6th February 2024
Film Critic: The Enchanting Location Behind 'Saltburn'
Academy award winner Emerald Fennell is back with a bang, Barry Keoghan is the man of the moment and 'Murder on the Dancefloor' by Sophie Ellis-Bextor has been playing on repeat! This seems to have been the outcome of 2023's most divisive film of the year, 'Saltburn, which hit our screens on the 17th November. If you tuned in over the Christmas period, you'll be familiar with the historic halls and regal rooms of the 'Saltburn' country estate, where the drama unfolds between Oxford University student, Oliver Quick, and the charming, aristocratic Felix Catton.
Despite the films playful soundtrack, witty writing and warmly saturated cinematography, the narrative has plenty of dark twists and turns which actually categorises it as a psychological thriller, and it's certainly got people talking - both good and bad! Some critics believe the movie is simply aesthetic with empty provocations. Others were left dumbfounded at the disturbing scenes within the storyline, highlighting that they were unneeded. Whichever side of the fence you sit, the general response from Rotten Tomatoes, is that it's undoubtedly an intense film and the cast do a terrific job, but if you're easily offended then it's perhaps not the film for you.
In addition to the unnerving plot, another striking aspect of 'Saltburn' is the coutry estate itself; captivating, enchanting and all-encompassing! Although fictional for the film, the 127-room and privately owned manor house is indeed a real place in Northamptonshire, and what makes this brilliant location so enchanting, is that it's never opened its doors before to any kind of filming or photography. Fennell told Architectural Digest " the house was so important, and it needed to be something that hadn’t been used before. This hadn't been photographed even, let alone put on film. We always wanted the exact sense that it is a real place." Fennell and her creative team made various aesthetic changes and rooms were altered to serve the narrative, such as the boy's shared bathroom...But as a whole, this impressive stately home ticked all the boxes to play house to Oliver's fantastical dreamland.
With the success of Saltburn and it's iconic setting, we thought we'd take a look at some of our country estates that the Catton's could have called home! One of our newest locations, RES-12437 in Northampton, is a beautiful Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion; it's fantastic decor and 2,000 acres of country gardens make it a stunning backdrop for filming and photography that wouldn't have looked out of place in Fennel's divisive film. Arguably one of the most disturbing and morbid scenes takes place in the dining room over lunch after tragedy had unfolded. The Saltburn house has three dining rooms, but the filmmakers only needed one. Creatives used the family’s existing table, but brought in chairs with changeable covers and the red curtains were purposeful to create a specific atmosphere during a pivotal scene. RES-10655 in Bedfordshire is a great similar location to this iconic room.
