TAR‘s muddy, under-lighted, haunted-house interior visuals were shot on an Arri 765 (film) and an Arri Alex (digital).

HE to Santa Barbara friendo: “My final verdict is that I kinda hate TAR visually, and that the various shadings and ghostings and mysteries are just too tricky by half. It’s too referenced, too smartypants. It drives you nuts.”

Excerpt from 12.9.22 TAR piece by Slate‘s Dan Kois:

HE to Santa Barbara friendo: “Field is deliberately snobbing the audience. Shipobo-Conibo is the straw that broke this camel’s (my) back. On one hand Lydia has been savagely cancel-cultured by robots, and at the same time she’s totally responsible for her fate? Field is all over the map. Truly great art speaks to the none-too-bright, under-educated person as well as the brilliant viewer with an elegant education.”

Santa Barbara friendo to HE: “I’ve had the reverse reaction. On the surface TAR is engaging and it can be enjoyed by everyone. After repeated viewings (like you’ve done) you start to uncover deeper layers.”

HE to Santa Barbara friendo: “Field is only interested in attracting your well-dressed, elegant education, hybrid-driving crowd. I’ve seen the damn thing four times, and it still frustrates me.

“Kois’s analysis piece states the following: “In the middle of the night, Lyda gets up to comfort daughtet, Petra. And if you look closely, you’ll see, motionless in the dark corner of Lydia’s bedroom, nearly unnoticable at the back of the frame, a red-haired woman — Krista.

“First, you can’t notice Krista standing in a dark corner of Lydia’s bedroom because Florian Hoffmeister‘s cinematography is so covered in mud and shadow that you can’t see much. That’s intentional. And two, you’re telling me I have to watch this film a fifth time?”