CONCLAVE (2024)

When a Pope dies or resigns, the world holds its breath as we wait to see white smoke arise from the Sistine Chapel. What goes on beyond the sealed windows and doors is information very few humans are privy to. But, if it’s anything like Conclave, Edward Berger’s tense, sometimes comical but always topical drama, then I’ll be eagerly awaiting each new pope with a bowl of popcorn and beer in hand.

Fresh off the critical success of his adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Edward Berger turns from the hollow trenches of the Great War to the deeply controversial Catholic Church in Conclave, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. When the Pope (Bruno Novelli) passes, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) has to lead the conclave with the world’s cardinals to decide who will become the new Holy Father. Getting the two-thirds majority proves difficult as differing viewpoints, personal ambitions, and past lapses threaten the sanctity of the position.

Favourites for the position come from a variety of backgrounds and very differing moral standpoints. The most liberal choice, Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), has the backing of Cardinal Lawrence and a stark dilemma if he truly wants it or if he just wants to keep the position away from the most old-fashioned. On the other side is Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellito), a highly conservative, bigoted Italian man of faith who believes the world’s problems stem from the church’s acceptance of other religions. Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) lays somewhere in the middle, but his final meeting with the previous pope is the point of much secret contention. Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) would make the first African Pope, but his past threatens his future. And, despite his waverings of faith, Cardinal Lawrence has the support of a few cardinals, including Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), a Mexican-born cardinal in pectore from Afghanistan, made cardinal in secret by the previous pope.

Conclave is very much a movie made for 2024. It’s the film of the moment for the Catholic Church, held under high scrutiny for its many years of hiding sexual abuse cases and for its collision with more firmly held liberal beliefs across the world. Conclave, in many ways, feels in cinematic conversation with The Two Popes (2019), Fernando Meirelles’ dramatisation of the passing of the leadership of the church from Pope Benedict XVI to Pope Francis. The more liberal new pope, played by Jonathan Pryce, forms an unlikely friendship with the deeply conservative Benedict, played by Anthony Hopkins, centering this cultural shift in Catholicism. How will the church, set in its ways, move forward with a world of growing equity and tolerance?

This is where Conclave’s dramatic tension starts, with a cultural schism threatening to end the Church’s authority. But, beyond the personal beliefs lie more sinister shadows of what could lead to the downfall of the church. Personal ambitions, mortal sins, and bribery—these cardinals are very much human. Even worse, rising fascism among the popular choices highlights a dangerous shift. Perhaps the film is maybe a little too steeped in 2024 political scenes, namely the US presidential election, that it feels too timely.

In the film’s opening moments, we follow Cardinal Lawrence, deep breaths marking a tired and ageing man, as he prays over the pope just following his death. The pope’s ring is ripped from his wrinkled hand and destroyed before he is thrown in a body bag, jostling in the back of an emergency vehicle to the morgue. Berger is very intentional in depicting the pope and the cardinals surrounding him as they are: human like the rest of us. It’s only heightened by the sequestering of the cardinals during the conclave. No humans beyond the cardinals and sisters of the church appear on screen. We are limited to this very specific demographic and shown the mundanities of their lives hidden from the public eye: smoking breaks, e-cigarette pulls, smartphones, Keurig machines, and jammed printers. These little details provide much a humorous respite from the tense human drama of these characters.

Ralph Fiennes puts on his best performance since The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) as the doubtful Lawrence, plunged into his most important role during his crisis of faith. His portrayal is authentic, a guiding light that has to play investigator into the more devious cardinals looking for personal enlightenment by becoming the Pope. His calm demeanour makes the moments when emotion overcomes him the more impactful.

Tucci also has one of his career best performances as Cardinal Bellini, a two-sided human, with the strong personal beliefs and impassioned individual goals that play with his hope. His friendship with Lawrence is tested the more Lawrence tries to do the right thing. Bellini plays the role of the modern liberal, conceding to the “lesser of two evils” in the film (again mirroring political landscapes across the world).

The ensemble cast are all but spectacular, with John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, and Sergio Castellito portraying deeply flawed characters, fuelling the fire of the plot. Isabella Rossellini also has a great small role as a strong-headed, but caring sister of the church. But it’s newcomer Carlos Diehz with the most surprising, standout performance of the film as Cardinal Benitez. His quiet, deeply faithful character is the antithesis of the others, the strong pull for Lawrence’s devotion to the church that adds more depth to the interrogation of the Catholic Church in Conclave. It’s not all bad when there are real reasons for people to trust in faith that do not harm, but bring enlightenment.

The adaptation by screenwriter Peter Straughan is taut, not wasting any time. At times, the impassioned speeches feel too neat. While they aren’t deviations from the characters giving them, it does detract from the very strong visual language that film has. Conclave is hauntingly beautiful, with the images doing a great job of conveying the tension and emotion. A few lit chairs surrounded by darkness or the lonely cardinal in a vast courtyard convey so much. It’s a tremendous job from Berger and cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine.

The production design by Suzie Davies is also one of the film’s strongest elements, gorgeously recreating the Vatican. Beautiful interiors are mixed with dark rooms and prison-like hallways that can feel both suffocating and freeing throughout. The overall visual language of Conclave is breathtaking and complements the superb performances from the whole cast.

Conclave is one of the most surprising movies of the year. Turning the selection of a new pope into a tense thriller with overt social commentary made for a great 120-minute film. While the cardinals are sequestered from the world, unaware of the pain happening in the outside world, the sad realities of our modern world feature so heavily in one choosing one of the most important people on the planet. While Conclave is heavily dramatised, it holds the mirror up to us and asks “what kind of world do we want to live in? An open, tolerant international community? Or a divisive, combative society?”

UK • USA | 2024 | 120 MINUTES | 2.39:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH • ITALIAN • SPANISH • LATIN

Cast & Crew

director: Edward Berger.
writer: Peter Straughan (based on the novel by Robert Harris).
starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz, Brían F. O’Byrne, Merab Ninidze, Balkissa Maiga, Thomas Loibl, Jacek Koman & Loris Loddi.