TÁR (2022) Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Lydia Tár, portrayed by Cate Blanchett, is celebrated as one of the greatest living composer-conductors and has made history as the first openly gay female chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. During a captivating interview at the New Yorker Festival with Adam Gopnik, she discusses her latest projects, notably the live recording of Mahler's 5th Symphony. From the sidelines, she is supported by her dedicated personal assistant, Francesca Lentini, and her ailing spouse, Sharon Goodnow, who also serves as the concertmaster.

In a dramatic lunch meeting with Eliot Kaplan, a fellow conductor and manager of a fellowship program she initiated for aspiring women conductors, Lydia deliberates on the future of her orchestra. Conversations reveal her intentions to change the assistant conductor position currently held by Sebastian Brix, with an eye toward promoting Francesca, while also addressing a cello vacancy in the orchestra.

As she takes on the role of guest instructor at Juilliard, Lydia's teaching methods are called into question when she harshly critiques a student named Max (Zethphan Smith-Gneist) for his disinterest in the classical masters shaped by identity politics. Her firm stance leads Max to leave the class in frustration. Meanwhile, the complexities of Lydia's past surface when she receives a novel, "Challenge," from Krista Taylor (Sylvia Flote), a former fellow who hints at a troubled, transactional relationship that Lydia had fostered, only to later blacklist Krista, jeopardizing her prospects in conducting.

The stakes rise as Lydia prepares for a blind audition for a new cello position, where she crosses paths with the alluring Olga Metkina (Sophia Kauer) in a private restroom. Lydia's attraction to Olga leads her to manipulate the audition's outcome, ensuring Olga a spot in the orchestra and a solo performance paired with Mahler's 5th. However, as Lydia becomes engrossed in preparing for the recording, tensions grow with both Francesca and Sharon as they become increasingly aware of her infatuation.

After informing Sebastian of his upcoming replacement, Lydia faces accusations of favoritism that hint at potential abuse of power. As the drama unfolds, Krista tragically takes her own life, leaving behind chilling accusations against Lydia that threaten to unravel her career. In a desperate attempt to shield herself, Lydia directs Francesca to erase incriminating emails and enlists legal counsel as Krista's family plans to pursue a lawsuit against her.

Despite the unraveling of her personal and professional life, Lydia is haunted by her past choices, experiencing terrifying visions and chronic pain, with cherished moments shared with Olga and her adopted daughter Petra offering few escapes. In her turmoil, she becomes increasingly antagonistic towards her worker-class neighbors, leading to a fateful encounter that culminates in injury.

When an edited video of her lecture surfaces online, her life spirals further into chaos. Amid public outrage and protests upon her return to New York for a book promotion and deposition, whispers of Francesca's betrayal add to her turmoil. Ultimately, estranged from Sharon and Petra, Lydia loses her position as conductor and, in an impulsive act during a live performance, confronts Eliot onstage.

Fleeing from the fallout, she retreats to her childhood home on Staten Island, where she confronts the reality of her identity, learning that her real name is Linda Tarr. Reflecting on her past through old footage of her mentor Leonard Bernstein, she faces family tensions when her brother confronts her.

Months later, Lydia finds herself conducting an orchestra in the Philippines, where her reality blurs further as she encounters familiar yet unsettling scenarios. Selecting a masseuse from a bowl in what appears to be a brothel mirrors the orchestral experiences she once cherished. Overcome with emotion by a girl’s gaze akin to those in her life, Lydia's discontent culminates in a dramatic rush outside. The film concludes with Lydia conducting a new orchestra, yet the echoes of her complex journey resonate as she finds herself directing a score for a film adaptation of the "Monster Hunter" video game, surrounded by an audience of devoted cos-players.

The ending of "Tár" is layered with ambiguity and open to interpretation. As Lydia Tár's professional and personal worlds collapse—she loses her prestigious positions, faces protests, and becomes isolated—she seems to spiral into a state of mental disintegration. Some argue that the scenes showing her attacking her replacement conductor and the disturbing images at the brothel might be hallucinations or symbols of her guilt and psychological torment. The film subtly suggests that Lydia is haunted by her past actions, especially regarding her abusive relationships with students and the tragic suicide of Krista, her former protégée. These echoes of her guilt and shame are reinforced by the final scene, where Lydia conducts a performance of the video game Monster Hunter, a strange and almost surreal choice. This scene, with its heightened realism and bizarre context, can be seen as a hallucination or a symbolic reflection of her inner state—highlighting her mental unraveling rather than a literal continuation of her life. Within this interpretation, Lydia’s conduct of Monster Hunter, a game about a hunt or a monster, cleverly symbolizes her own perception as a monster—haunted by her past and constantly in pursuit of some form of redemption or escape. The film's choice to end with her performing in front of cosplayers, conducting a score from a video game, underscores her downfall from revered artist to a humbling figure who is still driven by her obsession with music, despite everything. Ultimately, "Tár" invites viewers to consider whether Lydia's final moments are real or a manifestation of her fractured mind—leaving her fate open-ended—while highlighting the film's themes of guilt, abuse, and the destructive pattern of power and violence. The movie’s ending, complex and unsettling, leaves much to ponder about Lydia’s true state of mind and whether she might still be capable of revival or if she is doomed to remain haunted by her past.