Cate Blanchett get to play the worst kind of person and that’s feminism.
I am saying that kidding on the square, but it also true. Men are constantly congratulated and adulated for playing unlikable people and it’s rare a woman gets that same opportunity. It’s nice to see.
I also think it’s incredibly important that the lead character is a woman. When comes to abusive of power the blame, rightly so, often falls on the shoulders of men. Men who we often categorize as monsters, an archetype of evil that strip the humanity of so that we can condemn them fully. A useful and understandable tactic and one I agree with.
However, making this predatory character a woman, liberal, and gay allows the view (at least myself) to clearly view the repulsiveness of the situation. It strips away the preconditioned notions that women are good and noble and kind, whereas men are sluggish trolls enslaved to their own sexual appetites.
It makes shines a brighter light on how terrible this behavior is.
Lydia Tár is also a good mother, which ads a layer of complexity to the situation. You are asked to think of people, even the worst kind, as multifaceted.
Cate is one of my “ones” an actor I love to watch, want to be, and aspire to. This is all to say there are part of her performance that I didn’t care for. The steady and controlled way of speech she deploys in the picture might be a character choice as it does fit someone so duplicitous, but seems more like she’s struggling with the accent.
However, in terms of technical achievement from Cate, I am incredibly impressed with her ability to make German seem sensual in anyway shape or form. The Conducting sequences in the film are powerful and a joy to watch as well.
So, here’s the thing: Lydia Tár is a bad, bad woman and I think that’s fun to watch.
My really only complaint of the film is that I would have preferred more humor. When the film wants to be funny it is! I just wish there was more of it.
The scope and shape of the picture in terms of cinematography is beautiful and dynamic. There are dream sequences that I am in love with.
This film feels like Taxi Driver for the upper class.
If you’re unfamiliar with the plot of the film, you probably actually are. Basically, there’s this nasty woman who’s a good conductor and is also a teacher. She’s about to finally reach a professional milestone but she is linked to a former student of her who ends her own life and accusations are made.
A brief moment here, one of the characters does use the term “Suicided” which got an unintentional laugh from me because I’ve never once in my life heard it said like that.
Over the course of the film we see Lydia finish making a bed in which she must now lie.
Watching Lydia’s life unravel is like watching The Yankees (Or insert whatever sports team you hate) loose. It’s just so delectable!
It’s an interesting, fun, and dynamic film that I’d recommend you watch at least once in your life.
Also, the music is pretty good!