Margaret Qualley as Sue in 'Substance' dir. Coralie Fargeat
As a film director and teacher at the Polish National Film School, I often emphasize to my students that every visual element should serve the story's core meaning. When watching Substance (2023), directed by Coralie Fargeat, I noticed numerous references to classic films that demonstrate deep cinematic knowledge. However, these references raise an intriguing question about the relationship between homage and narrative purpose.
A Symphony of Visual References
Fargeat's film exhibits clear inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" (1980). The office corridor sequences employ Kubrick's signature symmetrical composition, with the camera positioned at the center of long hallways, creating a sense of institutional menace similar to the Overlook Hotel's infamous passages. The carpet patterns in these corridors even mirror the hexagonal designs from "The Shining," though serving a different narrative purpose. Most notably, the bathroom scene, where the protagonist accidentally overhears news of her impending termination, borrows Kubrick's clinical approach to interior spaces - using stark lighting, rigid geometry, sterile white surfaces, and striking use of red color that echo the bathroom scenes from "The Shining." Just as Kubrick used red as a harbinger of horror in his film's bathroom sequences, Fargeat employs the same color palette to foreshadow her protagonist's professional doom.
The camera placement and movement in this scene particularly recalls Jack Torrance's conversation with his predecessor, the previous caretaker Grady, in the Overlook's red bathroom. Both scenes feature characters learning disturbing truths about their professional fate, though in "Substance" the revelation comes through accidental eavesdropping rather than supernatural encounter.
David Lynch's influence permeates the film as well. The phone conversation scenes, particularly the extreme close-ups of the woman's mouth while speaking, directly echo shots from "Lost Highway" (1997). These compositions share Lynch's distinctive approach to filming facial features and female sexuality, reminiscent of scenes with Patricia Arquette's character in "Lost Highway."
The protagonist's physical transformation sequence draws clear inspiration from Lynch's "The Elephant Man" (1980). As the character undergoes her metamorphosis, the visual treatment of her altered form recalls the presentation of John Merrick's disfigurement. This parallel becomes even more explicit in the gallery scene, where she wears facial covering that closely resembles the protective hood Merrick used to shield himself from public view. This borrowing from Lynch's visual vocabulary, while technically precise, seems more focused on aesthetic impact than thematic resonance.
The Question of Purpose
These references showcase Fargeat's extensive knowledge of cinema history. The execution is precise, demonstrating technical skill in recreating iconic visual compositions. Yet, as I analyze these citations, I find myself questioning their thematic contribution to the narrative.
Understanding Hidden Meaning
The core theme of "Substance" centers on society's obsession with youth and beauty, particularly in professional environments. It examines how aging women face systematic replacement by younger counterparts, regardless of their competence or experience. This theme manifests through the protagonist's physical transformation and her struggle against a system that values appearance over substance (pun intended).
"Youth is currency; experience is expendable."
The Power of Purposeful Reference
To illustrate how cinematic references can reinforce themes, let's examine Todd Phillips' "Joker" (2019). The film uses Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2" during a pivotal scene where Arthur Fleck descends the now-famous Bronx stairs in a dance of liberation - notably going down instead of climbing up, symbolizing his embrace of moral descent. The ease and joy of his movement down these same stairs he previously struggled to climb illustrates how natural and liberating his descent into evil has become.
This choice carries multiple layers of meaning. What's particularly notable is that the song was specifically written into the screenplay - an unusual choice, as music selection is typically left to the director's discretion during production. This deliberate inclusion in the script signals the song's importance as a planned symbolic element rather than a post-production decision. Beyond establishing the 1980s setting, the song's performer's controversial history adds subtext. Glitter's real-life notoriety for criminal behavior - culminating in his 2015 conviction and 16-year prison sentence for abusing minors - creates an uncomfortable ambiguity that aligns with the film's exploration of moral transformation.
The song choice reinforces the theme of evil begetting evil, where Arthur Fleck finds liberation through embracing darkness. I'm certain this symbolic layer will fly over most viewers' heads - perhaps only 1% of the audience knows about Glitter's criminal history, especially since he's not a contemporary artist. Yet this reference still serves its purpose. For the few viewers aware of the context, it creates an additional layer of meaning. For everyone else, the contrast between the song's cheerful tone and the scene's dark implications still provokes the intended ambiguous feeling about Arthur's transformation. This is how a reference should function - working on multiple levels while still serving the story's core theme, regardless of the viewer's knowledge of its deeper context.
A Game of References
Let's play a game. If we were to search through cinema history for a scene that could serve as a meaningful reference in "Substance," what would we look for? The goal would be to find a visual citation that doesn't just demonstrate cinematic knowledge but actually reinforces the film's central theme of ageism and professional obsolescence. Instead of references that serve as mere decoration, we're hunting for one that could deepen the story's meaning.
There exists such a reference point in Federico Fellini's "8½" (1963). In a pivotal sequence, Guido, a film director, watches a series of dancers auditioning. Among them is an aging dancer who moves with grace and technical mastery, demonstrating years of professional experience. Despite her evident skill, she's dismissed - not because she can't dance, but because she doesn't fit the youthful image the production desires. What follows is a heart-wrenching moment as she refuses to leave the stage, delivering an impassioned monologue about her abilities. She argues that she can still dance, that her experience should count for something, that her body still knows the movements. The camera lingers on her face as she processes this rejection, capturing this raw moment when expertise collides with society's obsession with youth. Her desperate plea to be valued for her skill rather than her age makes the scene even more poignant. As she exits the stage, making room for younger performers, we witness a microcosm of professional displacement that resonates powerfully with themes of age discrimination.
This scene encapsulates the exact theme "Substance" explores - the cruel paradox where experience becomes a liability rather than an asset. Here, the visual reference would have directly reinforced "Substance's" central theme about the disposability of aging professionals, creating a dialogue between past and present about how little has changed in society's treatment of aging workers.
Of course, this scene from "8½" is just one example from cinema's vast history. I'm certain there are many other scenes from different films that could playfully reinforce or add depth to "Substance's" exploration of ageism. What scenes come to your mind? Share your ideas in the comments - which film references do you think would meaningfully connect with the theme of professional obsolescence and society's obsession with youth?
The Function of Symbolism
As I teach my students, symbols and references should not merely decorate a film. While Fargeat demonstrates admirable knowledge of cinema history, the citations to Kubrick and Lynch function more as ornamental tributes than thematic reinforcement. The technical execution is impressive, but these references function more as ornamental tributes than thematic reinforcement.
This analysis isn't meant to diminish Fargeat's achievement - after all, competing in the main competition at Cannes is a remarkable accomplishment that speaks to her talent as a filmmaker. My goal with this article is to examine how visual references can either strengthen or distract from a film's central message. As filmmakers, our primary obligation is to our story's meaning, with every technical and artistic choice serving that purpose.
Sources Films referenced in analysis:
• "Substance" (2023) - Directed by Coralie Fargeat, starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and others
• "The Shining" (1980) - Directed by Stanley Kubrick
• "Lost Highway" (1997) - Directed by David Lynch
• "The Elephant Man" (1980) - Directed by David Lynch
• "Joker" (2019) - Directed by Todd Phillips
• "8½" (1963) - Directed by Federico Fellini
Additional Sources:
• About Gary Glitter's case - BBC News article
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