What happens when a group of men, sworn to humility, are given the power to elect the Vicar of Christ? Can personal fallibility be kept in check when the stakes are divine?
Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and based on Robert Harris’ novel, explores these questions as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) reluctantly presides over the election of a new Pope after the sudden death of the current pontiff.
As 118 cardinals gather in the Vatican to select the next Holy See from among their number, beneath the ancient ceremony, political ambition and subtle factions emerge. Though the cardinals publicly deny their desire for power, their personal agendas reflect larger tensions within the Church.
Arrogant hardliner Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellito), wielding a vape pen as a show of contempt, wants a return to traditional values, like Latin Mass. Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) is in line to be the first African pontiff, but his views are similarly regressive. Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) is closer in attitudes to the late Pope, advocating for the role of women in the modern church. Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) is more moderate, conciliatory; a safe, middle-of-the-road choice.
But then Lawrence begins hearing rumours that throw the suitability of some of the presumptive into doubt. Though he views the election unequivocally as a sacred duty, Lawrence finds himself cast in the role of reluctant investigator; torn between his spiritual responsibilities and the messy reality of human ambition. Only unexpected newcomer, Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), seems completely apart from the intrigue. Even the steely Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), in command of the nuns who silently keep the whole edifice running, can’t remain uninvolved.
Fiennes delivers a paradoxical performance: both gentle and intense, it’s that of a man whose, ever restrained, finds his sense of stasis under attack. Peter Straughan’s script masterfully balances intrigue – lots of gathering in darkened corners – with moments of dry humour, exposing the hypocrisies behind the pretence of servility.
The halls of power and politicking are far from the mud and blood of the trenches, as depicted in 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front, but Berger is expert at finding nuance amid the pageantry. This is complemented by Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography; the evocative use of darkness and light both grandeur and foreboding. The corridor outside the late pontiff’s sealed apartment, white marble and red carpet, is strangely evocative of that iconic corridor from The Shining.
Conclave‘s thriller elements are enhanced by Nick Emerson’s keyed-in editing and Volker Bertelmann’s crescendoing score. Like Harris’ originating text, this is essentially pulp, but it’s eminently classy and sophisticated. Ecclesiastical matters have rarely been so entertaining.
