Conclave – Film Review
by Frank L

Director – Edward Berger
Writers – Peter Straughan, Robert Harris
Stars – Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow

Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front – 2022) here turns his skills as a director to Robert Harris’s 2016 novel Conclave. It begins with the death of the elderly pope and Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) has the task of organising the Conclave of cardinals who will elect the new pope. There are several candidates which include Cardinal Bellini (Stanly Tucci) who represents the so-called liberal wing of the church, Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) who is a conservative with a capital C, Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) the Archbishop Emeritus of Quebec a more benign conservative and Cardinal Adeyemi from Africa. But there emerges an additional candidate Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) who the late Pope had apparently made a cardinal in pectore (a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret). None of them had known of his appointment but sufficient corroboration of his appointment by the late pope is produced to allow Lawrence to include him in the Conclave. What then ensues over several days and successive rounds of voting (at least 8) is the election of a new pope.

The film concentrates on a series of skeletons that are in the proverbial lockers of each of the main candidates and the patent loathing some of the candidates have for each other which needless to say includes Bellini and Tedesco. Berger tracks the intrigues and backstabbing as the tenets of Christianity are nowhere to be seen. While the film is dominated by elderly men adorned in finery, Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini) shows that women, even with their humble status within the Vatican, can make their presence felt. The story twists and turns but it makes for a riveting tale of fraternal rivalry as these princes of the Church edge towards a decision.

One factor that makes it so compelling is the sheer grandeur of the spaces in which all this skullduggery takes place, including the incomparable Sistine Chapel. But even the grandeur of the architecture is eclipsed by the splendid vestments of the cardinals often in the most magisterial scarlet. It is a magnificent spectacle to observe but it cannot obliterate the machiavellian behaviour of the main participants. However, the intrigues and skullduggery get their just rewards through a revelation that makes all that has gone before seem incidental.

The central figure is Cardinal Lawrence. Fiennes has to utilise all his skills as an actor as he tries to keep these ambitious, self-seeking and determined individuals focused on electing a new Pope while himself seeking, just about, to steer clear of the intrigues. Fiennes has a spectacular success which is magnified by the impressive performances by all of the other cast members.

As a film, it is a visual delight with a fast-moving and thrilling storyline. There is much more drama and intrigue than expected, and it is not a dull affair. It shows that while waiting for white smoke to emerge from a conclave to elect a new pope a cornucopia of intrigues is taking place within notwithstanding all the pomp.