You can now stream the brilliant Tár on WOW. The psychodrama with a masterful Cate Blanchett is a thrilling study of the abuse of power that repeatedly drifts into horror territory
After 17 years, Little Children director Todd Field released his new feature film Tár in 2023. The long wait has paid off, as the mix of drama, psychological thriller and horror trip has landed in many of the year’s best lists. Tár also made it to number 5 in the joint top 25 of Moviepilot and FILMSTARTS.
If you missed Cate Blanchett’s outstanding acting performance in a challenging study of the abuse of power, the cult of genius and cancel culture mechanisms, you can now stream Tár for the first time as a subscription.
Movie highlight in the stream: This is the plot of Tár
In Field’s work, Blanchett plays the brilliant conductor and composer Lydia Tár, who leads the Philharmonic Orchestra in Berlin. She is a celebrated talent who is sometimes feared by those around her. The film, named after its title character, eventually raises specific allegations of sexual abuse of power against Tár, which are linked to a tragedy involving one of her former students.
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Tár inspires with complexity and an oppressive atmosphere
Field’s film revolves for over two and a half hours around its ambivalent title character, who Blanchett embodies superbly as a power monster between razor-sharp intelligence and cold-blooded diva. The serious accusations against Lydia Tár spark discussions about the separation of art and artist, which need to be addressed now more than ever.
However, Tár is less cerebral than the complex thematic worlds in Field’s screenplay would suggest. In addition to Blanchett’s hypnotic performance, the film is also an unsettling, ghostly character drama that uses creeping horror elements to unfold the catastrophe slowly rolling towards the main character.
(Tár)
Screams in the park through which Lydia jogs or constant strange noises seem to come from a nightmare that increasingly becomes the protagonist’s reality. Tár raises many questions and forces you to reposition yourself in relation to the title character and to question and evaluate her behavior every minute or so.
There has probably never been a more ambivalent film about the contemporary cancel culture theme, while Todd Field’s masterful staging marks his return as a director who has been away for far too long.
