'Saltburn': The Labyrinth

In the context of ancient Greek-Roman mythology and the legends associated with Crete Island, tales emerge surrounding Zeus' seduction of Europa, leading to a series of events involving Europa's son, Minos, and the ingenious craftsman Daedalus. Minos, reigning as the king of Crete, faced retaliation from the sea god Poseidon for not sacrificing a promised bull. As a result, Poseidon caused Minos' queen, Pasiphae, to fall in love with this bull, birthing the monstrous Minotaur, a half-human, half-bull creature. Subsequently, Minos commissioned Daedalus to construct a labyrinth, confining the Minotaur within. Later, after the defeat of Athens, young boys and girls were sent as offerings to the Minotaur until the hero Theseus arrived on Crete, aided by Daedalus and Princess Ariadne, to navigate the labyrinth and slay the Minotaur. Post this event, Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son, Icarus, within the maze. Daedalus crafted wings for them to escape, leading to Icarus' tragic demise as his wings, bound by wax and feathers, melted upon flying too close to the sun, causing him to plummet into the sea.

The titular maze within the "Saltburn" estate courtyard directly relates to this mythological origin. A sculpture of the Minotaur adorns its center, modeled after the work of British sculptor Nicola Hicks (credited in the closing acknowledgments). The primary characters, Felix and Oliver, display contrasting backgrounds due to their societal positions, driving their psychological shifts and the film's narrative progression. The climactic birthday party showcases this contrast vividly in their costumes. While the party's theme revolves around "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the characters portrayed by Felix and Oliver seem interpretable from a classical mythological perspective, not strictly tied to specific roles in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (owing to a particular mismatch, particularly considering that the fairies in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" should have insect wings rather than avian ones). The winged character portrayed by Felix, reminiscent of Daedalus' son Icarus, embodies the myth, identity, and noble image associated with the wings as symbols of intelligence and craftsmanship, befitting his high societal standing. In contrast, Oliver embodies the deer—either as a simple animal or as a creature half-human and half-deer (a Satyr, often portrayed as a half-human, half-goat figure in ancient Greek tradition, occasionally depicted as half-human, half-deer in later artistic representations). This signifies a symbol of nature and wildness, juxtaposing Felix as a representation of civilization and humanity.

Felix's death and the character Oliver portrays within it are suggested through the images they embody. Felix meets his tragic demise within the maze, akin to Icarus falling from the heavens. The scene discovering the body portrays most of Felix obscured from view in the foreground, with only the golden wings conspicuously occupying the bottom right of the frame. Facing the camera beside the wings stands Felix's father, Sir James, with the Minotaur sculpture centrally positioned, occupying half the structure, strikingly prominent. Oliver's portrayal as a half-human, half-beast figure juxtaposes with the Minotaur, suggesting his pivotal role in Felix's demise.

Another subtly metaphorical symbol is seen in India, who enters the maze with Felix but leaves when interrupted by Oliver. Her costume involves bat wings—a creature often associated with the underworld in Greek mythology, potentially foreshadowing Felix's fate.

Roles from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," such as Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Amazon queen Hippolyta, are William Shakespeare's adaptations of classical Greek mythological characters, amalgamating European folklore about fairies. Theseus, from myth, slays the Minotaur. In "Saltburn," the mastermind Oliver remains undiscovered, much like the Minotaur at the maze's center. Unlike the Cretan labyrinth in mythology, the Saltburn estate lacks an outsider to break the deadlock. The police officers searching for clues are explicitly mentioned in the dialogue, permanently losing their way within the maze, deviating from the conventional notion of a hero.

Another intriguing aspect unrelated to the maze is Venetia's lines, revealing that Oliver was likened to two different animals by Sir James—first a spider and then to a Moth ("quiet and harmless, attracted to shiny things, fluttering against windows, begging to come inside"). Both these animals are related to the fairies' roles in "A Midsummer Night's Dream": Titania's servants include a character named Cobweb and another named Moth.