Cate Blanchett welcomed a horde of criticism with her 2022 psychological drama Tár. Despite making rounds of some prominent awards, the movie welcomed a very debatable reception. There were voices worldwide who claimed the Oscar-nominated feature to be extremely ‘Anti-Woman’. However, the Hella fame didn’t stay silent on it and didn’t hesitate to explain the importance of projects like this.
Tár directed by Todd Field explored the life of a conductor Lydia Tár who is accused of misconduct and bad behavior. Even though the movie received critical acclaim and Cate Blanchett’s performance was heavily applauded, a certain group of critics also slammed the movie for its themes.
How did Cate Blanchett defend her role in Tár?
When the Thor: Ragnarok antagonist spoke to Radio Times, she publicly addressed the criticisms that were raised against her psychological drama. According to Cate Blanchett, avoiding topics that look problematic and offensive doesn’t help in tackling the cancel culture and only lets history repeat itself.
“If you don’t read older books that are slightly offensive because of what they say in a historical context, then you will never grapple with the minds of the time [and] we are destined to repeat that stuff.”
In the interview with Radio Times, the two-time Oscar winner also gave an example of the artist Picasso to explain the importance of having a “healthy critique”.
“Look at Picasso. You can only imagine what went on in, outside and around his studio. But do you look at Guernica and say that is one of the greatest works of art ever? Yes, it’s a fact. It’s important to have a healthy critique.”
Cate Blanchett believes that Todd Field did an amazing job and the movie uses a pleasant blend of both the issues of cancel culture and the #MeToo movement to tackle the societal issues that exist to date. One of the leading haters of Tár was a renowned conductor Marin Alsop. She stood strongly against the movie and claimed it to be problematic.
What was Cate Blanchett’s reply to Marin Alsop?
The audience of Tár would be aware of the name Marin Alsop after the renowned 66-year-old was also mentioned in the movie. Although Alsop is not accused of misconduct, many audiences found a resemblance between her character to the fictional Lydia Tár played by Cate Blanchett.
Marin Alsop was extremely offended by the movie and stated that the movie was a heartbreaking watch for her.
“To have an opportunity to portray a woman in that role and to make her an abuser — for me that was heartbreaking. I think all women and all feminists should be bothered by that kind of depiction because it’s not really about women conductors, is it? It’s about women as leaders in our society.”
She also added how the makers could have made the movie based on controversial men instead of showing a woman in a bad light. But Cate Blanchett was also not ready to hear everything in silence. According to the Blue Jasmine actress, she respected Alsop but couldn’t nod positively to her argument. She concluded that power can affect each and all.
“I don’t think you could have talked about the corrupting nature of power in as nuanced a way as Todd Field has done as a filmmaker if there was a male at the center of it because we understand so absolutely what that looks like. I think that power is a corrupting force, no matter what one’s gender is. I think it affects all of us.”
Even though Blanchett’s replies were sharp enough to tackle the mountains of criticisms, it can’t be denied that the fuss never dies. However, most critics still hailed the movie as superior to other Hollywood ventures of 2022, and Cate Blanchett still looks at the movie as one of her most significant projects yet.
Tár can be streamed on Prime Video.
Source: Radio Times (via Independent)
