"Saltburn's" production is almost as fascinating as the film itself. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for some of the details that went into creating the dark comedy thriller, “Saltburn.”
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 "I was like, maybe he just walks through the house, you know, just like, now he dances,
00:04 like, oh God, here we go."
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for some of the details that
00:10 went into creating the dark comedy thriller Saltburn.
00:13 "Nothing shocks me, Oliver.
00:15 Absolutely nothing.
00:16 Tell me everything."
00:17 If you still haven't seen the film, beware of spoilers ahead.
00:23 Number 10.
00:24 How Emerald Fennell came up with the story
00:25 "I mean, there's no one in this film who actually knows how to communicate love effectively
00:32 or in a healthy way."
00:34 Emerald Fennell, acclaimed for acting in Call the Midwife and The Crown, both writes and
00:38 directs this psychological thriller exploring desire and obsession among the British elite.
00:43 Fennell drew inspiration from the striking image of, quote, "someone licking the bottom
00:48 of the bathtub," a visual she chose to share with viewers, if you know, you know.
00:52 This peculiar mental picture, along with the specific sentence that would ultimately be
00:57 uttered by her imagined character, "I wasn't in love with him," evolved into the complex
01:01 persona of Oliver.
01:03 "I wasn't in love with him.
01:06 I know everyone thought I was, but I wasn't."
01:10 After plotting the screenplay for years, Fennell wrote it in utmost secrecy, allowing no previews
01:16 of it until she deemed it ready.
01:18 She also shared that she wanted to subvert and twist the genre.
01:21 And if you've seen the movie, we'll let you judge if she succeeded.
01:24 "We are not in control of the way that other people behave.
01:27 We can't be.
01:29 And so we have to react to that.
01:31 But you know, it is a love story."
01:34 Number nine, a very specific filming ratio.
01:37 "A huge part of this film is taking place in this manner, right?
01:41 Like this English, Gothic manner.
01:44 So, and she wanted the film to feel like voyeuristic and that we're looking into this like peeking
01:52 in."
01:53 As any movie buff will know, a film's aspect ratio is more than just a technical detail.
01:58 It shapes how the movie looks and feels and impacts the story, style, and how we connect
02:03 with it.
02:04 "We had an idea of that, the sort of painterly composition, so we went in to look at angles
02:12 from that point of view."
02:13 At a press conference, cinematographer Lina Sangren likened Saltburn's 4x3, also known
02:18 as 1.33x1, aspect ratio to that used in German Expressionism and silent films, and that the
02:25 movie was infused with an almost surreal, quote, "looking glass" or dollhouse vibe.
02:30 The narrow frame is meant to emphasize a visual perspective where viewers are not directly
02:35 immersed, but rather have a detached onlooker stance.
02:39 Similar to appreciating a piece of art, it also helped that the aspect ratio helped them
02:43 fit the rooms and all their grandeur into the frame.
02:46 "Broken piano, uh, blue room, it's blue, and King's Bedroom."
02:56 Number 8.
02:57 Filming Locations
02:58 "Why don't you come home with me?
03:00 Come to Saltburn."
03:02 "No."
03:03 "Yeah."
03:04 Dating back to the 1300s, the real-life English manner used in the film is the main backdrop
03:09 for much of the story.
03:11 Sal wanted to set her tale in a unique location, believing it would feel more real if nobody
03:16 knew much about it.
03:17 So the creative team, including production designer Susie Davies, found a private manor
03:22 in Northamptonshire, reportedly Drayton House.
03:25 Everyone involved was apparently required to keep the location's details a secret while
03:29 filming, and the owners reportedly granted production exclusive use of their home and
03:34 some creative freedom with necessary alterations.
03:37 "It's relaxed, I promise.
03:39 We'll be in the library."
03:41 "Library?"
03:43 Rosamund Pike, who plays Felix's mother, Lady Elspeth Caton, fully immersed herself
03:47 in the lifestyle, living at the location during filming.
03:51 Since the story centers on Oxford University students, Fennell's alma mater, different
03:55 university colleges also became filming spots.
03:58 "Hey, come on then, follow me.
04:01 Wait, wait, wait.
04:03 Where, where are we going?"
04:06 Number 7.
04:07 Literary Influences
04:08 "How did you get on with the summer reading list?"
04:11 "Uh, yeah, okay I think.
04:13 I read it all."
04:14 "What, all of it?"
04:15 "Mm-hmm."
04:16 "50 books on there, you mad?"
04:18 Bookworms, especially those drawn to gothic tales, might catch subtle nods to other books
04:22 woven into the movie's themes.
04:24 Much like L.P. Hartley's The Go-Between, Solburn delves into class dynamics, secrets,
04:30 and coming of age within the luxurious confines of a wealthy family's estate.
04:34 Inspiration taken from Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, Emily Bronte's Wuthering
04:39 Heights, and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca add darker elements, contributing to an unsettling
04:44 tone.
04:45 Apparently, Jacob Elordi was encouraged to read Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited to
04:49 help him step into his character's mindset.
04:51 "Uh, I've got some revising to do.
04:53 I think I might, uh, I might catch you later, yeah?"
04:57 These are just a few examples of the titles that contribute to the foundations of this
05:01 black comedy thriller. Film enthusiasts and art appreciators will also notice nods to
05:06 other famous works throughout the narrative.
05:08 "For me, I've always felt very strongly that in order to make something uncanny, you have
05:13 to make it feel familiar first. So it's about using all of those literary references and
05:18 film references that we feel so that you can then kind of upend them."
05:21 Number 6. Costume Inspiration
05:23 "Oh, oh! How about fancy dress?"
05:27 "Oh yes!"
05:28 "I could wear my suit for all that, Elizabeth."
05:30 "Good idea, darling."
05:32 The mid-2000s Facebook-dominated era guided costume designer Sophie Canale to a 2007 fashion
05:37 flashback. Rediscovering Abercrombie, Hollister, and style icons like Kate Moss, she curated
05:44 cast wardrobes, ensuring each character's attire was a perfect fit.
05:48 Felix's laid-back style, inspired partly by Princes William and Harry, featured brands
05:53 that give away his upper-class background.
05:56 Oliver's look evolved from a caricature of an Oxford student to align more with how he
06:00 sees his wealthier peers' dress.
06:02 "Hey, cool jacket."
06:03 "It's hot."
06:04 "So hot."
06:05 "It's hot."
06:06 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:07 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:08 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:09 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:10 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:11 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:12 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:13 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:14 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:15 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:16 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:17 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:18 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:19 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:20 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:21 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:22 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:23 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:24 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:25 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:26 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:27 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:28 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:29 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:30 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:31 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:32 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:33 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:34 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:35 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:36 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:37 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:38 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:39 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:40 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:41 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:42 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:43 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:44 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:45 "Oh, it's so hot."
06:46 "Did you know shooting that it was going to be this like, quote unquote, like shocking
06:49 moment that people were going to..."
06:51 "Oh, yeah."
06:52 Although Fennel's script is sublime, some of the film's most unforgettable, albeit disturbing
06:56 scenes were improvised by the cast.
06:59 One such instance is the graveyard incident.
07:02 Fennel supposedly dropped a hint on how she thought the character would act at this moment,
07:06 and Barry Keoghan took it the rest of the way.
07:09 The closed set, leaving only three crew members, empowered Keoghan to push boundaries.
07:13 "It's the next level up in obsession.
07:16 I just wanted to see, you know, when action happened, what I'd do as Oliver."
07:21 Another moment that had us itching to look away is the bathtub scene.
07:25 Reportedly, Keoghan came up with his character's elongated interaction with the bathtub to
07:30 really hammer home the intensity of his fixations.
07:33 On a lighter note, Pike shared that Fennel let them ad-lib some of the chit-chat, providing
07:38 some topical context to the time frame.
07:40 "You know, so everybody just goes to ruin, I suppose."
07:43 "Where's Liverpool?"
07:44 "I think it's on the sea, isn't it?
07:45 Darling, where's Liverpool?"
07:46 "Uh, north."
07:47 "North?"
07:48 "Yes."
07:49 Number 4.
07:51 An Ink-Trigging Acoustic
07:52 "We have collected different things, because everything here should make a sound."
07:58 Foley artists rank among the most creatively inventive individuals, and for this project,
08:03 thinking beyond conventional boundaries to come up with the sound effects needed was
08:07 more than a prerequisite.
08:09 For instance, how would you recreate the sound of someone rubbing their face on the bottom
08:13 of a bathtub?
08:14 "Huh, that's a hard one, kid.
08:17 Unless… nah, never work, it's too crazy."
08:20 Did you think of raw octopus sliding against oil?
08:24 Because Saltburn's sound team did.
08:26 Well, they mixed it in with the sounds Keoghan was already making.
08:29 Their eight-limbed companion made additional contributions to some of the more… lustful
08:34 scenes in the movie.
08:35 It also played a role in Lady Elspeth Catton's final moments.
08:39 We don't know about you, but we may never be able to look at octopuses the same way.
08:43 So with that mental image, let's just move on.
08:46 "You're lucky."
08:47 "No memories, no problems."
08:50 "Huh."
08:51 Number 3.
08:52 A Midsummer Night's Dream Party Scene
08:54 "What kind of party?"
08:55 "I don't know, whatever you want.
08:56 What do you think?
08:57 About a hundred people?"
08:58 "A hundred?"
08:59 "Or two.
09:00 It invariably ends up being two, doesn't it, with this sort of thing?"
09:04 However wild Oliver's party might have looked, it sounds like the more outrageous moments
09:08 unfolded off-camera.
09:10 The actors noted a second, real-life party going on at the premises, essentially causing
09:14 reality in fiction to blur during this two-day bash.
09:17 "God, the look on your face."
09:19 "I think I'm in my…
09:21 "Oliver, you'll never catch on."
09:25 Influencer and party extra Louisa Cordry shed light on the shoot, making it sound incredibly
09:29 trippy and unbelievably awesome.
09:32 She posted photos from her high-life experience and luxurious indulgence, including one of
09:37 her hotel room.
09:38 She also shared the crew's efforts in organizing extravagant dinners that wove thematic connections
09:43 to the movie's plot.
09:44 She jokingly concluded that she and her pals, quote, "managed to leave unscathed."
09:49 If you want to know what she means, watch the movie.
09:52 Number 2.
09:53 How Barry Keoghan Became Oliver
09:55 Keoghan didn't go full method with his acting, but he did work on keeping the accent and
09:59 appearance in check.
10:01 Perhaps most impressively, he also did his homework to truly understand Oliver and what
10:06 makes him tick.
10:07 "I was amazed at just the different ranges and different layers to Oliver and, you know,
10:13 how much I had to play with.
10:16 That really excited me the most about how I could dig my teeth in."
10:21 While prepping for the role, Keoghan kept five different notebooks, each delving into
10:25 a different portrayal of the character.
10:27 Oliver undergoes a significant transformation from the moment we first meet him to the final
10:32 scene.
10:33 So naturally, the character's aspirations, mindset, and even how he carries himself change.
10:38 "I think I wanted that to seep through as well, that he knew where he stood with all
10:42 of these characters.
10:43 You know, with Vinici, it was just pure power and dominoing.
10:48 And with Archie, he was the most fearful.
10:50 It's with Archie."
10:51 Keoghan made notes on all of this to ensure he knew the character inside out.
10:55 He also revealed that since the film wasn't shot in a linear timeline, they helped him
10:59 maintain consistency in Oliver's journey.
11:02 "You know, what I wanna do is always just mature as an actor and, you know, commit and,
11:09 you know, challenge myself and, you know, like rise to the occasion."
11:13 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
11:18 about our latest videos.
11:20 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:24 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:30 Number 1.
11:31 That Ending
11:32 In the final scene, Oliver jubilantly dances through the Saltburn estate to Sophie Ellis
11:37 Baxter's murder on the dance floor.
11:38 "It's the perfect amount of kind of jubilant, joyful, um, wry and camp, which I think this
11:46 film absolutely required."
11:47 Originally, the plan was for Oliver to walk through the mansion, but that didn't strike
11:52 the right chord for Fennell.
11:53 She aimed for audiences to somewhat overlook Oliver's disturbing tendencies and root for
11:58 him anyway.
11:59 The scene, choreographed by Polly Bennett, was captured in a long take in contrast to
12:03 the tour Felix offered earlier in the movie.
12:06 "Challenging and complicated and sexy but funny and, you know, all of the stuff that
12:12 I guess this film is."
12:13 The creative choice for Oliver to dance in the buff subtly asserts his dominance in his
12:17 new home.
12:19 Despite the daunting prospect, Hjelgen agreed it was a fitting choice.
12:23 Notably, they shot the sequence 11 times, until Fennell felt satisfied that Oliver exuded
12:28 enough quote "evil joie de vivre" to draw audiences to his side.
12:32 "It was a joy to work with him because he's always, he's always as ready as I am to do
12:38 the thing that other people will be disapproving of."
12:43 Have you seen Saltburn?
12:45 Or have our behind-the-scenes tidbits piqued your interest?
12:47 Let us know in the comments.
12:49 "I feel like there's so many Easter eggs in this as well."
12:52 "Yeah."
12:53 "Are there any that you think that people won't pick up on?"
12:55 Do you agree with our picks?
12:57 Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
13:00 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
13:05 [Music]
13:11 [BLANK_AUDIO]