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Barry Keoghan Says Saltburn's Unhinged Grave Scene Got Even Raunchier
The original idea for the scene was already wild, but things got even crazier when it was filmed.
Spoiler Alert: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from ‘Saltburn’!
“Why are you so obsessed with me?”
In Saltburn, after Oliver (Barry Keoghan) realizes that he really can’t have Felix (Jacob Elordi) for himself, he decides to become Felix by inserting himself as deeply as possible into the Catton family and their Saltburn estate. This starts with Oliver poisoning a drink that leads to Felix’s death.
As Felix is buried, Oliver visits the graveyard by himself and has an emotionally (and sexually) charged moment on top of Felix’s grave. Oliver undresses himself, kisses the grave, fingers the grave, unzips his pants, and inserts his penis in the grave – a moment that symbolizes Oliver finally getting to have sex with Felix.
The original script called for Keoghan’s character to kiss and finger the grave, but nothing else. During the day of filming, however, Saltburn writer and director Emerald Fennell told Keoghan that maybe Oliver was the kind of guy who would unzip his pants in that situation. “She plants seeds, Emerald, you know what I mean?” Keoghan told Entertainment Weekly. “She knows that they’re going to grow, these seeds, especially when she plants them with me. But it is a testament to Emerald and having that idea, and me meeting it with, to be honest, no questions. I was totally on board for it.”
Keoghan added, “For me, it wasn’t about f*cking the grave. It was more about, ‘I don’t know what to do with this obsession. It’s making me confused and making me unhuman in a way.’ It was a total discovery for him, I think. And it was sad. It was very, very sad.”
While this was certainly a very shocking and unexpected scene (even for a movie like Saltburn), Fennell acknowledged that this was also “a moment of profound despair – an almost relatable moment of grief over this completely forever unrequited love.” The length of the scene, and its inclusion, felt absolutely necessary for Fennell and Keoghan to showcase just how heartbroken this character is over the loss of a potential lover.
When it comes to his personal life, Keoghan joked with the publication that he is no longer allowed to visit graveyards anymore. “I can’t look at graves anymore the same way,” the Saltburn star said. “They won’t allow me into graveyards actually. They’ll see me coming. They’ll be like, ‘Nah, nah.’ Especially if I arrive with no clothes on.”
Keoghan is a superstar in the making, and Saltburn is a must-watch!
Saltburn is now in theaters.
Bernardo Sim is a writer, editor, and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is a writer, editor, and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
