Lent Term Issue

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21
Saltburn Review: Eat the
Rich and Leave You Hungry?
Freya Stoodley
SCREEN EDITOR
The 2023 film about lust has left much to be desired.
How has Saltburn (2023) divided its audience as both an
accomplishment and a failure?
‘Eat the rich’ is taken very literally in the film. Various scenes go to
the extreme in showcasing Oliver’s carnal longing for access only
inheritance will ever truly grant him.
Though, was Oliver truly infatuated with the
Cattons, or was it just their property?
Amongst the major cinematic achievements of 2023, namely
Barbie and Oppenheimer, Saltburn has emerged as one of the
year’s most infamous offerings.
By garnering a viewership divided between
intrigue and repulsion and TikTok virality, one
can’t help but question: is it just too much?
Saltburn is a stunning collage of unresolved
themes where the line between satirizing and
glorifying the elite becomes thin.
The film’s lead ‘Oliver’, performed by Barry Keoghan is a complicated
embodiment of dangerous desires. Keoghan- as the negligible and
unorthodox Oxford undergrad- is a complete standout. However,
his performance is overshadowed by the narrative’s inability to
make an ideological commitment.
Instead of focusing on Oliver’s psyche, the
ending chooses to focus on creating a shocking
twist, ultimately falling flat, and not following
through with these interesting themes of class
consciousness and University life.
Photo: MGM/ Amazon Studios
Wonka – A Chocolatier
Who Conquered the Big
Screen (and Many Hearts)
Valentina Caneschi
MUSIC EDITOR
Now, let’s be honest with each
other: nobody expected Wonka
to be good. After Gene Wilder
and Johnny Depp’s impeccable
portrayals of Willy Wonka, this
reimagining had massive shoes
to fill However, it is safe to
say that Timothée Chalamet’s
performance has silenced the
doubt.
If you’ve watched the star in Call
Me by Your Name (2017), Lady Bird
(2017), Little Women (2019), Beautiful
Boy (2018) and Dune (2021), then
you know that he’s a versatile actor
who brings a sombre nuance to his
characters, making his shift to the
musical genre with Wonka all the
more confounding.
Wonka is a film about a
slightly unhinged and
magical chocolatier who
saves lives. It was the
ultimate departure for
Timothée Chalamet and
he landed with enviable
precision.
This musical fantasy film directed
by Paul King focuses not on Charlie’s
adventures, but on the origins
of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate
Factory.
Wonka brings magic
to Europe, immediately
posing a threat to the
already affirmed
chocolatiers in
the city. He goes
through many
challenges, always
assisted by his loyal
friend, Noodle,
played by the
instantly loveable
Calah Lane.
One of the biggest critiques lobbied
against the film when the trailer
aired in the summer of 2023 was
the presence of Hugh Grant, cast as
Oompa-Loompa. Hugh Grant.
The dreamy British actor
who starred in Notting
Hill (1999), Bridget Jones’
Diaries (2001) and Love,
Actually (2003)... playing an
Messaging is a major issue in Saltburn. While many have lauded the
film as a takedown of the disconnected aristocracy, it fails to meet
this praise by depicting the Catton family as naïve over sadistic.
Moreover, their archaic reign over the Saltburn
castle is a considerably weak one, easily
unravelled by Oliver’s machinations.
Their actions are suggested to be out of ignorance rather than
cruelty, making their subsequent downfall feel unjust and out of
the blue. This incoherence spills over into Oliver’s character shift,
reducing Keoghan’s nuanced performance to be more in line
with the calculated villainy of Lex Luthor rather than the morally
complex and sympathetic Walter White.
The character at his ultimatum is worse than the
wealthy family he surrounds himself with, ruining
the moral ambiguity of Keoghan’s performance.
Photos (left to right):
Warner Bros.
and Netflix
Oompa-Loompa? But what
a majestic job he did! His
portrayal was filled with
sassiness and wit, making
him the perfect comic
relief.
The set design is also
phenomenal: the
chocolate shop’s sweet
flowers, the hotel’s
dark and worn out
halls, the gallery’s
grandiosity…
Everything has been
thought out in incredible
detail, and viewers cannot
help but feel like they’re
also a part of this magical
world.
Of course, many still criticise
Wonka, calling the whole
musical over the top, others
saying Timothée Chalamet
was not ‘crazy’ enough to
portray the mad-hatter.
But where do you stand? As the fantasy
musical is leaving the cinema, now is
a great time for you to give it a watch
and enjoy (or not) the performances
and beautifully designed sets.
Noor Rakha
CREATIVE WRITING
EDITOR
Blue-eye Samurai
is an action adultanimation
set in
Edo-period Japan.
Mizu (Maya Erskine) is
an outcast, perceived
as a demon by her
people for the blue
eyes that she received
from her father, a
white man.
Now, she seeks
retribution for what
made her a ‘monster’.
There were four white
men present
in Japan at
her birth,
and Mizu
means to kill
each one of
them.
Disguised
as a
man, her
mission knows
no bounds.
Interestingly
exploring gender
positions in the
fictional setting.
The animation style is
A strange quality of Saltburn is its ability to be both nostalgic and
distant. The setting of the mid-2000s brings back familiar strands
of indie-rock and early Oxford posh-casual fashion. The film takes
us back to the era without depending on it entirely, supported by a
stunning soundtrack.
The Saltburn and Oxford settings have a timeless
and unidentifiable quality to them, equally
fantastical and psychedelic.
Competing with predecessors to the cautionary rich obsession
story, The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) and even 2019’s Parasite,
Saltburn doesn’t pave new directions in class conflict discourse.
One thing, however, that can’t be understated is
Saltburn’s entertainment value. Everything from
the comedic one-liners to reflexive references to
Pulp’s ‘Common People’ and the overall aesthetic
of the film makes it a compelling watch.
Whether it’s to appease the TikTok frenzy or for the stand-out
performances, Saltburn (2023) is a must-see.
Blue-eye Samurai:
Patricide, Patriachy, and the
Path of Revenge
gorgeous, like a goreflecked
painting. The rich
colours of the landscape
and their sheer scale is
mesmerising.
The violence is
visceral, cutting
through the
tranquil beauty of
each scene.
Mizu is a calculated
protagonist. Her resolve
at points blurs between
self-destructive and
supernatural, whilst
her seemingly ‘assured’
demeanour hides a
multitude of scars.
I particularly
enjoyed the
exploration of
patriarchy through
two seemingly
privileged women.
Mizu’s disguise as a
man allows her to go
unquestioned on her
conquest.
Princess Akemi (Brenda
Song) resists the rigid
roles her society expects
from her and desperately
attempts to escape them.
I would be amiss
to not mention the
lighter aspects of
the show, such
as Ringo (Masi
Oka) the handless
optimist with
aspirations for
greatness.
Then there is
Taigen (Darren
Barnet), a
samurai from
Mizu’s past, with a
quest for honour;
his stubborn
demeanour leads
to the funniest
lines in the show.
It’s a rare thing to find
a show as delightful as
this. Blue-eye Samurai
manages to be truly
faithful to its themes
and characters, whilst
remaining to be an
entertaining, gore-filled
adventure.