroad. Wesley Morris It's ironicthat the director “watches erotic thrillers and Hitchcock, has probably read Patricia Highsmith and knows that if the main character is called Olivier Quick, he has to do something Dickens-style.” Peter Brashaw attracts attention, that although most of the action takes place “in 2006, it can feel more like 1932.” Alison Wilmore, for Fennell's latest work That's all there is to it “vibes and empty provocations.
Read also
I'm definitely closer to the latter group. Ever since Fennel's Ambition is Breaking genre patterns, I don't really understand why class differences and queer desires are treated as ready-made plot devices that don't require creative development or deeper problematization. It puts a lot of energy into the visual layer salt burn (Associations with music video aesthetics Euphoria It's no coincidence), as if the luxurious, gothic frames effectively divert attention from the tiresome repetition, predictability and conventionality of many plot solutions. We already know how this story will end.
Poor, rich and others
The protagonist is obliged to study in Oxford with an academic scholarship. Unlike those whose presence at an Ivy League university is primarily due to class privilege, he spends his vacations reading optional books, wearing rental company suits, and not being invited to fancy holiday parties. Also – in what I thought was a gross exaggeration – she comes from a difficult family and loses her father (addicted to alcohol, of course) during the semester.
The only twist in the story comes when it turns out that – Warning, spoiler – In order to gain Felix's interest, by playing the card of poverty and pathology, he perfectly concocted his tragic biography. That's when salt burn It actually goes beyond the usual framing of stories about class shame and resentment and its sources. good explains To Candace Frederick: “It's not about rich and poor (They have and they don't have), only about the rich and the desire for more. This is a separate topic of conversation, considering the relationship between capitalism and prosperity. There's something interesting to say about that, but this movie doesn't care.
Instead of developing a story full of potential, Fennel prefers to waste time on the obvious game. In addition to the main characters, the titular mansion is inhabited by a jealous cousin, an evil bulimic sister, a blasé mother, a clownish father (an art connoisseur) and a creepy, silent butler.
Speaking of Cousins : In one scene, Farley confronts Felix and accuses the Catons of internalized racism. Apart from the servants, whose names no one remembers, he is the only black person in the palace, and thanks to his mother's debts, he is at the mercy of capricious relatives. The spectrum of loss of financial capital in this case seems interesting because of its links with social and cultural capital. What will happen to them if they lose access to the family property? Can Farley re-enter the new academic year as a literature student, or will the environment be threatened with imminent degradation?
The development of events means that these speculations have to be put on the back burner. It's a shame because, as an Oxford graduate, Fennell could have said more about class, identity and origins in academia. or O toxic atmosphere Within the framework of the institution – in 2013, within three months of each other, two people studying at Oxford killed themselves, and between 2004 and 2014, the number of people using psychological help increased by 136 percent. Kalina El Ketas notesthat people represent minority groups and subject to Systemic discrimination They feel more pressure to study because they feel that their results reflect collective rather than individual skills.
The Worst Christmas Romantic Comedies Love Actually looks good compared to them
Read also
According to William Deresiewicz, an American researcher and former lecturer at Yale, elite universities, “produce people who are smart, talented and motivated, but also restless, crazy and lost; One who lacks intellectual curiosity and a sense of reason; Who, trapped in a bubble of privilege, are all headed in the same direction, and while they're great at what they do, they have no idea why they're doing it.” While Fennel just glides across the surface, for example Normal people Sally Rooney shows that the influence of position in a peer group or change in environment on the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and the mental state of the individual is a major plot point.
Viral I the atmosphere
In the event that salt burn However, the key word remains provocation, not diagnosis (social, class, generation). Two scenes are usually mentioned in this context. The first is the night scene in the garden with Oliver and Venetia. As for this couple, much more than “vampiric“Oral Sex During Menstruation, I'm amazed by the fact that one of the confirmations of power that the hero acquires unnoticed by the entire Katon clan is to order the girl not to return her breakfast the next day after eating it. And then, as if by magic, Venetia fills up with oatmeal and croissants for breakfast. Regardless of the genre framework of the convention, for me it's another clean one after talking about racism bait A moment that reflects a serious problem (in this case: an eating disorder).
The most famous is the scene in which the scale (not only homoerotic) becomes visible for the first time. Oliver's obsession – First he spies Felix masturbating in the bathroom, and then he drinks the leftover water after the bath. in the market appeared Even a special candle with a scent inspired by “Jacob Elord Bath Water”.
This brings us to the heart of the problem: viral and the atmosphere potential salt burn It is so large that the place does not leave any critical potential. Adrian Horton is right when he says: States: “This movie has nothing to say about class or the perversion of wealth, and it didn't in 2006. “It's just the period when the director was studying in Oxford. salt burn – I also agree with Horton on this matter – “It is shocking, but not surprising.”
No one expects the same from Fennel a parasite. Greta Gerwig proved herself at the box office BarbieThat the campaign and commercial atmosphere offers a lot of opportunities – after all, Ryan Gosling sings about being.Only Ken“He tells us something about the patriarchate. Meanwhile in the final salt burn – Warning, spoiler – Oliver, the new owner of the cave mansion, who got rid of all the catan, dances naked to the rhythm of a song by Sophie Ellis Bextor. Murder on the dance floor. What is the moral of this? Then it probably doesn't read that much TikTok is full of videos Rich kids from Generation Z who are rocking this scene and showing off their qualities in the process. The “murder on the dance floor” metaphor may be effective, but it's not a good one. Just like this movie.
(translate tags)fager 2-1