Emotional Battles of Body Horror: 'The Fly' by David Cronenberg, 'The Substance' by Coralie Fargeat.

Love. Transformation. And the prices we pay. . . The key similarities and differences between two beloved and gruesome body horror films that became lodestones of their directors' careers

CLASSIC VS. CONTEMPORARY

Carolie Fargeat talks The Subtance at the Toronto Internation Film Festival by Jay Dixit is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Romance and Obsession

Coralie Fargeat‘s body-horror The Substance was wonderfully embedded with homages to great films, most obviously David Cronenberg’s The Fly. Yet where art imitates art, imitation is only taken so far; and the narrative decisions made by Fargeat and Cronenberg differ in a variety of ways. Comparing the films, made decades apart, highlights a reflection of the times, heroics, perspective, and the ever-changing trends of cinema.

The Fly

revolves around the love story between Seth (Jeff Goldblum) and Veronica (Gina Davis), with the latter initially interested in covering a story about the former’s research, then intrigued by his quirky inventions and talents. They soon fall in love.

As Seth gradually mutates into a human fly, the love between is pushed further and further from reach. There is a familiar scene where the lead, fearing what he might become, asks his love interest to stop seeing him. This tragic display of heroism comes with Cronenberg’s signature duality: repulsive visuals, genuine emotion.

Another share of heroism is carried out by Davis’s character, who worries deeply for Seth as the fly genetics distort his body and mind. In seeing Seth’s grotesque transformation through Veronica’s eyes, the film brilliantly parlays how we are affected by the suffering of those we love.

Veronica remains loyal to Seth until she realizes that another life form is at risk. Coming into the final frames, Cronenberg delivers an ending so bizarre and so pure like only he can.

Gina Davis is stellar in her role, and for younger readers who were introduced to Jeff Goldblum by Jurassic Park, Independance Day, or Kaos, The Fly shows a different side of the actor that makes it a must watch.

The Substance

relies more heavily on obsession, self-imaging, and stimulation. The identity of 50 year-old Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) exists on the basis of her body aerobics show, from which she is fired in the first act of the film. With her reality shattered, she resorts to the substance, a de-aging kit with an ominous warning and particular set of guidelines, to take back her youth and career.

As Elisabeth toys with the substance, her and her younger self, Sue (Margaret Qually), begin a battle of sorts and soon face the consequences for disrupting the balance of the kit. This dramatic push-pull not only calls to The Fly but Requiem for a Dream, with Fargeat setting up some seriously humiliating circumstances that heighten desperation and suspense.

The visuals and camera work are stimulating, with Coralie Fargeat and DP Benjamin Kračun warping us through sensory experiences in about every scene. The script, written in both French and English, also holds very little dialogue compared to its action lines (around 15%). This provided actors with room to explore character on a deeply emotional level. Both Moore and Qually deliver monumental performances.

There is a powerful scene where Elisabeth stands-up her date due to self-disgust and mounting insecurity. On the flip side, Sue has a few love affairs, but for the most part The Substance deals with romance in the way that The Fly deals with obsession, dabbling in it but never allowing full focus.

The Substance is a film about Elisabeth’s inability to confront a human truth that is the process of aging. Even when told she is beautiful, she cannot accept it. She is too disgusted with herself. This sentiment is rationalized by the expectations of her world. Yet while wanting our younger bodies back is universal, there is a certain centeredness that exists in the urge to maintain youth at all costs. Considering this and other factors, it could be argued that The Substance is a film far more focused on ‘the self’ than The Fly.

Both main characters are problematic and pay heavily for not respecting the laws of nature, but the dilemma and stakes in The Substance revolve around one character, her desire and needs (with other characters written in caricature), where-as The Fly explores the impact that its main character’s journey has on ancillary characters on a more human level.

What does this tell us? Are tunneled examinations of the self a trend? Possibly so. A comparison between Joker and Taxi Driver would air parallel arguments about heroics and the complexities of their leads.

This is not to say one approach is right or wrong, or better than the other. It is a matter of opinion. But becauseThe Substance forgives any sort of genuine human relationship, the idea of ‘growing old together’ is out of the window; and so the wrinkles and sags sink so much lower. There is an underlying loneliness to the film that correlates with the way we imagine ourselves in an era of surgical fixes and digital filters. Perhaps this was something Fargeat was trying to hone in on, perhaps not.