The final act of Saltburn omits one major character’s fate from the screenplay, who ultimately provides the biggest threat to Oliver’s hold on the estate. While it doesn’t seem that Oliver’s original intention was to steal Saltburn from the Catton family and – directly or indirectly – cause their demise, Saltburn’s ending sees Barry Keoghan’s character inheriting the estate after infiltrating the Cattons and facilitating their deaths. Oliver appears to emerge as the clear “winner” with all loose ends tied up, but the screenplay makes it clear that he still has more work to do in order to maintain Saltburn.
While he dances around the estate to signal his transformation into Felix after the deaths of Felix, Venetia, James, and Elspeth, Oliver’s victory still isn’t entirely sealed due to another character’s survival. Though Farleigh is seemingly still alive in Saltburn’s ending, he doesn’t pose a massive threat to Oliver, given he was already disinherited by James prior to the Catton family patriarch’s death. Rather, the character who could completely upend Oliver’s victorious fate after the movie has no direct line of inheritance to the Saltburn estate.
Saltburn’s Ending Ignores That Duncan The Butler Is Still At The Estate Watching Over Oliver
It’s not entirely clear in Saltburn’s ending, but the screenplay (via Deadline) reveals that the butler, Duncan, is still at the house after the Catton family’s demise. In fact, Oliver sees Duncan’s silhouette watching him from afar when at the Cattons’ graves. Though Duncan’s role when Oliver was “caring” for the dying Elspeth remains a mystery, the screenplay explains that Oliver will “deal with [Duncan] later” before the dance scene commences.
However, the quick cut of Oliver spotting Duncan isn’t obvious enough to highlight that it’s even Duncan watching him, with the movie failing to directly follow up on the butler’s fate. Consequently, the ending doesn’t emphasize the important fact that Duncan is still a looming presence at the estate, who Oliver may or may not be able to “deal with” as he needs to. While Oliver was slowly organizing the Catton family members’ tragic fates, he overlooked the necessity of first ridding the estate of Duncan, whose observant nature indicates he knows far more about Oliver’s intentions than the others.
With Duncan having been the first person to greet Oliver when he initially arrived at Saltburn, it’s fitting that he’s also the last person at the estate with him. Oliver had even checked with Elspeth about whether Duncan was still at Saltburn before he went to care for her, so he clearly remembered that Duncan would need to be addressed at some point, though it’s odd that he didn’t do so before Elspeth died. Regardless of what happened to Farleigh, Duncan’s presence following Elspeth’s death confirms that there are still some loose ends for Oliver after the movie’s ending.
Saltburn’s 10 Biggest Clues To Oliver’s Real Plans & Deceptions
Saltburn’s ending is one of the wildest parts of the movie, but Oliver’s true plans are subtly set up over 10 times throughout the film.
Duncan Is A Way Bigger Threat To Oliver Than Farleigh After Saltburn’s Ending
Farleigh appears to still be alive and could try to come back and ruin Oliver’s plans, but Duncan is far more dangerous to him in the larger scope of the situation. Duncan is subtly shown in the corners of Saltburn watching and listening throughout the film – he knows everything that happens, but doesn’t let himself be known or show his cards, unlike the Catton family members. Both Duncan and Oliver are attuned to observing and extracting information from wealthy people like the Cattons, so Oliver would find it much harder to manipulate Duncan than the family.
Additionally, like Farleigh, Duncan seemed to have caught onto the notion that Oliver was using the Cattons from the moment he first met him. Saltburn suggests that the Cattons are oblivious and naive due to their social status and wealth, whereas Oliver, Duncan, and Farleigh have to be far more observant, careful, and calculated. However, Farleigh was so confident in his place among the Cattons that he could still be cruelly manipulated by Oliver. Meanwhile, Duncan being more removed from the family and their power means he won’t be as easy for Oliver to understand and deceive.
Saltburn Gave Away Oliver’s Biggest Lie To Felix Before He Even Met The Catton Family
Oliver tells many lies throughout the course of Saltburn, with his biggest deception to Felix having been subtly revealed while back at Oxford.
Duncan Being Symbolic Of The Saltburn Estate Hints At Who Will Really Prevail
Largely existing in the shadows of Saltburn as he learns the secrets and motivations of its residents, Duncan serves as a symbolic human extension of the estate. Consequently, it’s Duncan who would ultimately emerge victorious against Oliver, suggesting the latter’s fate isn’t really as triumphant as it appears in Saltburn’s ending. Saltburn itself will always stand, with the residents and its “master” being what changes. As such, regardless of who claims the title of being the estate’s master, whether that be Oliver, the Cattons, or someone else, Duncan, as Saltburn’s steward, will always be there.
Saltburn
Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, Saltburn is a 2023 comedy-thriller film. When Oxford student Oliver Quick is invited to his friend Felix’s family’s wealthy estate, Saltburn, for a summer vacation, he is drawn into the world of eccentric characters and increasingly chaotic events as his obsession with Felix comes to a head.
- Release Date
- November 17, 2023
- Director
- Emerald Fennell
- Cast
- Barry Keoghan , Jacob Elordi , Rosamund Pike , Richard E. Grant , Alison Oliver , Archie Madekwe , Carey Mulligan
