My choice to analyze the public reception of Tár and the kinds of publications that wrote on this film are informative before even touching the content of the reviews. The New York Times, The New Yorker, NPR, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal gave contrasting variations of interpretation to the film, but I want to make it clear before beginning that I do not believe that this paper is a “public reception analysis”. This is a critical reception analysis. Tár, and the publications that employ critics to talk about films like Tár, have very little to do with the public, and everything to do with the elite. Elitism is a central theme to the film, and it’s fitting to study how this theme was approached, not by the public, but by critics. Additionally, other central themes include cancel culture, power, and culpability. While examining the following five responses to Tár, it is critical to keep in mind that each writer is in a powerful public figure in a position to be “cancelled” and will have a different approach to the topic than someone of the “cancelling” public.
Summaries
The New York Times- “‘Tár’ Review: A Maestro Faces the Music” by A.O. Scott
Scott’s review asserts the ambiguity of Lydia Tár’s position as both “monster” and “victim”. At the same time, he does not feel that there is ambiguity in the predatory nature of her relationships with vulnerable young women. He refers to the final act as a “comeuppance”, suggesting that he believes her downfall to be just and that cancel culture has potential to provide justice. In the final paragraph, he implores us to think about whether art can, or should, be separated from the artist. Scott celebrates the aesthetic achievements of the film and affirms its ideological stance.
The New Yorker- “Tár,” Reviewed: Regressive Ideas to Match Regressive Aesthetics” by Richard Brody
Brody’s review asserts that Tár takes an overly sympathetic/victimizing view of the titular character. It is a damning interpretation that focuses strongly on the classroom scene as a “lampooning of identity politics” and feels that it is meant cause the audience to relate to Lydia Tár rather than critiquing her. Since the film is from the point of view of Tár and does not explicitly show the sexual abuse she has committed (and creates obliqueness about what exactly the abuse was), she is placed as a sympathetic character. He feels disgusted by this. Brody believes that too much plausible deniability is given to Tár and that this film is the product of “conservative button pushing” actively justifying abominable acts. He states that the film sustains and espouses Lydia Tár’s actions through the preferential treatment of her impressive accomplishments over direct evidence of her malice.
The Wall Street Journal- ‘Tár,’ a Breath of Fresh Air, Deserves the Oscar for Best Picture by Jason Riley
Riley actually agrees with Brody’s assessment that the audience is meant to relate to Tár rather than despise her, but he feels energized by this rather than disgusted. It’s apparent that he disapproves of cancel culture, and he feels seen in his opinion that victims of cancel culture are indeed victims. Riley categorizes this film as refreshing “liberal elite on liberal elite violence” as opposed to conservatives being posed as villains of the story. The majority of the review is occupied by discussion of the “bipoc pangender” classroom scene. He actually does not mention sexual misconduct at all. He gives a glowing review of Tár because he sees the film as affirming his stance against “woke” professors and his belief that cancel culture is socially harmful.
NPR- In 'Tár,' a brilliant but manipulative conductor orchestrates everyone around her” by Justin Chang
Chang does not shy away from the fact that Tár is about the abuse of power and asserts that Lydia Tár is simultaneously a “monstrous human being” and a “brilliant artist”. Both facets of her are able to coexist. He feels uncertain about whether or not Tár truly receives justice due to the uncertainty of the ending, but he is certain that she deserves it. Chang feels that the film’s strongest aspect is its ability to produce debate, but at least on her moral character, there is no debate to be had.
The Atlantic- “Tár Takes on the Devastating Spectacle of ‘Cancellation’” by David Sims
Sims interpreted Tár less as a moralizing story and more as a story detailing how public shame brings universal public attention. He suggests that the character has a superiority complex and that her fall from grace was an equalizing force that brought her from an elite on the receiving end of cancellation to a member of the cancelling-public. He feels that she’s earned her arrogance, and that she is an impressive artistic force, yet there is still catharsis in seeing her fall. He does not root for her fall, but approaches it more as a curious spectator.
These reviews present a stark gap between those who believe that Lydia Tár is meant to be a hero and those who believe that she is meant to be a monster. There is disagreement about the merits of the film’s ambiguity and about the appropriateness of her consequences. Additionally, there are wide gaps in interpretation regarding the goal of the film. I don’t think it is possible to find a consensus about the film’s take on cancel culture because I wasn’t even able to find consensus on the film’s plot. While reading some of these reviews, it seemed as though I hadn’t even watched the same film as these critics. My position on the text is that it is by elites for elites, and depending on the state of their conscience, they will their either inadvertently expose themselves by relating to Tár or put her at arm’s length as a genius villain. Interpretations of art are often very telling about the interpreter’s interiority. What critics choose to focus on (or not) tells us about what they value. What I’ve gleaned from the analysis is not a unified, public opinion on a piece of art, but highly variable, almost psychoanalytic, responses from a handful of very powerful men. These reviews have little to do with film itself, and everything to do with American elites looking at a Rorschach of themselves.
Works Cited
Brody, Richard. “‘Tár,’ Reviewed: Regressive Ideas to Match Regressive Aesthetics.” The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2022, www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/tar-reviewed-regressive-ideas-to-match-regressive-aesthetics.
Chang, Justin. “In ‘Tár,’ a Brilliant but Manipulative Conductor Orchestrates Everyone around Her.” NPR, NPR, 7 Oct. 2022, www.npr.org/2022/10/07/1127220800/tar-review-cate-blanchett-todd-field.
Riley, Jason L. “Opinion | ‘Tár,’ a Breath of Fresh Air, Deserves the Oscar ...” WSJ, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2023, www.wsj.com/articles/tar-a-breath-of-fresh-air-deserves-the-oscar-for-best-picture-cate-blanchett-left-elite-music-canon-indentity-3b60c22a.
Scott, A. O. “‘Tár’ Review: A Maestro Faces the Music.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Oct. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/10/06/movies/tar-review.html.
Sims, David. “Tár Takes on the Devastating Spectacle of ‘Cancellation.’” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 5 Oct. 2022, www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/10/tar-movie-review-cate-blanchett/671665/.