Blanchett and Field grapple with power, process in ‘Tár’

Cate Blanchett has heard the line before. But what she didn’t know when Todd Field sent her his script for “Tár,” a modern-day parable about an extraordinary conductor and composer at the height of her career whose status begins to crumble amid misconduct allegations, was that he wouldn’t have done it without her. In the process of preparing for “Tár,” she’d learn to play piano, to speak German and conduct an orchestra, all of which she does really does in the film. But Field’s biggest hope is that “Tár” is a film that audiences seek out in theaters. “It’s not something to sit at home and watch,” Field said.