Why did Emerald Fennell pick ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ for the ‘Saltburn’ ending?
Transport yourself back to the early 2000s: studded belts are the height of fashion, Sophie Ellis-Bextor rules the airwaves, and Mason and Princess’ track ‘Perfect (Exceeder)’ powers most workout playlists. Amid this era, the tech-savvy are dipping their toes into a curious new platform called Twitter. It’s a nostalgic yet polarising period, serving as the backdrop to Emerald Fennell’s acclaimed movie Saltburn.
During the autumn of 2006, Oliver Quick, a scholarship student from Prescot, attends the University of Oxford, grappling with the challenge of fitting in due to his lack of familiarity with upper-class etiquette. His path crosses with Felix Catton, a well-to-do and well-liked student who empathises with Quick’s accounts of his parents’ struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues.
When Quick is overwhelmed by the sudden loss of his father, Catton consoles him and extends an invitation to spend the summer at his family’s estate, Saltburn. Fronted by the powerful duo that has taken the internet by storm, Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, Saltburn achieved cult-like status almost overnight. However, more famous than any scene within its boundary-pushing narrative is its infamous ending.
As Quick celebrates his newfound prosperity – an achievement he has literally been fighting tooth and nail for – he dances naked around the Saltburn mansion to the soundtrack of Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’. Focussing on the theme of obsession, Fennell has been candid about her influences from the outset, stating that she drew on her own experiences as a human being who “has felt that thing we all feel at that time in our life which is that absolute insane grip of obsessive love”.
Fennell also cites references like A Clockwork Orange, Rebecca, and Cruel Intentions, all films which flirt with the dark corners of the human psyche, pushing and shattering genre convention and the confines of black comedy. “I think that I was sort of looking more at that British Country House tradition of The Go-Between and that sort of very specific British,” Fennell told Radio Times, adding, “Sort of Joseph Losey world, where class and power and sex all kind of collide in one specific place.”
Of course, Fennell absolutely nails the concept of dark humour and lavish possession of space and commodity in the film’s ending as Koeghan’s Quick frolics in the place he can now proudly call his own. Opting to set this iconic scene to ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ serves two very important cinematic accomplishments: the complete transformation of early-2000s stigma and the tongue-in-cheek interpretation of dark impulses prevalent throughout the whole movie.
The first one could form another article entirely — how did Fennell manage to make the most hated era in music cool again? It’s simple: make it cult-like and adopt an anti-establishment ethos. However, the second is a bit more difficult to achieve, but it is simple again once broken down. Without ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’, the ending wouldn’t have the same level of “evil glee” as Fennell described. She explained: “It had to be an act of desecration, an act of territory taking. It’s ownership. ‘This is fucking mine. I do whatever I want,'” she told GQ.
She continued: “It’s not going to be, like, the forever victory. It’s sort of a depressing victory, even for Oliver. But in that moment, we need to love him. I like the audience to be complicit.”
For decades, directors have skilfully juxtaposed upbeat music against dark themes in their scenes. A Clockwork Orange notably achieved this through Alex’s fixation on ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. However, Saltburn achieves a masterful feat, elegantly presenting Quick’s resolution with finesse and allure, all while maintaining its trademark penchant for a delightfully wicked turn. Elevating the concept of ‘Eat the Rich’ to new heights, Fennell’s aesthetically captivating conclusion is destined to carve its place in cinematic history.
