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| Sumber: Doc |
The story begins with Oliver monologuing in a room, then the scene switches to the past where Oliver first enters the university. The social status that is so obvious in his college environment, highlights his outsider status in an elite academic environment. His fascination with Felix, who embodies the extravagant lifestyle Oliver craves, serves as the trigger for the ensuing drama. The plot intricately explores themes of class inequality as Oliver's obsessive desire to fit in leads him deeper into Felix's luxurious world.
Oliver’s Yearning for Belonging at Oxford
Oliver Quick, a quiet scholarship student at Oxford, feels out of place amid the wealth and privilege that surround him. He feels isolated and lonely, watching other students socialize and live carefree lives. His admiration is quickly fixated on Felix Catton, a popular and effortlessly charismatic classmate from a wealthy, well-connected family. Felix’s charm makes him the center of attention, and Oliver, drawn in by his magnetic personality, yearns to be part of his world. The two form a tentative friendship, and Felix unexpectedly invites Oliver to spend the summer at his family’s sprawling estate, Saltburn, which is the move that sparked Oliver’s fascination into obsession.
ASummeratSaltburn: The Depths of Obsession
As Oliver arrives at Saltburn, he’s immediately swept up by the Catton family’s world of extravagant wealth and eccentricity. Felix’s family, including his enigmatic parents and otherhigh society friends, display a lifestyle so luxurious that it borders on surreal. Saltburn itself, with its grandeur and secrets hidden within its walls, captivates Oliver, symbolizing everything he dreams of but has never had. Oliver is shy and polite, trying to fit in as a guest. As the summer goes on, Oliver wants to be accepted by Felix and the Cattons. He starts to do things he knows are wrong.
Oliver becomes obsessed with Felix, copying his behavior, eavesdropping on private conversations, and sneaking around Saltburn. His actions become more invasive, crossing boundaries in his desperation to belong and understand the family. Moments of darkness arise as Oliver's envy, loneliness, and social insecurities clash with the Cattons' privilege and indifference, revealing the depth of his internal struggle.
Shattered Illusions and Moral Collapse
Over the summer, Oliver's view of the Cattons changes. He sees the emptiness in their lives and the moral decay hidden by their wealth. Felix, who initially seemed effortlessly charming, appears selfish and reckless, while his parents’ eccentricities begin to look like cold detachment and a disregard for others. Oliver's obsession with Felix turns darker, fueled by resentment and envy. He starts to think like the Cattons and is willing to do anything to stay with them. The film reaches its climax when Oliver takes disturbing actions to reveal his obsession.
The reality of his own transformation hits him, marking the moment when his admiration for Saltburn turns into a hollow realization of its emptiness and the toll it has taken on him. By this point, Oliver’s desperate attempts to belong have alienated him further from the world he came from, even as his presence in the Catton household grows tenuous and strained.
Returning to the Present: A Hollow Victory
As the film returns to the present, Oliver reflects on the transformative—and damaging—summer that forever altered his path. The allure of Saltburn and the promise of acceptance have left him disillusioned and morally compromised. His obsession with the Cattons and their lifestyle has turned out to be a double-edged sword: while he glimpsed the world of privilege he coveted, the price was his own integrity and identity.
In the end, Saltburn critiques the seductive but toxic pull of wealth, privilege, and social ambition. By the time Oliver leaves Saltburn, he’s no longer the same person—changed not by the acceptance he sought but by the moral decay he encountered and embraced in his desperation. The film leaves the viewer questioning the price of belonging and the corrosive effects of envy, weaving a complex narrative that exposes the limits of ambition in the face of empty glamour.
A Reflection of Social Class and Discrimination
In Saltburn (2023), social class and discrimination are central to the film's exploration of power, privilege, and belonging. The film shows how social class affects not only lifestyle but also perceptions and interactions. The elite Saltburn family is superior to others. They treat people outside their social class as curiosities. Oliver’s tried to fit in, but it's harder than he thought.
Oliver is aware that he cannot fully belong because of the class barriers. His mistakes are judged more harshly than those of his wealthy counterparts. This shows that he has to earn their acceptance. Oliver’s journey represents a quest for identity through social acceptance. The film critiques the notion that one’s worth is tied to social status, as Oliver’s obsession with the Cattons’ world ultimately leads to his moral compromise and personal disintegration. This theme reflects contemporary anxieties about identity formation within class structures, where individuals often feel pressured to conform to the expectations and values of the elite.
When Oliver first arrives at the sprawling Saltburn estate, the camera lingers on his awestruckexpression as he takes in the mansion’s grandeur. The silence speaks volumes about his sense of inadequacy and wonder. The estate is opulent, almost dreamlike, with its manicured gardens, vast halls, and lavish rooms. Oliver’s quiet, wide-eyed reaction reveals his deep-seated envy and longing for a life of wealth and elegance that he’s never known. This silent introduction to Saltburn captures Oliver’s internal journey and foreshadows the lengths he’ll go to for acceptance into this world.
Oliver watches the Cattons family interacting in their natural habitat, perhaps through a partially open door or from a hidden vantage point. Each family member’s behavior is highlighted: Felix’scharismatic confidence, his mother Rosamund’s poise, and his father Richard’s formal, imposing presence. The family’s interactions are natural and unguarded, revealing both their closeness and the casual entitlement of their world. This scene makes Oliver feel like an outsider and shows how his obsession grows as he watches the family's private moments, feeling both envy and longing.
In the scene where Oliver has his first breakfast with the Catton family, Felix’s suggestion that Oliver must be "dressed up" for breakfast, points out the expectation that he alter his appearance to match the standards of wealthier circles, signifying how personal presentation is tied to class identity and how the elite often define belonging through external markers.
Another scene when there are several people who try to seduce a woman but are unsuccessful while Felix, who is a nobleman's son, can easily get the woman without having to do much action. This scene shows how social status and wealth make it easy for some people to attract others. While some men try to get the woman's attention, they fail, showing that charm or personality doesn't matter when status is involved. Felix, the son of a nobleman, doesn't have to try to win her favor. His high social status makes him more desirable.
The woman likes Felix because of his social status. Wealth and title create a magnetic pull that shapes attraction and desire. In Saltburn, those with privilege can control social dynamics and achieve their desires without the same struggles as those from lower social ranks. It shows how society can admire wealth and power more than genuine connection. Those in positions of influence often enjoy advantages just because of their status.
The social gap between them is then shown again at a lavish party hosted by the Cattons, Oliver is surrounded by laughter, chatter, and dancing guests, but he remains on the fringes, observing from a distance. While Felix and Venetia shine in the crowd, Oliver’s isolation is visually pronounced as he stands quietly in the corner, admiring them but feeling excluded. The bustling, glamorous atmosphere contrasts sharply with Oliver’s silent presence, reinforcing his loneliness and envy as he watches people who seem to belong effortlessly to a world that remains just out of his reach.
This also shows that there is quiet but strong discrimination in social groups based on wealth. People are often kind but have a patronizing attitude or underlying bias. Saltburn also criticizes the way the rich are often forgiven for wrongdoing. This shows that wealth can affect moral standards. It can hide flaws in the rich while making the faults of the poor seem worse. Saltburn looks at how class and privilege affect people in different ways. It shows how people are treated differently because of their wealth or status.
In a powerful, silent climax, Oliver stands alone at Saltburn one last time, looking back at the mansion with a mixture of regret, realization, and bitter satisfaction. The silence is heavy, and the camera captures the enormity of the estate against Oliver’s small figure. The grandeur of Saltburn seems to dwarf him, serving as a reminder of the unattainable privilege he sought and the personal cost of his ambition. In this unspoken moment, Oliver confronts the empty promises of the life he wanted, now realizing the hollowness beneath the opulence he so admired.
Despite the glamorous backdrop of Saltburn, many characters experience profound loneliness and alienation. Oliver’s outsider status highlights the emotional toll of pursuing acceptance in an elite social circle. The film suggests that beneath the surface of wealth and privilege lies a deep sense of isolation, where individuals are disconnected from their true selves and each other. This reflects a broader commentary on the loneliness that can accompany a life built around status and appearances.
Ariana
(Mahasiswa Sastra Inggris UNJ)
