Conclave
Focus Features
Directed by Edward Berger
Conclave is a dramatic film about the election of a new Pope that offers an entertaining, if overwrought, portrayal of this highly secretive process. Set in a world that’s as close to ours as possible without being ours — the dead Pope is not named, but is clearly inspired by Francis — it depicts a fight between liberals and conservatives over who should steer the Roman Catholic Church, and the tricks they’ll engage in to gain what they want.
The protagonist is Cardinal-Dean Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who oversees the conclave. Both he and Cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci) are members of the church’s liberal wing and have been described as papabile. Neither particularly wants to be Pope, but Lawrence and other liberals manage to convince Bellini he should be their candidate. The other contenders are moderate Cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), conservative Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), and reactionary traditionalist Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellito).
The arrival of the cardinals presents a surprise to everyone: they’ve gained a new brother, Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), of Kabul, whom the pope secretly made a cardinal before he died. After examining the paperwork, Lawrence concludes he’s legitimate and seats him in the conclave. Then it’s time for the jockeying as the different factions try to convince their brethren to switch sides.
The film is directed by Edward Berger, known for All Quiet on the Western Front (2022). Conclave is also based on a book — an airport novel — and you can tell. This is not a bad thing. The musical score is intense. The costume designers intensified the cardinals’ clothing, making it slightly more opulent and outlandish than reality. At one point it’s raining and there’s an aerial shot of all the cardinals holding white umbrellas.
There is intrigue. Lawrence frequently tells other characters he’s not allowed to know any information about the outside world because he’s sequestered, and then they give him more gossip. It makes the Curia seem fun.
The most over the top character is Tedesco, who is the last cardinal to arrive and is the only one who shows up in a cape. He offers impassioned screeds against relativism and Muslim immigrants to Europe. He also likes to vape at particularly dramatic moments.
The portrayal of 21st-century life within this ancient institution can feel jarring, but it also adds realism. There’s a brief shot of a cardinal getting some last-minute phone time in before he must give it up for the duration of the conclave. Lawrence, one of the most powerful men in the church, struggles to open the plastic bag of toiletries he’s been given.
Other parts of the film that don’t feel particularly realistic, like the convenient availability of documents. The writers are of a more liberal bent, and some moments feel overly preachy. Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), a sister from the order that oversees the cardinals’ residence, has an important role in the intrigue, which is nice since this is inherently a male-focused movie, but it feels slightly contrived.
The airport-novel origin is evident in the ending. Just like the costume designer making the cardinals’ red robes more vivid, however, it all needs to be taken as part of the show. This is a high-budget prestige film, yes, but it’s also a little campy. But isn’t that part of the appeal of stories about the Vatican?
This is not to say this isn’t a mostly serious film. The conflict between liberals and conservatives, and what it means to be a global church, will resonate with many Anglicans. The clergy struggle with a variety of sins, in a way that feels authentic and not cartoonish.
As is often the case with films about niche subjects, the writers have the characters explain things to each other that they would already know, so don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the intricacies of a papal election. If you like slightly exaggerated films about religion that have a lot of shots of older men putting on their reading glasses, this is the movie for you.
Greta Gaffin is a freelance writer based in Boston. She has a master of theological studies degree from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.