This fall season is a whirlwind for the actor from “Euphoria.” First, Elordi stepped into the shoes of Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” and now he takes the lead in “Saltburn,” Fennell’s latest daring venture, portraying Felix, an aristocrat who indulges in a passionate summer affair at the titular family estate with a fellow student.
Felix, a charismatic figure, holds a familiarity for the writer-director. “If you’re wondering if I’ve fallen for a man sporting a Livestrong bracelet and an eyebrow piercing, well, the answer is yes. We’re all susceptible,” Fennell shared in a recent interview with CNN. “Seeing Jacob embody Felix’s persona, I thought, ‘Not this again. I won’t fall for it, sir. Nice try.'”
Despite Fennell’s immunity to Elordi’s charm, she is eager to unleash his allure on the audience. With shades of Dickie from “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and echoes of Sebastian from “Brideshead Revisited,” Elordi portrays the privileged Felix effortlessly. It’s no wonder the studious, working-class Oliver, played with an intriguing yet uneasy charm by Barry Keoghan, is drawn to him. Who wouldn’t be?
“Saltburn” adheres to the tradition of British country house gothic films, complete with snobbish servants, formal dinners, entrenched traditions, and suppressed emotions. Rather than shying away from these influences, Fennell, having her own share of privilege, draws inspiration from a semester’s worth of literary material, including classics like “Rebecca,” “Jude the Obscure,” “The Go-Between,” “Atonement,” “The Little Stranger,” and “The Line of Beauty.”
“All these artistic creations exist in the collective consciousness,” she explained. “I enjoy creating works that fit within a genre and toy with its boundaries. The more defined the genre, the more room there is to challenge it.”
In Fennell’s satirical rendition of a familiar formula, the two young men meet at Oxford University circa 2006 (around the time she attended herself). Her portrayal of university life will transport a generation while possibly perplexing others. Indie music icons mingle with fleeting pop sensations like The Cheeky Girls. Pubs are filled with smoke, rugby jerseys become a symbol of elitism, and Felix’s yellow charity band becomes a coveted accessory of the summer.
“Nothing humanizes an era more than its fashion, makeup, and social norms from 15 years ago, because it seems absurd. Any time 15 years ago is just dreadful,” remarked the director.
“We treated it like a period drama, meticulously and faithfully, just as we would if it were set in 1919,” Fennell added. The challenge lay in finding items not in costume warehouses but still nestled in people’s closets, requiring some scavenging.
Felix, moved by Oliver’s tumultuous home life, offers him an escape by inviting him to the grand family estate. Here, Oliver encounters Felix’s parents, the reserved Sir James portrayed by Richard E. Grant and the captivating Elspeth portrayed by Rosamund Pike, a woman abhorring ugliness without a hint of irony. There’s also Venetia, overshadowed by her brother, and cousin Farleigh, an Oxford student who sees through Oliver’s attempts at ingratiating himself, perhaps because they mirror his own.
Oliver, astutely perceptive of insecurities, strategically works to integrate himself into the family dynamics, blurring the lines between genuine connection and calculated social ascent. He navigates the halls of this monument to inherited wealth and status, leaving one uncertain whether he aims to possess it someday or dismantle it completely—an embodiment of the British complex regarding class, entwined with aspirations and resentment.
As Oliver ascends society’s ladder, a psychosexual drama unfolds among various family members, challenging Keoghan as directed by Fennell to daring and unexplored territories. “Barry is extraordinary,” praised Fennell. “He, like me, seeks the raw and difficult, the uncharted.”
“He’s an immensely physical actor, comprehending the visceral experience,” she continued. “We strived to uncover those moments that make us gasp, along with everyone else.”
Without divulging the film’s details, Fennell’s screenplay spirals into chaos in the third act, reminiscent of her earlier work, the revenge drama “Promising Young Woman.” She resisted labeling the developments in “Saltburn” as a mere twist (“They can feel gimmicky,” she contends). Instead, she gravitates toward “the sensation of life slipping beyond control. When things spiral, they become frightening, messy, and intricate.”
“In most genres, the climax demands resolution,” she noted. “I’m not certain you can… For me, the third act revolves around attempting catharsis while acknowledging its impossibility, realizing life doesn’t conform in such ways.”
It’s a fascinating peek into her storytelling psyche: Fennell viewed the shocking conclusion of “Promising Young Woman” as a form of wishful thinking.
“Saltburn” doesn’t seek the same scathing indictment of class struggle. It’s easier to root for the moments challenging the social hierarchy than those disparaging it, but Fennell’s decision to encompass both deserves attention. Amid hints that she perceives Brits as victims of the class system, there’s also a critique of the elite through Oliver, mirroring the cutthroat mindset that elevated the upper class.
“Isn’t everything personal?” she mused when asked about a past Felix or Oliver in her life.
“The creations that captivate me are examinations of the uncomfortable aspects within us and the world,” Fennell added. “I’ll never fully detach myself from that.”
