A conflicted Cardinal oversees a hotly contested election of a new Pope in Conclave. After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), dean of the College of Cardinals, prepares to oversee the highly secretive election ritual of the conclave. Several frontrunners emerge to take up the papacy, including the left-wing reformist Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) of the Vatican, the opportunistic Trembley of Montreal (John Lithgow), the ultra-right wing Tedesco of Venice (Sergio Castellitto), and Adeyemi of Nigeria (Lucian Msamati). Right as the conclave is about to get underway, an unexpected wild card emerges in the form of the Mexican-born Cardinal Benitez of Kabul (Carlos Diehz).
Conclave Synopsis
Conclave is a political thriller directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Robert Harris. The film stars Ralph Fiennes (The Menu), as the highly conflicted dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Lawrence. It is Lawrence’s job to ensure that the process of conclave runs smoothly, which includes eliminating any candidates who may be unfit to be the pope. At the core of this election is the fight between the reformist Cardinal Bellini, played by Stanley Tucci (Spotlight), and Cardinal Tedesco, played by Sergio Castellitto, the latter of whom wants to undo all the reforms made by the Church. Cardinal Lawrence is assisted by the silent eyes and ears of Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), the nun in charge of running the Casa Santa Marta.
My Thoughts on Conclave
Conclave opts to forgo much commentary about the role of the Catholic Church in today’s world and instead positions itself as a political thriller set under the backdrop of the incredibly secret process of the conclave. This includes the various candidates for the papacy trying to rally support for each other. Cardinal Lawrence also has to contend with rumours of corruption and attempts to discredit the other candidates.
Unlike a film like Angels & Demons, which used the conclave as a backdrop for an assassination plot, the events of Conclave feature the involvement of no outside forces, as Laurence and the other cardinals remain sequestered to avoid interference from outside events. However, Conclave does feature an interesting side plot involving apparent terrorist activity happening during the conclave, though it ends up having little consequence to the narrative as a whole, other than inciting a series of passionate speeches toward the climax of the film. The outcome of the conclave ends up being quite surprising and includes an unexpected revelation that will probably upset some of the more conservative viewers of the film.
Conclave features solid performances all around by the ensemble cast led by Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow. In his first major motion picture role, Mexican-Canadian actor Carlos Diehz makes a memorable impression as Cardinal Benitez, a last-minute addition to the conclave, who ends up being a major wild card in the events of the film. Then there’s Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes, who spends much of the film as a character in the background but gets her chance to shine in a very pivotal scene.
While Conclave does feature some commentary about the current role of the Church, the ultimate goal of the film is to demonstrate how the Church’s leaders are people like no other. While the preferred goal of the conclave is to elect a pope who is free from controversy, it soon becomes apparent that this becomes a near-impossible task. Instead, it is best to avoid certainty and accept a leader with doubts and flaws like everyone else.
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