A number of scenes in Emerald Fennell’s explosive thriller Saltburn have set the internet ablaze, including the bath moment and the ‘vampire sex’.
Yet one scene appears to be setting tongues wagging the most – when Barry Keoghan’s character Oliver Quick stimulates sex with the grave of his murdered best friend Felix Catton, played by Jacob Elordi.
In the wake of the explosive response, Barry, 31, has spoken out about the troubling moment in which he pulls down his trousers and grinds on Felix’s grave and revealed the incredible news that the sex was never in the original script.
Director Emerald, 38, revealed they added the disturbing moment later on, meaning she was forced to clear the set as Barry ‘unzipped’ and ‘let his body lead the way’.
Barry revealed: ‘On paper, he wasn’t written to do that. But I wanted to see what actually happened, where I would take it. I wanted to be confused and let my body lead the way. What am I doing? How can I get closer?’
Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan has revealed his grave scene was improvised and left director Emerald Fennell forced to clear set while he ‘unzipped and let his body lead the way’
In the wake of the explosive response, Barry, 31, has spoken out about the troubling moment in which he pulls down his trousers and grinds on Felix’s grave and revealed the incredible news that the sex was never in the original script
Released on November 17, the movie is centres around Oxford scholarship holder, Oliver and his infatuation with his upper-class friend Felix.
Oliver struggles to fit in with the super wealthy crowd that study at the elite university, however Felix soon takes him under his wing.
Sought-after Felix eventually invites down on his luck Oliver to stay at his illustrious Saltburn mansion for the Summer, igniting a season of eccentricity, partying and chaos – as well as an obsession from the latter to the former.
Oliver then slays Felix when his lies about his family are uncovered, leading to the chilling moment he pentrates the mud on his freshly dug grave.
He said: ‘It’s trying to find that new level of obsession.’
Emerald told Entertainment Weekly: ‘I spoke to Barry in the morning. And I just said, ‘I don’t know, Barry. I think that he would…unzip’ […] And Barry just said, ‘Yup.”
On her decision, Barry went on: ‘She plants seeds, Emerald, you know what I mean? She knows that they’re going to grow, these seeds, especially when she plants them with me. But it is a testament to Emerald having that idea and me meeting it with…
‘To be honest, no questions. I was totally on board for it.’
With its fair share of controversial scenes, Saltburn has been the movie on the tip of many tongues over the past couple of weeks
Saltburn’s Paul Rhys, Jacob Elordi, Emerald Fennell, Barry Keoghan, Carey Mulligan and Archie Madekwe are pictured left to right
Barry opened up about his experience filming THAT nude scene at the end of Saltburn, revealing that it was all him (pictured: Barry as Oliver Quick)
Discussing her thoughts behind the scene, Emerald added: ‘There’s no way it couldn’t be in the film. There’s no way I could see a performance of that dedication — an expression of grief and love as intense as that — and not show it.’
The discussion of the explosive moment comes after Barry confirmed that it was all him in the eye-opening nude scene in Saltburn.
The film concludes with a disturbing twist, when seemingly innocent Oliver turn out to be a vengeful mastermind who has killed off not just Felix and his family, over the course of a few years in a bid to gain their fortune – and Saltburn mansion.
Celebrating that he has finally pulled off his masterplan viewers see Oliver busting a move around the manor – completely in the nude.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in November, Barry described the scene as embracing ‘full confidence’.
He said: ‘It’s ownership. This is my place. It’s full confidence in, “I can do what I want in this manor. I can strip to my barest and waltz around because this is mine”.’
Barry added that he didn’t feel comfortable from the get go, but he eventually came to grips with the scene, doing 11 takes.
‘After take one, I was ready to go. I was like, “Let’s go again. Let’s go again.” You kind of forget, because there’s such a comfortable environment created, and it gives you that license to go, “All right, this is about the story now.”‘
Following a seemingly down on his luck Oxford student, Oliver Quick and his new upper-class friend Felix (played by Jacob Elordi, pictured), Oliver quickly develops an infatuation with his rich friend
Describing the nude closing scene of the film, Barry (pictured) quipped that is was ‘ownership’ adding that it was a display of ‘I can do what I want in this manor. I can strip to my barest and waltz around because this is mine’
