The film “Saltburn” by Emerald Fennell, available on Prime Video, ends with a scene that is worth a watch in itself. And the one who speaks about it best is its main actor, Barry Keoghan.
No, the title of this article does not make any fuss. The end of Saltburn, director Emerald Fennell’s second feature film, is one of the most galvanizing sequences of recent years. Very successful – AlloCiné shares its very cheerful opinion with you – the film could not have dreamed of a better ending.
Before we talk more specifically, a little background: Saltburn follows Oliver (Barry Keoghan), a scrawny Oxford student, who befriends Felix (Jacob Elordi), the most popular and wealthy student in the university. When the latter invites him to spend the summer at his family home, strange events will transform the lives of all the characters into a real nightmare.
Spoiler alert! The following lines reveal Saltburn’s final scene. If you haven’t already done so, check out the film before you continue reading. You have been warned.
Without going into too much detail, the character played by Barry Keoghan – fantastic in this role – achieves his goals: getting rid of the members of the Catton family, whatever it costs, and becoming the sole owner of Saltburn.
Although the film is peppered with dark humor, the story remains tragic and Oliver’s actions are unspeakably cruel. To celebrate his victory, the new master of the house plays lively music to dance, completely naked, in the corridors of the house.
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR
The song’s title, Murder on the Dancefloor, by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, hit of the year 2001, says everything you need to understand. The lightness of this scene is in total contradiction with the atrocities committed previously. The actor gives his all, even daring the full frontal. “The hardest thing for me was not being naked, but dancing, revealed Barry Keoghan at AlloCiné. It takes a certain amount of self-confidence to do it.”
You need confidence and not just a little for this scene. Needless to say, the actor takes on the challenge with flying colors. The other challenge was to achieve this moment in sequence, without any cuts. “The scene required eleven takes!adds the actor. We tried to perfect it as much as possible, with the slightest gesture. It was a nice and calm moment.”
He pursues : “There is something enjoyable in the idea of seeing this naked character walk through these rooms with such freedom and in possession of everything. I think this is the scene the ending of the film needed..” From now on, Murder on the Dancefloor will have a whole new meaning.
Comments collected by Thomas Desroches, in Paris, in December 2023.
Saltburn is available on Prime Video.