By Joel Grimsley, Arts Editor
Conclave, a thriller/drama based on the award-winning novel by Robert Harris, delivers an impressively tense film filled with intrigue, twists and moving performances from a stacked cast of A-list actors as director Edward Bergers delivers on a fictionalised hunt for a new Papal father.
The film follows the Dean of the College of Cardinals Thomas Lawrence played by Ralph Fiennes as he oversees the election of a new pope, Lawrence’s internal struggles mirror the drama that unfolds when the Cardinals are secluded from the world in a Conclave as they vote on who will be the next pope. Layers of secrets, scandal and ambition are slowly peeled away as possible papal contestants are whittled down in each ballot until one candidate becomes the obvious choice, only for one last twist to finish the film.
Conclave draws its entertainment primarily from its dialogue, which means that the first half of the film may feel slow to many viewers as it introduces the names and faces of possible nominees for Pope. This set up pays off as the second half unveils plot twist after plot twist as the movie accelerates to a climactic finale.
The film rides the line between thriller and drama, but the suspense is also paired with mystery, as Lawrence takes matters into his own hands and hunts for answers. Taking on the role of a detective, he finds secret documents incriminating cardinals of bribery whilst searching the deceased Pope’s bedroom, and throughout the run time slowly discovering more information about the kind but mysterious Cardinal Benitez, who was appointed in pectoral (after the Previous Popes death) as a cardinal.
Bergers latest addition to his filmography has a keen artistic intention. The two hour runtime gives the script plenty of space to breathe whilst packing the gaps between words with beautiful backgrounds, shots of St Peter’s and the beauty of the Vatican. The film includes inspiring acting delivered by a famed riddled cast with names such as Stanley Tucci, Sergio Castelitto and Isabella Rossellini. But this film shines when the actors are not speaking.
Cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine delivered consistently awe inspiring compositions in shots that were paired with strong color palates of reds and whites. The space between dialogues is filled with visually stimulating long shots and a diverse range of scenery. This movie has a particular fondness of intimate shots. When characters are speaking the shots draw close in order to see the performance of the actors facial expressions.
These intimate shots, with a particular closeness on their faces, really lets the audiences hear the characters breath and see the hidden expressions behind each facial expression, showing an intense energy that is used to show character’s moments of grief, regret and internal conflict. Lucian Msamati who plays a Nigerian Cardinal, initially favoured to win but due to an illicit affair is forced to step down, delivered a particularly raw performance as his character has a moment of despair and breaks down on camera, where Lawrence comforts him. Similarly Ralph Fiennes provides a career highlight performance as he depicts the conflicted emotions as Lawrence struggles with doubt, his position and responsibilities as Dean.
This acting is complemented by an intense soundtrack, German composer Volker Bertelmann brings to the table a composition of mostly strings with a heavy use of staccato that intensifies a sense of dissonance, which is mirrored in the film. This strategy was heavily utilized in Berger’s last Oscar winning film “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Moreover, the use, and in some scenes the lack of music, tackles the Conclave’s biggest challenge, how to make two hours of cardinals talking exciting. The score makes each revelation seem more intense, the sound design spectacularly captures the hushed anxiety of a sequestered election.
Another challenge for the film is the very premise: its catholic setting. The film clearly attempts to avoid a reductive portrayal of Catholicism and draws the audience’s attention to its contemporary setting and Catholicism as a modern religion despite its roots in tradition. Some shots of cardinals include them with their phones and one prominent cardinal even has a vape pen.
The film unveils the machinations of the election of a new holy father, with all the traditions and rituals surrounding the election process of a conclave. The conflict within the film between conservative and liberal cardinals also comments on controversial opinions within the Catholic Church, such as the role of women, which is drawn into attention by Rossellini’s character Sister Agnes.
A weak point for the film unfortunately is in its lack of nuance in its portrayal of conservative and liberal cardinals within the church. While the cardinals are portrayed as pious men, their ambition is masked behind prayers and closed doors. In the film, the conclave quickly becomes a political playground between rival groups, liberals who promote inclusivity and conservatives who want to return to traditionalism canvas and try to persuade votes so they can garner support within their factions. Conclave however falls short when representing these groups, with conservative cardinals being reduced to homophobes and xenophobes while liberal cardinals are presented as self righteous schemers. When dealing with a real religious institution, Conclave may have prevented such public backlash with a more balanced approach of different political persuasions within the church.
The themes of Conclave however seem particularly potent within the United States, releasing just a few weeks before the Presidential election, it tells a story of realpolitik, of canvassing, persuasion and most prominently, ambition at the same time as the election. Even within supposedly selfless men, Conclave is a story of how even the most devout men can be corrupted by the lust for power. The worm of ambition surfaces in even righteous men such as the protagonist Cardinal Lawrence, which is teased as he confesses the name he has already picked out for himself when he’s elected Pope.
This theme of certainty is echoed throughout the movie, as before the conclave begins, Lawrence preaches that “the one sin I have come to fear more than any other is certainty. Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance.” Conclave warns audiences of the vices of hubris and certainty, within the context of the twists and turns of a thriller that revolves around an election filled with mysteries that wrap around double motives and devotion.
The Saint 