Tár (2022)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Tár (2022) – T. Field

Cate Blanchett disappears into the role of Lydia Tár, the virtuoso conductor of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. But director Todd Field has more on his mind than just allowing Blanchett to go deep into the character. His real aim would seem to be an examination of the effects of power on people, going beyond the simple maxim “power corrupts”. And it isn’t just Tár’s behaviour that Field examines but also those around her, whether they be groupies, the jealous, or others basking in her reflected glory. Clearly, being able to dictate outcomes for others has its advantages and Tár brazenly uses those around her, especially the vulnerable or those lowest in power (for sexual satisfaction but also as a demonstration of her dominance). The fact that he made the conductor a lesbian woman is a hint that Field wants to take the cultural discussion beyond the bad behaviour of men in the #MeToo era to question whether their transgressions are a result of gender or power – this might be taken as a political point (although clearly the two are difficult to disentangle in the real world). But Blanchett often shows Tár to be charismatic and her conductor seems genuinely interested in music (especially in the very heady New Yorker interview sequence) and in bonding with and supporting her young daughter. Even her bad behaviour (and it is very clearly bad) might be seen as encouragement or offering opportunity to those who show promise or who seek to follow in her footsteps, in the right light. Whether she uses such reasons to justify her actions (essentially lying to herself) remains hidden, although late in the film we get some clues (and it is tempting to replay some scenes in your head later). Indeed, the film begins to take on elements of the mystery or horror genre as we progress through it, feeling much like an unsettling psychodrama with raw nerves and exposed emotion on display. Although long, perhaps too long, it’s a knockout and a tour de force for the actress and director.