[Limelight] Moore, Formerly Known as the 'Popcorn Actress,' Embarks on a New Journey

Extreme Expression of Desire for Recognition in 'Substance'
Delivers Message About the Difficulty of Becoming the Subject of One's Own Body
Missed the Oscar, but Realized the Philosophy of Self-Care

In the movie 'Substance,' former star Elizabeth (Demi Moore) frequently looks into a mirror. The image she faces is merely a reflection, an illusion that reflects herself. However, since she can only see herself through the mirror, ultimately, the existence of "I" is defined by the image of myself reflected in the eyes of others. Desire is no different. Humans always live by longing for something, whether material or spiritual. French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan called this the desire of the Other. Although one thinks they desire something themselves, in reality, it is what others desire from them.

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In fact, humans tend to want to become the object of desire for the Other. For example, when a baby is hungry and seeks milk, they throw a tantrum and cry toward their mother. As they grow and develop some awareness, they act in ways their mother desires to get what they want. They smile and act cute. From the moment they start to understand the world, they learn the survival instinct that to satisfy their desires, they must please the object that will fulfill those desires. Lacan said that to break free from this framework, one must be reborn as a desiring subject. He emphasized that this is an important task to prevent our lives from becoming alienated.

'Substance' is a story that rushes in the exact opposite direction and meets destruction. Elizabeth injects a drug called Substance and is reborn as a younger, sexier Sue (Margaret Qualley). She returns to an aerobics show program from which she was fired and quickly rises to stardom. However, she cannot fully enjoy the popularity she painstakingly regained. This is because she must alternate living with Elizabeth every week. If the rules are broken, an irreversible punishment called aging follows.

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This is a metaphor for how difficult it is to become the subject of one's own body. At some point, the modern human body escapes personal control and falls under the control of others and society. The idea that one must have the body society desires is openly learned from childhood. This awareness is internalized not only through everyday language but also through media such as plastic surgery, diet, and health food advertisements, which promote having a body that fits society’s gaze. At the peak of this are people on social networking services (SNS) who pursue self-satisfaction through extreme body management and exhibition. If one must create a certain body to become an object of admiration for others, isn’t that also a distorted form of desiring the desire of others?

Demi Moore expressed the addictive phenomenon caused by the desire for recognition in 'Substance' in an extreme way. Adding a life trajectory similar to Elizabeth’s enhanced the authenticity. Having risen to stardom early, she was recognized as an actress working with renowned directors of her time. However, in the 21st century, she failed to leave a strong impression in her works and was frequently spotlighted only as a subject of gossip, such as her well-maintained figure. Numerous unconfirmed reports about her being addicted to plastic surgery poured out, even prompting voices of self-reflection in Hollywood.

Movie 'Substance' Still Cut

For Moore, who is marked by insults and wounds, a philosophy of self-care is more necessary than an Academy Award for Best Actress. She must be able to dream of various values and forms by free will, not by the desires or gaze of others. She seems to already know this. After winning the Best Actress award at last month’s Golden Globe Awards, she confessed that she had freed herself from the ways that made her anxious and shackled her life. She vowed to take on more roles and portray the stories of diverse women.

"Thirty years ago, a producer called me a 'popcorn actress.' From then on, I thought I didn’t deserve to receive such awards. That producer’s words gnawed at me for a long time, and over time, I believed I wouldn’t improve my acting. When my career was hitting rock bottom, I received an incredibly bold and extraordinary script. It was 'Substance.' At that moment, the universe told me that my journey was not over yet."