{"id":35912,"date":"2024-10-17T21:47:11","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T20:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/?p=35912"},"modified":"2024-11-21T17:51:37","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T17:51:37","slug":"director-is-dissatisfied-substance-sometimes-my-arms-bend-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/director-is-dissatisfied-substance-sometimes-my-arms-bend-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Director is Dissatisfied: \u201cSubstance\u201d \u2013 Sometimes My Arms Bend Back"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Poster of \u201cThe Substance\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A direct descendant of 70s and 80s B-movie shockers,<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>Substance<\/span><\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/span>has metamorphosed into an A-list festival favorite, winning the Best Screenplay Award<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>at Cannes-2024<\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span>It <\/span><\/span>treats fear not as a primitive abstract energy permeating everything visible, but as a physical immediacy. <\/span><\/span>The film<\/span><\/span> borrows heavily<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>and unabashedly<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>from the bank of visual culture spanning<\/span><\/span> the<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>p<\/span><\/span>ast half-century<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> from the monstrosities <\/span><\/span>on<\/span><\/span> Bacon<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s <\/span><\/span>canvases<\/span><\/span> to Benny Benassi<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s music <\/span><\/span>videos<\/span><\/span> and the transgressive cinema of <\/span><\/span>Nicolas <\/span><\/span>Winding Refn<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>often extracting more <\/span><\/span>from these<\/span><\/span> sources than the original creators intended.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Still from The Substance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the very first frames, long before the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>horrific<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>moments<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>emerge, Fargeat cultivates<\/span><\/span>an<\/span><\/span> atmosphere of discomfort through a rich arsenal of cinematic devices. Her primary tools<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>include hyper-detailing, <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>binocular<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>perspectives, liminal spaces,<\/span><\/span> and<\/span><\/span> bass frequencies pushed to their peaks. The enemy, however, is swiftly identified<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>the <\/span><\/span>patriarchy, personified by the repulsive producer Harvey (!), who dismisses 60-year-old fitness show host Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore). He seeks a new sexy starlet to boost ratings and satiate the modern audience. Elizabeth <\/span><\/span>can<\/span><\/span> become this coveted ing<\/span><\/span>\u00e9<\/span><\/span>nue <\/span><\/span>by<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>activat<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span> herself<\/span><\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/span>through an injection of <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>Substance,<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span> a cellular division accelerant.<\/span><\/span> This results in the<\/span><\/span> emergence<\/span><\/span> of <\/span><\/span>the flawless Sue (Margaret Qualley)<\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span>boasting smooth skin and perfect physique, equally adept<\/span><\/span> at <\/span><\/span>handl<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span> a drill <\/span><\/span>or<\/span><\/span> gyrating <\/span><\/span>for <\/span><\/span>Harvey’s new production. However, substance is no benevolent fairy godmother<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s magic: every seven days, Elizabeth and Sue must exchange bodies<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>to sustain each other.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Still from The Substance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Youth<\/span><\/span>ful Sue<\/span><\/span> fully exploits its charm and folly<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>we <\/span><\/span>witness<\/span><\/span> the gradual disintegration of Elizabeth’s personality and body. Here, Fargeat excels where her predecessors did<\/span><\/span>:<\/span><\/span> she skillfully subjects her audience to a barrage of somatic perversions<\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span>meticulously <\/span><\/span>playing out <\/span><\/span>the dark permutations of her vision. The narrative’s focal point shifts from mere bodily events<\/span><\/span> to<\/span><\/span> the dynamics of their metamorphoses. The climax unfolds a<\/span><\/span>s a<\/span><\/span> bloodbath<\/span><\/span> during the New Year<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s TV-show, <\/span><\/span>catalyzed<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>by <\/span><\/span>a <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>third<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>entity<\/span><\/span>\u201d\u2014<\/span><\/span>a <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>being-non-being<\/span><\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/span>that emerg<\/span><\/span>es<\/span><\/span> from the beauty Sue<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> a terrifying spawn of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>perfection<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mania.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Still from The Substance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A<\/span><\/span> significant flaw in Fargeat<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s <\/span><\/span>film<\/span><\/span> is the absence of any indication that the consequences of new ideas colliding with reality can be assimilated or reconciled. The film’s trajectory spiral<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> deeper into <\/span><\/span>a<\/span><\/span> vortex of extreme <\/span><\/span>corporal <\/span><\/span>manifestations,<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>continually<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>pushing<\/span><\/span> new<\/span><\/span>extremes<\/span><\/span>;<\/span><\/span> must progress invariably <\/span><\/span>be <\/span><\/span>accompanied by brutality and violence? <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>Substance<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span> does not offer adequate answers, nor any meaningful intuitions: its<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>considerable<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>conceptual<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>visual<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>capital is directed solely<\/span><\/span>towards<\/span><\/span> producing shock value, attempting to captivate those ready to <\/span><\/span>switch<\/span><\/span> to any of other visual offering<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Still from The Substance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Fargeat<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>preoccupation <\/span><\/span>with the<\/span><\/span> represent<\/span><\/span>ation of <\/span><\/span>identity and otherness, coupled with an almost compulsive<\/span><\/span> drive<\/span><\/span> to generate shock content, overshadows the clarity of her artistic expression, <\/span><\/span>with<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>film<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s <\/span><\/span>aesthetics<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>taking<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>precedence over logic. <\/span><\/span>All<\/span><\/span> becoming means of manipulation. The central lesson <\/span><\/span>of <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>Substance<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span> isn<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>t that <\/span><\/span>exploring<\/span><\/span> beyond the ordinary is impractical, but rather a reminder that every creation<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>and action begets consequences that neither the author nor any other entity can foresee<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> control<\/span><\/span> or prevent<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First and foremost, \u201cSubstance\u201d is an exceptionally unique work, distinguished by its technical execution, dramaturgy, and narrative rhythm. It may well be the year\u2019s most potentfilm, given its immence potential to affect audiences. Yet, something feels very wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":35915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"type_post":[184],"column":[],"class_list":["post-35912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35912"},{"taxonomy":"type_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type_post?post=35912"},{"taxonomy":"column","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/column?post=35912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}