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A political thriller set during the closed-door session of the College of Cardinals as they are electing the next pope? The whole premise of ‘Conclave’ was very intriguing to me as the possibilities of criticism of the church would come into play. What I loved about director Edward Berger’s tone and imagery in his filmmaking was how he completely stripped away the reverence and moral authority that the audience may have for this gathering of Cardinals in the most holy of Catholic cities. The emphasis on their humanity, and most especially, their frailty was very welcomed in this rather stirring and controversial film.

Berger brings the camera (through Director of Photography Stephane Fontaine) extremely close to his subjects, oftentimes highlighting the age of his characters, their vulnerabilities, their hopes and fears, and for some, their guilt or lust for power. Despite all the pomp and circumstance of this occasion – the pope has just died, and the cardinals are convening to vote and elect the successor – and so they are dressed in their best regalia, fed rather lavishly, attended to by the nuns, and are surrounded by the finest furniture that the Vatican can buy. We see them drink, smoke, and scheme amongst each other; politicking to direct the path of the church to what they believe is right. Berger’s camera takes them in long shots to show the power plays at work and then would cut away to show dozens and dozens of cigarette butts scattered on the ground. Throughout the film, it feels like Berger’s intention is to render these people human and thus impressing upon us that the church and all that it proclaims all depends on who succeeds the papacy.

Leading the impressive cast is Ralph Fiennes, as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the dean of the College of Cardinals. It is his task to administer and manage the election. Unfortunately, the sudden passing of the previous pope has left a lot of unanswered questions and some mysteries that need to be resolved. There are rumors that Cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow) from Canada, how an argument with the previous pope and his viability for being elected is in question.

The biggest rivals are the American Cardinal, Cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci) and the Italian Cardinal, Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), where Bellini is of the more progressive and liberal group while Tedesco is more traditionalist, more conservative. Surprisingly, the Nigerian Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) is proving to be extremely popular and has a great chance of becoming the first black pope. The power plays are happening fast, and Cardinal Lawrence must also deal with Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), a cardinal who has worked in secret and is not in any of the list, who suddenly shows up.

Cardinal Lawrence must navigate through the politicking and the gray areas of every little thing happening during this conclave, while discovering that even he is getting votes and may have a chance of getting the papacy except he doesn’t want it. Adding additional ingredients to an already explosive brew is Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes, a nun who is the cardinal’s head caterer and housekeeper. It’s a relatively short role – this is, after all, a man’s world – but her scenes are powerful and has ramifications that tie-in to the surprising ending of Peter Straughan’s screenplay based on the book by Robert Harris.

This is a thriller without any violence or murder, or fear of murder. But it is thrilling as we are seeing a church in a state of flux, where its heart and soul is being pulled into many different directions. There’s a lot of great insights here about the world and the way the Catholic church has served and failed the world. Berger and company seem to take a stand and it’s most surprising and farcical is such a powerful statement that truly provokes much thought and questions.  

It’s so refreshing to see this moral debate argued through the genre of the political thriller. It highlights that more than anything, the battleground that is the church has practical, economical, and social repercussions for both believers and non-believers alike. How the film manages to reference this without showing the world outside the sequestered halls of the conclave is a brilliant work of writing and direction. I am not surprised of its eight Academy Award nominations, including Ralph Fiennes for Best Actor and Volker Bertelmann for Best Original Score. The music of the film is always pressing the fact that this is serious and that the stakes are high. It is relentless and gives the film that added dread that keeps the energy going.

My Rating:

Conclave is still showing in cinemas. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.