@@headoverheels88 yes they do xD how many Oscar winners are actually good or blockbusters? We love pretty and fun movies and the numbers show it and they should reward the movies we actually want to see
7.07 just wanna say i am highly in favor of the use of the manic, distorted piano riff from Mamma Mia by ABBA as a leitmotif symbolizing the value and merit of nontraditional cinema across your entire body of work on this channel. I dig it
Finally I thought I was going crazy. I watched Saltburn and I was like "wow that's a great movie, pretty straightforward". I had to skim forward to your take on class because yeah I have a lot of thoughts (positive) in the way Saltburn handled class and it's rarely brought up. I swear I haven't been able to watch any discussion on this movie cuz it ends up pissing me off in some ways. P.S: HOLY SHIT I AM BISEXUAL....YOURE RIGHT
Same! I thought this film made sense to me, even the third act. And was taken aback to see ppl not only hating it but missing the point. And i read and watched fennell's interviews, it made me love and appreciate the film more. P.S, I'm bisexual too! 🤣🤣
@@Noxofspades-lh7bj Right ??? Hating it is one thing but like it's a matter of taste but so many people hate it because they miss the point and it's like...I'm not gonna listen to yall rant about it for 20 minutes when I can tell you didn't get it from just the opening statement lol. Maybe it only make sense to bisexual people lmao. Can we at least make it bisexual culture at this point ?
I agree entirely with the tumblr-y feel that some people get from this movie. I also agree that this is one of the wildest rides i've ever had with a film and will not shut up about how much i like it. embrace the cringe, allow yourself to feel some uncynical joy once in a while
When I was only able to see the first sentence of your comment I was like, "and what's wrong with that!?" And then I saw the rest like, oh yeah, you get it.
I think it's a mark of a great critic when I can disagree with the sentiments from your takeaways (as I felt emotionally different) but I absolutely find your thought process and arguments to be pretty airtight - you have a charm and wit alongside the things you're saying that make it hard to disagree!
@@mediaprocessingchannel No problem, you are SERIOUSLY one of my newest fave video essayists and I love whenever you put out a new video. You're seriously a ray of sunshine.
I think this movie falls short for me not because of the faulty logic but mainly because the way it explained the twist, by forcing it in our faces. The best films show don't tell. Also i fear Fennell is laughing down at us blissfully unaware of our perception of the rich family, portraying the lower/middle class as desperate and murderous. After watching this however ive considered the idea that she is being self critical, and overall this video has given me a greater appreciation of the film
I love the "twist" cuz it just comes off as Oliver being an incel. The ones that after being rejected by a woman, just goes off the rails. Not only do they insult/assault the women, but they go into denial about their inital motives. "I never liked you anyway, i only..." The very first scene of the film shows you how oliver is a liar and an unreliable narrator. He says how he doesn't love felix, yet it's shot the way you see the m.c reminiscing about his dead wife. And Fennell said this in an interview about the lack of subtlety in her movie "I think we are living in a world where subtlety is the only artistic medium that is rewarded. It’s not to say that I don’t [love subtle art], but there is also room for the gothic and the baroque. To always be dealing in subtext is inhuman, because we don’t live in a world of subtext.'' I agree with her to a point. I do think when it comes to certain subjects that requires sensitivity, subtlety is more beneficial. But if it's a film like Saltburn, that is just about obsession, i can't think of a reason why it must be subtle.
@@Noxofspades-lh7bj good analysis. As someone that adores subtlety in art and even absurdity (creating more questions than answers) the ending wasn't exactly for me. But that's a very good point, big clear statements, a swoop of a brush, does need to exist like Saltburn. Maybe though it doesn't need to be talked about by everyone as though it's the cleverest film in the world (which was a feeling I got after it dropped on Amazon and everyone was talking about it) Oh but now videos like this and your comment has shown me maybe it is clever, maybe it does leave more questions and things to be analysed, because you now have provided a new interpretation to the ending. So it isn't as straightforward as my initial criticisms first made it out to be
I initially agreed about this, but then I considered that it’s all from Oliver’s perspective, and he wanted to portray himself as some twisted mastermind, so the “twist” probably feels more over-the-top than what actually happened. I think it’s up to interpretation whether or not he actually planned it all from the very beginning, but in order to combat the notion that he was in love with Felix, he had to make himself seem as calculating as possible.
That coffee shop scene just felt like it did not belong in the film AT ALL. It was a lazy twist that I struggle to understand how more people didn't see from the start. There is perfect amiguity in the character throughout the film, that gets completely tarnished at the end. It sucks
I find your takes on movies so refreshing! The fact that you engage with media on your own terms is just so much fun and makes me super happy. Amazing work and hope you keep it up!
the best thing about the mamma mia music is that my school is doing Mamma Mia for our musical and whenever I hear it during rehearsal I think of this channel
Fennel wrote a novel called "Monsters" that in many ways reads like a rough draft of Saltburn. I highly recommend it. Having read it, I feel like I understand better about not only what Fennel was trying to say with Saltburn but also her general worldview: she is fascinated with the ugliness within people who believe they are doing good.
THANK YOU! You've articulated a lot of what I felt about this movie. I had a great time with it. I loved what it was doing even if it didn't "make sense". I was rather baffled by the reaction to this movie. I get if it's not your cup of tea, it's a lot. But there's a lot to enjoy about it. So yeah, thanks for this video.
I watched Saltburn with my bestie in the cinema and the whole theatre was packed and the energy was just so alive and everybody was having a bast and i fucking loved it
Yesterday the strong urge to rewatch the Mamma Mia video overcame me. Afterwards I continued with the Barbie video, because who needs sleep? And today I get a fresh video about another movie I have very many and conflicting feelings about. Did I die? Is this heaven? Never stop the Mamma Mia music in the background. My bisexual Adhd brain is so happy every time it starts. Instant dopamine 🎉
Watched this in the theater with 3 other friends and 2 strangers. Nobody else was in the audience. 10/10 experience cause we got to holler and scream and ooo and aah whenever we wanted. I loved this movie and I couldn’t stop laughing throughout most of it (especially the red dining room scene).
When it comes to class - the problem isn't that there are no clear delineations in the narrative, but that there ARE. The family ISN'T grotesque. They're slightly rude, controlling and definitely ridiculous,, but the most grotesque thing in the film is Oliver. His character is a slimy, greedy, sexually manipulative hurtful social-climber. He is the only representation of anything remotely below upper-middle class in the story, and he is a fucking scourge. The story that this is getting inspo from (Talented Mr Ripley, undoubtedly, whether Fennel says it is or not) was smart enough to acknowledge that Ripley was a result of circumstance, his violence a symptom of intense class envy. Oliver's machinations are not - he is simply a psychopath who wants to embody power and wealth. THIS is where the film falls short, there is no humanity to any of it. Its messages are clear to everyone but Fennell, who herself is too much of a Catton to notice she's made a film where the nicest folk in it are the ones she's trying to critique.
I totally get your interpretation of the film, I love thinking of it as a collage, that's a really beautiful way to describe it - but for me, none of the individual moments work for me like other cult classics you mention like Ready or Not, simply because its politics are so convoluted and misguided
i love saltburn and i made some of my friends watch it but they were only impacted by how scandalous some scenes were(bathtub, grave, etc) btw im still waiting for you to make a video essay talking about la la land
THANK YOU someone who paid attention to what the aesthetic choices were saying!!! Everyone just went “It’s bad because it tells conflicting stories and focuses on aesthetic”
Dude, your film analyses are just amazing! They are always so well thought out and expressed. Both the longer ones and this shorter one are greatly put.
Love love love this take on media. SO often I find myself saying "that wasn't a 'good' movie, but I LOVED it". I also loved Hide and Seek, and I want there to be movies that don't HAVE to be "perfect", and are just FUN! I have probably re-watched both Mamma Mia movies more than any other movie!! They're not 'good', but they make me FEEL good!! As for shorter videos, love it for you. I'd watch a 2 minute video from you, hell - a 30 second video! ...also I should probably go watch Saltburn. Especially since I'm bisexual XD
OH MY GOD I have literally waited for this, how does It feel to speak facts and pure facts? i love the way you look at these things. I love you for this. Thank you
Just yes, I loved every bit of this video. It said everything I was thinking I was having a bit of crisis. Thinking am I bad at media analysis? Why are all of these artists I like unable to witness this experience the way I do
i've avoided as much discourse around Saltburn as i could just because i loved it and i hate being told that i'm wrong lol... as a Talented Mr Ripley fanatic i delight in unsettling, aesthetically pleasing, fucked up, bisexual films with hot, talented actors and questionable morals and meanings that take place in a hot, sticky summer that is completely detached from the real world. Saltburn is basically a funnier, gen z, British Mr Ripley and for that i adore it. I haven't watched the video yet but you always have the most goated takes so i trust you and am so excited to see what you think...
When I saw the Contrapoints link to Envy, I was shook but so happy. I really think envy explains a lot about society if more people were willing to admit that they feel it
I feel like the twist makes more sense in the context that he's lying, but the camera isn't. So Oliver really did all of those things, he just wasn't really planning the entire thing the whole time with that as the intended end result. It seems to me to be more natural to read that Oliver was just doing stuff and the end he got was an unintended consequence, like his real goal was initially just to get close to Felix, but then it escalated. He had to then be loved by the family, and then be part of the family. But it doesn't all go to plan and he just tries to deal with the situation he has at present. People can't really manipulate on the level Oliver pretends to, but it's quite easy to look back from the end result and say that this was the intented end goal and it all went according to plan.
"The memetic value" girl STOPPP 😂 for real though, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Love Lies Bleeding with this viewpoint in mind, if you ever feel like talking about it. That one left me feeling a lot of conflicting things, I need a fresh perspective on it
I watched this movie with a friend on a projector screen in our lounge after a few drinks and had a blast! It was beautiful, funny, evocative, strange and deeply compelling. The only let down for me was the twist ending and I really appreciated your analysis of that. Makes me want to watch it again and think about it from a different angle.
as a defender of this movie, you're so right about this and Fennel's entire shtick to me _is_ to play with audience expectations. i just don't understand how someone could see both this and Fennel's previous movie - _Promising Young Woman_ - and think Saltburn wanted to be anything more than it actually is. PYW reveled in twisting itself into against whatever you expected it to be, Fennel is only interested in being provocative and making you rethink your assumptions. Fennel is not interested in big messages, she's way more interested in seeing _why_ characters do what they do in the situations she puts them in. sure, Saltburn doesn't have too much substance under the gloss but... that's literally the point? you as an audience get drawn into the world the same way Oliver does, you expect there to be something deeper under the surface but rich people like that aren't deeper. there's nothing to aspire to. they're shallower, if anything. that's why the last scene is Oliver literally dancing naked through the now empty house. even the staff is gone. it's always been empty. it's extremely hilarious to me when people point to Emerald being from a rich family and saying that's why her class commentary here sucks or has no bite when the entire time Fennel wants you to be on Oliver's side and in every scene the rich person is almost always doing some bad shit. the commentary is similar to Rian Johnson's _Glass Onion_ (though nowhere near as successful but partially because it's a secondary concern for her and not The Point). she plays way more with genre in Saltburn (and way more successfully than in PYW which to me was pretty uneven and her genre subversions there felt pretty bad because of what the point of the genre is). but anyway, great video lol, and there's definitely been a lot of discussion on this (some on TH-cam from other video essayists, comparing this to a movie like The Talented Mr. Ripley, a lot more on Letterboxd [if you're curious in more of my thoughts on either of Fennel's movies, i'm there at JamesIsTired] bc it's just easier to do there with the text format and longer essay-type analysis but yeah) and a lot of it has gotten so close to The Point and just missed it or it seems like they've got the point and not liked it (which is fine and at least they're media literate, i suppose). the vapidness of the movie is a feature, not a bug.
love your read on this! I'm glad you feel similarly about how "why is this character acting the way they are given the circumstances" is central to Fennell's work! And yesssss to this movie being about playing with audience expectations
I have only watched two of your videos (this one and Barbie) and I think you are great! I totally enjoyed Saltburn, thought it was a great ride. Feel like the critics are overdoing it, considering that a majority of films suffer from incredulity, plot holes, gimmicks, tropes, and so on - but they don't rip those films apart. A film is a success if it gets us talking about it - this one definitely does that. AT a time when we have seen it all are are completely jaded, this film still gave us more than one disturbing moment - that's great directing. I want more films that have as a theme the cancer that comes with being stinking rich. So many films glamourize the lifestyle and hold up being super rich as a goal to strive for, making us envy that lifestyle and feel inadequate. This film exposed the rich people in it for what they were: petty, transactional, vain, self-centered, elitist, cold. I am thinking of Sofia Coppola's work, The Bling Ring - which also got panned by critics, who I feel totally missed the point, and how she was holding up a lens to our consumer and celebrity worshiping society. We need more directors who are willing to forge their own visions and give us something unique. Can't wait to see what Emerald Fennell does next.
I really enjoyed your points in this video! I think we're so used to films holding our hands and leaving all characters sufficiently labelled 'good' or 'bad' by the end, but this was a great reminder that it's ok to not really know. I also appreciated that the subversive and controversial scenes weren't just SA scenes. Btw, did you see that Lush created a Saltburn bathbomb?
great work! you’re very well spoken :) im always torn w movie ratings and if i liked it or not but i heavily enjoyed saltburn despite people hating on it
Again, commenting as I watch this I literally told my friend that I don’t believe that he wasn’t in love with him to begin with. Yes, thank you saying the things I’m thinking!!!
I think this is just one of those films where it helps if you never had a Brideshead/ASP phase or watched Talented Mr Ripley a million times. Queer obsession in media runs through me like lifeblood, but if you aren't doing anything new with it in your art and everything that came before is still right there to choose instead, I'm just more likely to start picking it to bits. I think I just went in hoping for more than vibes, and honestly, that's on me.
My problem with Saltburn is I found it deeply predictable. The moment the rich kid invited him to Saltburn, I immediately told myself "Okay, so we're doing a Talented Mr. Ripley." It got to the point where he was at the grave alone and I quite literally said, "They've tried so hard to make this movie crazy, I bet they're going to make him f*ck the corpse." I wasn't right, but I definitely wasn't *completely* wrong. I'm glad it reached its audience I guess. I'm curious to see people's opinion on this movie in, say, 10 years and that it's worth re-watching.
I was ready to love this film, that was until I saw The Talented Mr Ripley... But the grave scene was amazing, you can dig into its mythological inspo for fun
I really like what you say about finding our own metrics to judge or talk about works, not just arbitrary star numbers where we’re not sure if we agree what “five stars” means to one another and such. Judging art, in my opinion, should be by what it’s trying to do, and what it does! Is it a tragedy, or a comedy, or a musical? What does it expect from the audience? What did it make you feel? And, far more simply, did you enjoy it? I haven’t seen Saltburn but from what you’re saying it sounds like it’s not a movie meant to be logical, but more emotional and visual. Coming at it from a logic focused idea of movies will make you feel bad about it, since some art is just about feeling or showing - especially movies! Visual arts have a lot of room to just put something there and invite the audience to see the cool things! Also ty for talking about things in conversation- I like hearing about cool things from your channel like music and movies I wouldn’t know exist and then I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a conversation watching your videos, but after I go and check out the stuff myself and decide how I feel about it and broaden my own horizons haha.
I'll be chewing on the idea of a piece of art making us Very Uncomfortable *without* being bigoted. Wanna see where that idea goes, what else it connects with.
The last thing you said that everyone you know loving that movie is bisexual caught me off guard LOL, I mean it looks like I can't keep it a secret from everyone, right? 😂 Love your content, I wish you posted more often.
I’m completely on your side about finding different metrics to judge movies. All the criticisms I’ve heard about “Saltburn” failed to sound convincing, even when I knew they were technically “right.” The vibes of the movie are impeccable, and the sense of a cohesive dramatic arc is completely present, even if you can tear little holes in it. It’s a movie about everyone’s emotional reactions to Oliver. That Oliver’s character is hard to nail down doesn’t matter. He’s what these desperate, incomplete people are grasping onto. I think yeah maybe you have to be queer to get it.
17:45 throughout this film I felt like I had seen it before, and then I realised it feels like PARASITE. I had basically seen it before already. Because of this I could see the twist coming, and that was not a shocking revelation to me at all... And yeah, I really didn't like those gross scenes, because I think whoever thought they were a good idea must be a terrifying person, but I think they don't add anything at all. Parasite gives the shock factor too, but in a far more impactful way I think.
saltburn and this video both WHIP. saltburn reminds me a lot of the weird/sad girl lit i read. the goal of the book isnt necessarily plot or making complete sense but the vibes - often feeling uncomfortable - and wondering what the fuck is going on (in a postive way ) in similar ways to the bathtub, vampire, and grave scenes. youre here for the ride and maybe there is a metaphor you find or read in the text but maybe you just want to experience or see something weird and wild and strangely authentic to the human experience.
When a friend and I were watching a bunch of different Shakespeare adaptations, we got to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and realized we needed an entirely new metric to measure why we enjoyed it. Is it a 5/5 star movie? No. But is it a 5/5 on our new Hawaiian Shirt Scale? Yes. Anyway, I haven't seen Saltburn because I'd only seen negative takes on it, but this video makes me think I might really enjoy it-so I'm gonna have to check it out 😂
I liked Saltburn, to me it felt like sort of the reverse version of Parasite. That movie was a comedy which then turned into a horror and then into a tragedy. Whereas Saltburn starts like a tragedy then becomes a horror movie and finally turns comedic at the end. Both movies are about rich people being scammed, but with the opposite outcomes for the main characters. One movie got the best picture Oscar, the other got snubbed. The "shocking" scenes honestly reminded me of John Waters' movies like Pink Flamingos and Female trouble but more subtle so I found them funny. P.S. I hated La La Land.
I personally think this movie is very queer. It says so much about queer envy, which is always mixed-up with sexual desire and economic striving. Was that Emerald's intention, probably not, but I believe the text supports that reading. It might not be my favorite movie from last year, but I think she has a knack for portraying rage and its connections with other emotions very well. It's telling that she's stated that she doesn't believe there are "good" people in the world, her art reflects that deep mistrust in others, but also in oneself and one's emotions. Also, the movie's fucking fun. I find its detractors very boring.
I find it very strange in particular how many peole criticise the class narrative and specifically say that Oliver's motivations and thoughts are unclear..... As if there isn't an ENTIRE MONOLOGUE AT THE END EXPLAINING HIS THOUGHTS ON CLASS
honestly it is so boring to take this movie literally like I've seen many people do. It is fun, and fantastical and a really disturbing representation of obsession that feels new. The fact that it lacks in logic at parts doesn't mean it doesn't make you feel things and explore interesting themes. Amazing film, made me laugh many times
because they wanted it to be one thing and were disappointed that it was an entirely other thing and not everything has to be revolved around them. it was a thrilling movie, it was tense and it was beautiful and it was good. it just wasnt the talented mr ripley only with a happy ending i think
I can recommend Broey Deschanel's video about Saltburn vs. The Talented Mr. Ripley. th-cam.com/video/y0dAGXixsck/w-d-xo.html I have yet to watch Saltburn, but from everything I've heard about it, it really just seems like a worse version of The Talented Mr. Ripley (which is a great movie btw).
I personally love the third act and it makes sense to me. How i perceived it, Oliver is an unreliable narrator. He lied from the very beginning to the audience and to himself about not loving Felix. When he clearly did, the way felix was shot was like those movies where the m.c remembers their dead wife. And the ending gives me the vibes of those incels who lash out so violently cuz the women they like rejected them. Not only do they insult (or sadly assault) the women, but they also go into serious denial about how they never liked them in the first place. And would made up reasons about their inital motives. And reading Emerald's fennell interviews, she not only confirmed that Oliver loved Felix, but she purposely made the third act theatrical and on the nose. She said this in an interview "I think we are living in a world where subtlety is the only artistic medium that is rewarded. It’s not to say that I don’t [love subtle art], but there is also room for the gothic and the baroque. To always be dealing in subtext is inhuman, because we don’t live in a world of subtext.''
!!! I love the idea that so much of the reality of Oliver as a character is in conflict with his actual inner reality, which we are left to speculate on! And simultaneously, that existing in a world where the end is as bold and theatrical as it is. You nailed this take!
I read "The characters don't know what genre their in- so their actions don't have to make sense for that genre" on tumblr yesterday and i think that is apply-able to most movies as well Saltburn is beautiful and cinematic af Saltburn is weird and kinda repulsive Saltburn makes it hard alsmost impossible to look away from something one might consider repellent, due to the cinematography those are (almost) beautiful and pleasing to watch
fwiw the gross sex scenes were my favorite part of saltburn, and I came out of it a bit bitter largely because of the twist. Having listened to your analysis, I am less bothered. Things not quite fitting together can be an intentional and valuable part of art. And I appreciate your more emotional approach to art analysis in this instance(and being up front about it). I think the word you are looking for to describe when a piece of art that is compelling for a reason that is not it's ability to create cohesive meaning is "aesthetics." Saltburn works aesthetically. It is a movie that you see and feel and interpret but not that you translate into greater significance. Art for art's sake. Totally unrelated but I just watched American Psycho and I feel the same way about it. I don't know that I really "get" the movie. I can't really articulate a strong moral or synthetic meaning from it. But I enjoy it aesthetically. Patrick Bateman the serial killer folds under the weight of his guilt and confess to his killings seeking repentance. But no one cares or believes him. It goes really hard.
If I join your Patreon, will you do that Riverdale video??? 🙏🏼😛 - signed, That Riverdale Girl P.S. I'm neutral tending towards negative on Saltburn, but really enjoyed your take!
this is an era where you have to convince people that cult movies deserve a cult. looking at donnie darko, animator, the room, fucking the rocky horror picture show. imagine these movies being well received today? or even understood, just let people create films out of passion and love and not out of the "politically correct" need to satisfy the most vocal group of people. things can be good even if they don't represent everything you stand for. art doesn't awe you shit.
I wouldn't say I especially liked Saltburn (I didn't dislike it either! Just an overall enjoyable watch that was ruined for me by the amount of people who told me it was reaaally crazy when it was. not.) but I found myself nodding along to so many parts of this video, I feel like so much of the debate around it just seems to grossly misunderstand what the movie is (or isn't) trying to do. And on a similar note, I can't believe I'm saying this, but if you are interested in seeing how far you can possibly stretch out an original premise for a story, and plot twists that don't necessarily make sense but make you go WOAH! in the moment, you should seriously check out.... Riverdale. Ok, hear me out, I know it has a reputation as a "pretty good" teen show that got bad, but I sincerely think it's such a unique wild ride of a tv show It seems to me that the slow detachment from its original premise, going from mediocre Twin Peaks meets Dawson's Creek to Why Are There Superpowers And Aliens Now was both more or less intended from the start, and is also a really unique and incredibly fun piece of television. Definitely not for everyone, but if you want to watch something that's going to constantly double down on getting weirder and weirder, it's a delightful watch.
Yeaaaaaah it's starting to feel like Riverdale is precisely the type of media that would fit right in on this channel, given my obsession with weird narrative justifications haha. Thx for the rec!
I think the fact that you compared this to Gaspar Noe's work tells me something about why I don't particularly like this movie. Noe's work has always been extreme and difficult to comprehend and doesn't bother too much Ior at all) with message or narrative or anything beyond spectacle. Fennel really does well at depicting scenes that are gorgeous and ugly and discussed and shared, but doesn't quite know how to break out of a narrative structure that kind of M. Night Shyamalan's the final bit.
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pretty (and fun!) movies that make no sense deserve oscars too
HAHAHA exactly
Do they tho?
@@headoverheels88 yes they do xD how many Oscar winners are actually good or blockbusters? We love pretty and fun movies and the numbers show it and they should reward the movies we actually want to see
The sped up mamma mia music will always ALWAYS get me
same, plus I watch on 1.5x speed, it was a trip
7.07 just wanna say i am highly in favor of the use of the manic, distorted piano riff from Mamma Mia by ABBA as a leitmotif symbolizing the value and merit of nontraditional cinema across your entire body of work on this channel. I dig it
The way you just did intertextual media analysis on my videos! Honored! Also huge props for using the word leitmotif
this made me realize i dont have my own standards by which i judge movies, and im gonna make some
at some point
my metrics are simply vibes, like if i had a good time then 5 stars baybee
@@theodoesthings that's the spirit ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Finally I thought I was going crazy. I watched Saltburn and I was like "wow that's a great movie, pretty straightforward". I had to skim forward to your take on class because yeah I have a lot of thoughts (positive) in the way Saltburn handled class and it's rarely brought up. I swear I haven't been able to watch any discussion on this movie cuz it ends up pissing me off in some ways.
P.S: HOLY SHIT I AM BISEXUAL....YOURE RIGHT
Same! I thought this film made sense to me, even the third act. And was taken aback to see ppl not only hating it but missing the point. And i read and watched fennell's interviews, it made me love and appreciate the film more.
P.S, I'm bisexual too! 🤣🤣
@@Noxofspades-lh7bj Right ??? Hating it is one thing but like it's a matter of taste but so many people hate it because they miss the point and it's like...I'm not gonna listen to yall rant about it for 20 minutes when I can tell you didn't get it from just the opening statement lol.
Maybe it only make sense to bisexual people lmao. Can we at least make it bisexual culture at this point ?
I agree entirely with the tumblr-y feel that some people get from this movie. I also agree that this is one of the wildest rides i've ever had with a film and will not shut up about how much i like it. embrace the cringe, allow yourself to feel some uncynical joy once in a while
When I was only able to see the first sentence of your comment I was like, "and what's wrong with that!?" And then I saw the rest like, oh yeah, you get it.
I think it's a mark of a great critic when I can disagree with the sentiments from your takeaways (as I felt emotionally different) but I absolutely find your thought process and arguments to be pretty airtight - you have a charm and wit alongside the things you're saying that make it hard to disagree!
That is to say - I didn't like this movie but I like that YOU like this movie.
thank u apple cider witch!!
@@mediaprocessingchannel No problem, you are SERIOUSLY one of my newest fave video essayists and I love whenever you put out a new video. You're seriously a ray of sunshine.
I think this movie falls short for me not because of the faulty logic but mainly because the way it explained the twist, by forcing it in our faces. The best films show don't tell. Also i fear Fennell is laughing down at us blissfully unaware of our perception of the rich family, portraying the lower/middle class as desperate and murderous. After watching this however ive considered the idea that she is being self critical, and overall this video has given me a greater appreciation of the film
i gotta agree. the final twist felt horrendously forced
I love the "twist" cuz it just comes off as Oliver being an incel. The ones that after being rejected by a woman, just goes off the rails. Not only do they insult/assault the women, but they go into denial about their inital motives. "I never liked you anyway, i only..."
The very first scene of the film shows you how oliver is a liar and an unreliable narrator. He says how he doesn't love felix, yet it's shot the way you see the m.c reminiscing about his dead wife.
And Fennell said this in an interview about the lack of subtlety in her movie
"I think we are living in a world where subtlety is the only artistic medium that is rewarded. It’s not to say that I don’t [love subtle art], but there is also room for the gothic and the baroque. To always be dealing in subtext is inhuman, because we don’t live in a world of subtext.''
I agree with her to a point. I do think when it comes to certain subjects that requires sensitivity, subtlety is more beneficial. But if it's a film like Saltburn, that is just about obsession, i can't think of a reason why it must be subtle.
@@Noxofspades-lh7bj good analysis. As someone that adores subtlety in art and even absurdity (creating more questions than answers) the ending wasn't exactly for me. But that's a very good point, big clear statements, a swoop of a brush, does need to exist like Saltburn. Maybe though it doesn't need to be talked about by everyone as though it's the cleverest film in the world (which was a feeling I got after it dropped on Amazon and everyone was talking about it)
Oh but now videos like this and your comment has shown me maybe it is clever, maybe it does leave more questions and things to be analysed, because you now have provided a new interpretation to the ending. So it isn't as straightforward as my initial criticisms first made it out to be
I initially agreed about this, but then I considered that it’s all from Oliver’s perspective, and he wanted to portray himself as some twisted mastermind, so the “twist” probably feels more over-the-top than what actually happened. I think it’s up to interpretation whether or not he actually planned it all from the very beginning, but in order to combat the notion that he was in love with Felix, he had to make himself seem as calculating as possible.
That coffee shop scene just felt like it did not belong in the film AT ALL. It was a lazy twist that I struggle to understand how more people didn't see from the start. There is perfect amiguity in the character throughout the film, that gets completely tarnished at the end. It sucks
I find your takes on movies so refreshing! The fact that you engage with media on your own terms is just so much fun and makes me super happy. Amazing work and hope you keep it up!
that's so kind! thank you for watching!
Y'all KNOW its a good day when there's a new media processing video!
the best thing about the mamma mia music is that my school is doing Mamma Mia for our musical and whenever I hear it during rehearsal I think of this channel
so jealous your school is doing Mamma Mia for ur musical!!
Fennel wrote a novel called "Monsters" that in many ways reads like a rough draft of Saltburn. I highly recommend it. Having read it, I feel like I understand better about not only what Fennel was trying to say with Saltburn but also her general worldview: she is fascinated with the ugliness within people who believe they are doing good.
THANK YOU! You've articulated a lot of what I felt about this movie. I had a great time with it. I loved what it was doing even if it didn't "make sense". I was rather baffled by the reaction to this movie. I get if it's not your cup of tea, it's a lot. But there's a lot to enjoy about it. So yeah, thanks for this video.
ur so welcome!
I watched Saltburn with my bestie in the cinema and the whole theatre was packed and the energy was just so alive and everybody was having a bast and i fucking loved it
Yesterday the strong urge to rewatch the Mamma Mia video overcame me. Afterwards I continued with the Barbie video, because who needs sleep? And today I get a fresh video about another movie I have very many and conflicting feelings about. Did I die? Is this heaven?
Never stop the Mamma Mia music in the background. My bisexual Adhd brain is so happy every time it starts. Instant dopamine 🎉
woah triple feature!!!
Since you MMHWGA video I've been obsessed with your videos. Your humor and actual insights. LOVE.
Watched this in the theater with 3 other friends and 2 strangers. Nobody else was in the audience. 10/10 experience cause we got to holler and scream and ooo and aah whenever we wanted. I loved this movie and I couldn’t stop laughing throughout most of it (especially the red dining room scene).
When it comes to class - the problem isn't that there are no clear delineations in the narrative, but that there ARE. The family ISN'T grotesque. They're slightly rude, controlling and definitely ridiculous,, but the most grotesque thing in the film is Oliver. His character is a slimy, greedy, sexually manipulative hurtful social-climber. He is the only representation of anything remotely below upper-middle class in the story, and he is a fucking scourge. The story that this is getting inspo from (Talented Mr Ripley, undoubtedly, whether Fennel says it is or not) was smart enough to acknowledge that Ripley was a result of circumstance, his violence a symptom of intense class envy. Oliver's machinations are not - he is simply a psychopath who wants to embody power and wealth. THIS is where the film falls short, there is no humanity to any of it. Its messages are clear to everyone but Fennell, who herself is too much of a Catton to notice she's made a film where the nicest folk in it are the ones she's trying to critique.
I totally get your interpretation of the film, I love thinking of it as a collage, that's a really beautiful way to describe it - but for me, none of the individual moments work for me like other cult classics you mention like Ready or Not, simply because its politics are so convoluted and misguided
i love saltburn and i made some of my friends watch it but they were only impacted by how scandalous some scenes were(bathtub, grave, etc)
btw im still waiting for you to make a video essay talking about la la land
THANK YOU someone who paid attention to what the aesthetic choices were saying!!! Everyone just went “It’s bad because it tells conflicting stories and focuses on aesthetic”
i havent even seen saltburn but i have to say, you're completely right.
It's honestly one of my favorite movies, are you kidding??? The cinematography was GORGEOUS and the vibes IMMACULATE
Dude, your film analyses are just amazing! They are always so well thought out and expressed. Both the longer ones and this shorter one are greatly put.
thank u!!!
you‘re insane for this but absolutely. right.
thank u I agree
So refreshing to see someone love this movie BLESS UP
Love love love this take on media. SO often I find myself saying "that wasn't a 'good' movie, but I LOVED it". I also loved Hide and Seek, and I want there to be movies that don't HAVE to be "perfect", and are just FUN! I have probably re-watched both Mamma Mia movies more than any other movie!! They're not 'good', but they make me FEEL good!! As for shorter videos, love it for you. I'd watch a 2 minute video from you, hell - a 30 second video!
...also I should probably go watch Saltburn. Especially since I'm bisexual XD
YES! I feel like movies have to be perfect or they're bad and like that's not how art works
greetings fellow hide and seek enjoyer
We makin it out of the bounds of conventional critical analysis with this one 💯
Probably 1 of my favourite films ever. It’s a summer vibe with a good satisfying twist ending
yes my favorite TH-camr has returned
Your videos are so fun to watch! I haven’t even watched Saltburn yet (but I will now)
OH MY GOD I have literally waited for this, how does It feel to speak facts and pure facts? i love the way you look at these things. I love you for this. Thank you
I have been waiting for this ever since I said it was Wattpad coded on your stream
omg I vaguely remember that - was that before December? I can't believe how excited I am that you are absolutely correct about that
@@mediaprocessingchannel I think it might have been that long ago Mr. Processing- I dont think you had even started playing The Last of Us
Just yes, I loved every bit of this video. It said everything I was thinking I was having a bit of crisis. Thinking am I bad at media analysis? Why are all of these artists I like unable to witness this experience the way I do
i've avoided as much discourse around Saltburn as i could just because i loved it and i hate being told that i'm wrong lol... as a Talented Mr Ripley fanatic i delight in unsettling, aesthetically pleasing, fucked up, bisexual films with hot, talented actors and questionable morals and meanings that take place in a hot, sticky summer that is completely detached from the real world. Saltburn is basically a funnier, gen z, British Mr Ripley and for that i adore it. I haven't watched the video yet but you always have the most goated takes so i trust you and am so excited to see what you think...
When I saw the Contrapoints link to Envy, I was shook but so happy. I really think envy explains a lot about society if more people were willing to admit that they feel it
I feel like the twist makes more sense in the context that he's lying, but the camera isn't.
So Oliver really did all of those things, he just wasn't really planning the entire thing the whole time with that as the intended end result. It seems to me to be more natural to read that Oliver was just doing stuff and the end he got was an unintended consequence, like his real goal was initially just to get close to Felix, but then it escalated. He had to then be loved by the family, and then be part of the family. But it doesn't all go to plan and he just tries to deal with the situation he has at present.
People can't really manipulate on the level Oliver pretends to, but it's quite easy to look back from the end result and say that this was the intented end goal and it all went according to plan.
ooooooohh love "he's lying, but the camera isn't". dope take
"The memetic value" girl STOPPP 😂 for real though, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Love Lies Bleeding with this viewpoint in mind, if you ever feel like talking about it. That one left me feeling a lot of conflicting things, I need a fresh perspective on it
BAHAHA thank u for calling me on that line I truly deserve that lol. Haven't seen LLB yet but I've been meaning to!
I watched this movie with a friend on a projector screen in our lounge after a few drinks and had a blast! It was beautiful, funny, evocative, strange and deeply compelling. The only let down for me was the twist ending and I really appreciated your analysis of that. Makes me want to watch it again and think about it from a different angle.
I was listening to this while working on an art final, but when I heard the Ready or not mention, (my favorite movie) my head absolutely snapped up
Hello! Your content brings me joy! Have a great day 😊
This movie is vibes. If you get it you get it, if you don’t you don’t
Thank you for your brave, brave work
thank u for calling me brave
I would love more short videos like this one as well as the long ones!
hell yeah love it!
as a defender of this movie, you're so right about this and Fennel's entire shtick to me _is_ to play with audience expectations. i just don't understand how someone could see both this and Fennel's previous movie - _Promising Young Woman_ - and think Saltburn wanted to be anything more than it actually is. PYW reveled in twisting itself into against whatever you expected it to be, Fennel is only interested in being provocative and making you rethink your assumptions. Fennel is not interested in big messages, she's way more interested in seeing _why_ characters do what they do in the situations she puts them in. sure, Saltburn doesn't have too much substance under the gloss but... that's literally the point? you as an audience get drawn into the world the same way Oliver does, you expect there to be something deeper under the surface but rich people like that aren't deeper. there's nothing to aspire to. they're shallower, if anything. that's why the last scene is Oliver literally dancing naked through the now empty house. even the staff is gone. it's always been empty.
it's extremely hilarious to me when people point to Emerald being from a rich family and saying that's why her class commentary here sucks or has no bite when the entire time Fennel wants you to be on Oliver's side and in every scene the rich person is almost always doing some bad shit. the commentary is similar to Rian Johnson's _Glass Onion_ (though nowhere near as successful but partially because it's a secondary concern for her and not The Point). she plays way more with genre in Saltburn (and way more successfully than in PYW which to me was pretty uneven and her genre subversions there felt pretty bad because of what the point of the genre is). but anyway, great video lol, and there's definitely been a lot of discussion on this (some on TH-cam from other video essayists, comparing this to a movie like The Talented Mr. Ripley, a lot more on Letterboxd [if you're curious in more of my thoughts on either of Fennel's movies, i'm there at JamesIsTired] bc it's just easier to do there with the text format and longer essay-type analysis but yeah) and a lot of it has gotten so close to The Point and just missed it or it seems like they've got the point and not liked it (which is fine and at least they're media literate, i suppose). the vapidness of the movie is a feature, not a bug.
love your read on this! I'm glad you feel similarly about how "why is this character acting the way they are given the circumstances" is central to Fennell's work! And yesssss to this movie being about playing with audience expectations
WAIT, SHE WAS THE DIRECTOR FOR THAT?!?!
Sorry, had to emphasize how I felt reading that she was the director of Promising Young Woman.
Your takes are fire 🔥🔥
gets me EVERY TIME
I have only watched two of your videos (this one and Barbie) and I think you are great! I totally enjoyed Saltburn, thought it was a great ride. Feel like the critics are overdoing it, considering that a majority of films suffer from incredulity, plot holes, gimmicks, tropes, and so on - but they don't rip those films apart. A film is a success if it gets us talking about it - this one definitely does that. AT a time when we have seen it all are are completely jaded, this film still gave us more than one disturbing moment - that's great directing.
I want more films that have as a theme the cancer that comes with being stinking rich. So many films glamourize the lifestyle and hold up being super rich as a goal to strive for, making us envy that lifestyle and feel inadequate. This film exposed the rich people in it for what they were: petty, transactional, vain, self-centered, elitist, cold. I am thinking of Sofia Coppola's work, The Bling Ring - which also got panned by critics, who I feel totally missed the point, and how she was holding up a lens to our consumer and celebrity worshiping society.
We need more directors who are willing to forge their own visions and give us something unique. Can't wait to see what Emerald Fennell does next.
thank you for watching, I'm glad you've enjoyed those videos! Love hearing your takes on this one as well!
I really enjoyed your points in this video! I think we're so used to films holding our hands and leaving all characters sufficiently labelled 'good' or 'bad' by the end, but this was a great reminder that it's ok to not really know. I also appreciated that the subversive and controversial scenes weren't just SA scenes.
Btw, did you see that Lush created a Saltburn bathbomb?
totally, good takes!! and yes I did lol, really solid marketing
When thinking about Saltburn and class I always think about Envy by Contrapoints, so when it popped up in this video I was just delighted!
yessssssssssss
13:49 Apparently, this was not a directorial decision, but it was
improvised by Barry Keoghan (Oliver) 13:37
great work! you’re very well spoken :) im always torn w movie ratings and if i liked it or not but i heavily enjoyed saltburn despite people hating on it
Again, commenting as I watch this I literally told my friend that I don’t believe that he wasn’t in love with him to begin with. Yes, thank you saying the things I’m thinking!!!
you get it
I think this is just one of those films where it helps if you never had a Brideshead/ASP phase or watched Talented Mr Ripley a million times. Queer obsession in media runs through me like lifeblood, but if you aren't doing anything new with it in your art and everything that came before is still right there to choose instead, I'm just more likely to start picking it to bits. I think I just went in hoping for more than vibes, and honestly, that's on me.
really solid take, thanks for sharing!
There better be psychotic mamma mia riffs in this video
My problem with Saltburn is I found it deeply predictable. The moment the rich kid invited him to Saltburn, I immediately told myself "Okay, so we're doing a Talented Mr. Ripley." It got to the point where he was at the grave alone and I quite literally said, "They've tried so hard to make this movie crazy, I bet they're going to make him f*ck the corpse." I wasn't right, but I definitely wasn't *completely* wrong. I'm glad it reached its audience I guess. I'm curious to see people's opinion on this movie in, say, 10 years and that it's worth re-watching.
I was ready to love this film, that was until I saw The Talented Mr Ripley... But the grave scene was amazing, you can dig into its mythological inspo for fun
I loved this movie but I get why some people don’t however, god damn was that a visually beautiful movie
finally watched saltburn so i can watch this video now
yooooooooooooooooooo
I have not seen or heard of Saltburn until now! Commenting before watching just in case I don’t have energy after the vid 😻
I really like what you say about finding our own metrics to judge or talk about works, not just arbitrary star numbers where we’re not sure if we agree what “five stars” means to one another and such. Judging art, in my opinion, should be by what it’s trying to do, and what it does! Is it a tragedy, or a comedy, or a musical? What does it expect from the audience? What did it make you feel? And, far more simply, did you enjoy it?
I haven’t seen Saltburn but from what you’re saying it sounds like it’s not a movie meant to be logical, but more emotional and visual. Coming at it from a logic focused idea of movies will make you feel bad about it, since some art is just about feeling or showing - especially movies! Visual arts have a lot of room to just put something there and invite the audience to see the cool things!
Also ty for talking about things in conversation- I like hearing about cool things from your channel like music and movies I wouldn’t know exist and then I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a conversation watching your videos, but after I go and check out the stuff myself and decide how I feel about it and broaden my own horizons haha.
@@KulFox ur such a good writer! appreciate the kind words! lmk in stream sometime ur thoughts on the movie if you end up seeing it!
I needed someone to defend that movie. Thank you ❤
happy to help!!
I'll be chewing on the idea of a piece of art making us Very Uncomfortable *without* being bigoted. Wanna see where that idea goes, what else it connects with.
i like ur vibe
thank u
I've never heard of this movie but i will always agree with you mr processing
thank u ghost!!!
I am also bisexual! Bisexuals for Saltburn!
U should read Umineko no naku koro ni. Its Mistery with terror that becomes a romance mistery and its wild
Reframing this from the lens of an unreliable narrator changes it all for me! Thanks!
not the petah poster 😭
The last thing you said that everyone you know loving that movie is bisexual caught me off guard LOL, I mean it looks like I can't keep it a secret from everyone, right? 😂 Love your content, I wish you posted more often.
lollll thank u!! I wish I posted more often too haha
also, hide and seek is great and its a joy to watch and rewatch
Distorted Mamma Mia mentioned!!! 🗣️🗣️ (also I loved this movie and I’m bi, so there’s that)
I’m completely on your side about finding different metrics to judge movies. All the criticisms I’ve heard about “Saltburn” failed to sound convincing, even when I knew they were technically “right.” The vibes of the movie are impeccable, and the sense of a cohesive dramatic arc is completely present, even if you can tear little holes in it. It’s a movie about everyone’s emotional reactions to Oliver. That Oliver’s character is hard to nail down doesn’t matter. He’s what these desperate, incomplete people are grasping onto. I think yeah maybe you have to be queer to get it.
Did I love this movie? No. Butttt I had fun! And I will be having a saltburn bday party. 😜
The movie was absolutely great :D
17:45 throughout this film I felt like I had seen it before, and then I realised it feels like PARASITE. I had basically seen it before already. Because of this I could see the twist coming, and that was not a shocking revelation to me at all... And yeah, I really didn't like those gross scenes, because I think whoever thought they were a good idea must be a terrifying person, but I think they don't add anything at all. Parasite gives the shock factor too, but in a far more impactful way I think.
yeah I'm now thinking the unreliable narrator read is even more plausible than I gave it credit for in the video!
saltburn and this video both WHIP.
saltburn reminds me a lot of the weird/sad girl lit i read. the goal of the book isnt necessarily plot or making complete sense but the vibes - often feeling uncomfortable - and wondering what the fuck is going on (in a postive way ) in similar ways to the bathtub, vampire, and grave scenes. youre here for the ride and maybe there is a metaphor you find or read in the text but maybe you just want to experience or see something weird and wild and strangely authentic to the human experience.
When a friend and I were watching a bunch of different Shakespeare adaptations, we got to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and realized we needed an entirely new metric to measure why we enjoyed it. Is it a 5/5 star movie? No. But is it a 5/5 on our new Hawaiian Shirt Scale? Yes. Anyway, I haven't seen Saltburn because I'd only seen negative takes on it, but this video makes me think I might really enjoy it-so I'm gonna have to check it out 😂
Hawaiian Shirt Scale!!!!! So stoked you created a new metric to enjoy & analyze media!!!
yall tihink the twist doesnt work? i saw it coming long before they showed it
i just got back from a club night out and im drunk so all i can think is josh hutcherson is watching over us
obsessed
Saltburn is the best movie ❤
I liked Saltburn, to me it felt like sort of the reverse version of Parasite. That movie was a comedy which then turned into a horror and then into a tragedy. Whereas Saltburn starts like a tragedy then becomes a horror movie and finally turns comedic at the end. Both movies are about rich people being scammed, but with the opposite outcomes for the main characters. One movie got the best picture Oscar, the other got snubbed. The "shocking" scenes honestly reminded me of John Waters' movies like Pink Flamingos and Female trouble but more subtle so I found them funny.
P.S. I hated La La Land.
I personally think this movie is very queer. It says so much about queer envy, which is always mixed-up with sexual desire and economic striving. Was that Emerald's intention, probably not, but I believe the text supports that reading.
It might not be my favorite movie from last year, but I think she has a knack for portraying rage and its connections with other emotions very well. It's telling that she's stated that she doesn't believe there are "good" people in the world, her art reflects that deep mistrust in others, but also in oneself and one's emotions.
Also, the movie's fucking fun. I find its detractors very boring.
"It says so much about queer envy, which is always mixed-up with sexual desire and economic striving." AbsoLUTELYYYY! Great take!
Finally, a correct take 😌
it's so nice to be right
I find it very strange in particular how many peole criticise the class narrative and specifically say that Oliver's motivations and thoughts are unclear..... As if there isn't an ENTIRE MONOLOGUE AT THE END EXPLAINING HIS THOUGHTS ON CLASS
honestly it is so boring to take this movie literally like I've seen many people do. It is fun, and fantastical and a really disturbing representation of obsession that feels new. The fact that it lacks in logic at parts doesn't mean it doesn't make you feel things and explore interesting themes. Amazing film, made me laugh many times
because they wanted it to be one thing and were disappointed that it was an entirely other thing and not everything has to be revolved around them. it was a thrilling movie, it was tense and it was beautiful and it was good. it just wasnt the talented mr ripley only with a happy ending i think
I hated it because of the second hand cringe. I appreciated the artistry and vision.
bro that shit was fire what are people talking about
FINALLY
OUR KOOKY AUNT
Hi! :)
I can recommend Broey Deschanel's video about Saltburn vs. The Talented Mr. Ripley.
th-cam.com/video/y0dAGXixsck/w-d-xo.html
I have yet to watch Saltburn, but from everything I've heard about it, it really just seems like a worse version of The Talented Mr. Ripley (which is a great movie btw).
I LOVE YOU i loved saltburn and yes, im bisexual
I personally love the third act and it makes sense to me. How i perceived it, Oliver is an unreliable narrator. He lied from the very beginning to the audience and to himself about not loving Felix. When he clearly did, the way felix was shot was like those movies where the m.c remembers their dead wife.
And the ending gives me the vibes of those incels who lash out so violently cuz the women they like rejected them. Not only do they insult (or sadly assault) the women, but they also go into serious denial about how they never liked them in the first place. And would made up reasons about their inital motives.
And reading Emerald's fennell interviews, she not only confirmed that Oliver loved Felix, but she purposely made the third act theatrical and on the nose. She said this in an interview
"I think we are living in a world where subtlety is the only artistic medium that is rewarded. It’s not to say that I don’t [love subtle art], but there is also room for the gothic and the baroque. To always be dealing in subtext is inhuman, because we don’t live in a world of subtext.''
!!! I love the idea that so much of the reality of Oliver as a character is in conflict with his actual inner reality, which we are left to speculate on! And simultaneously, that existing in a world where the end is as bold and theatrical as it is. You nailed this take!
I read "The characters don't know what genre their in- so their actions don't have to make sense for that genre" on tumblr yesterday and i think that is apply-able to most movies as well
Saltburn is beautiful and cinematic af
Saltburn is weird and kinda repulsive
Saltburn makes it hard alsmost impossible to look away from something one might consider repellent, due to the cinematography those are (almost) beautiful and pleasing to watch
Agreed! Applicable is the word you were thinking of I think
@marie6226 Yeah, my autocorrect was showing me that, but I wasn't sure if it meant the same and was too lazy to look it up, haha
fwiw the gross sex scenes were my favorite part of saltburn, and I came out of it a bit bitter largely because of the twist.
Having listened to your analysis, I am less bothered. Things not quite fitting together can be an intentional and valuable part of art. And I appreciate your more emotional approach to art analysis in this instance(and being up front about it).
I think the word you are looking for to describe when a piece of art that is compelling for a reason that is not it's ability to create cohesive meaning is "aesthetics." Saltburn works aesthetically. It is a movie that you see and feel and interpret but not that you translate into greater significance. Art for art's sake.
Totally unrelated but I just watched American Psycho and I feel the same way about it. I don't know that I really "get" the movie. I can't really articulate a strong moral or synthetic meaning from it. But I enjoy it aesthetically. Patrick Bateman the serial killer folds under the weight of his guilt and confess to his killings seeking repentance. But no one cares or believes him. It goes really hard.
If I join your Patreon, will you do that Riverdale video??? 🙏🏼😛 - signed, That Riverdale Girl
P.S. I'm neutral tending towards negative on Saltburn, but really enjoyed your take!
this is an era where you have to convince people that cult movies deserve a cult. looking at donnie darko, animator, the room, fucking the rocky horror picture show. imagine these movies being well received today? or even understood, just let people create films out of passion and love and not out of the "politically correct" need to satisfy the most vocal group of people.
things can be good even if they don't represent everything you stand for. art doesn't awe you shit.
I wouldn't say I especially liked Saltburn (I didn't dislike it either! Just an overall enjoyable watch that was ruined for me by the amount of people who told me it was reaaally crazy when it was. not.) but I found myself nodding along to so many parts of this video, I feel like so much of the debate around it just seems to grossly misunderstand what the movie is (or isn't) trying to do.
And on a similar note, I can't believe I'm saying this, but if you are interested in seeing how far you can possibly stretch out an original premise for a story, and plot twists that don't necessarily make sense but make you go WOAH! in the moment, you should seriously check out.... Riverdale. Ok, hear me out, I know it has a reputation as a "pretty good" teen show that got bad, but I sincerely think it's such a unique wild ride of a tv show It seems to me that the slow detachment from its original premise, going from mediocre Twin Peaks meets Dawson's Creek to Why Are There Superpowers And Aliens Now was both more or less intended from the start, and is also a really unique and incredibly fun piece of television. Definitely not for everyone, but if you want to watch something that's going to constantly double down on getting weirder and weirder, it's a delightful watch.
Yeaaaaaah it's starting to feel like Riverdale is precisely the type of media that would fit right in on this channel, given my obsession with weird narrative justifications haha. Thx for the rec!
i think your friends just have bad taste
Oh shit, I think your bisexual theory is right... 😅
ONE OF US, ONE OF US
I think the fact that you compared this to Gaspar Noe's work tells me something about why I don't particularly like this movie. Noe's work has always been extreme and difficult to comprehend and doesn't bother too much Ior at all) with message or narrative or anything beyond spectacle. Fennel really does well at depicting scenes that are gorgeous and ugly and discussed and shared, but doesn't quite know how to break out of a narrative structure that kind of M. Night Shyamalan's the final bit.