Spoiler Warning
Edward Berger’s political thriller “Conclave” released in October 2024, but has recently gained traction in the aftermath of Pope Francis’ passing. The film is based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel of the same name, featuring a cast that draws the audience into the plot, with top-tier screenwriting and cinematography.
“Conclave” follows Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, played by a stellar Ralph Fiennes. After the death of the pope, Lawrence is charged with presiding over the conclave that will elect his successor.
Fiennes received an Academy Award nomination for his work, and it was well deserved. Lawrence, based on the book’s Jacopo Lomeli, could not be more miserable in his job, tortured by a crisis of faith and the political agendas of the cardinals surrounding him. As the conclave unfolds, Lawrence breaks out of his passive shell to steer the church away from four ambitious cardinals in a series of political moves that put the audience on the edge of their seats.
The first is Lawrence’s friend Aldo Bellini, played by Stanley Tucci. Bellini presents himself as a reluctant candidate, claiming he only wishes the papacy to prevent worse men from taking it, but his own ambition is revealed as the plot develops. He acts as Lawrence’s confidant, as the politics of the curia haunt him, and their scenes together are used to transform Lomeli’s inner thoughts from the book into dialogue for the audience’s benefit.
Also involved is the moderate Joseph Tremblay, played by John Lithgow, whose lies and corruption make him an unworthy candidate. The scene where Lawrence discovers and then reveals that Tremblay purchased various cardinals’ votes is a pivotal point in the movie and for Lawrence’s character growth. Prevalent in those scenes is the severe Sister Agnes, played by Isabella Rossellini, who represents the importance of women in the running of the church despite its segregation.
Two conservative candidates drive the plot as the men who would overturn much of the previous pope’s reforms. The charismatic Nigerian Joshua Adayemi, played by Lucian Msamati, is a popular candidate who wishes to become the first African pope. The traditionalist Italian Goffredo Tedesco, played brilliantly by Sergio Castellito, wants to drive all Muslims out of Italy and return the church to the practices predating the Second Vatican Council.
None of them get the big job despite their prominence. The movie’s breakout star is the Mexican actor Carlos Diehz, who plays the gentle Cardinal Vincent Benitez. Although Benitez spends most of the film in the background compared to the other cardinals, brief scenes showcase his compassion and wisdom. After Benitez is voted pope — in a moment the movie presents as a spiritual revelation for the cardinals — he reveals to Lawrence that he is intersex in one of the movie’s controversial highlights. His exact circumstances are changed from the book to make it more realistic, and Diehz’s portrayal of Benitez as a man captured between two worlds is remarkable for it being his first feature film.
At all times, “Conclave” leaves audiences stunned with its steady and patient pacing, vibrant shots and a thrilling soundtrack composed by Academy Award winner Volker Bertelmann. It masterfully transfers all the beauty and scholarship of the book to the big screen, presenting the characters as concrete human beings with desires, faults and virtues. It is a love letter to faith more so than to the Catholic Church, with careful attention to detail that inspires awe and contemplation.
Fans of “Conclave” will be disappointed to miss out on what exactly will take place in the Sistine Chapel starting May 7 when the College of Cardinals meets to choose Pope Francis’ successor. One can only hope that the upcoming election is as exciting as its representation and that the real Dean of the College of Cardinals is not as anxious as his fictional counterpart, even if it makes for great cinema.
