Conclave (2024)

Conclave (2024) a political drama directed by Edward Berger. I’m usually disappointed by films that are nominated in a whole host of categories and win awards. But here, I have to admit, I was carried away.

Admittedly, if you only like war films, comedies, horror and its sub-genres, action films or erotica, you can kindly go your own way!

Nor is it a Thriller with jump scares everywhere!

If, for you, a good actor is someone who runs in slow motion in front of explosions or does his own stunts rather than someone who manages to say a lot through his eyes, without the need for words, you can also avoid this feature-length film.

Of course, there are and will be all those who will hate this film, saying things like ‘We go behind the scenes of the Vatican, we expect intrigue and political coups, but it’s all rather lightweight. And what about that ridiculous finale? Seriously? They ran out of ideas to come up with such a pathetic ending!’

Absolute mediocrity of the film will also be found by those who feel they are constantly being dragged against their will into a woke mishmash of bien pensance, having hoped to come up with a real scenario worthy of the truth and nuance of an investigation. For them, the Church will be portrayed here as absolute evil, with an ultra Manichean vision of conservative bad guys and progressive good guys, against a backdrop of out-of-nowhere Islamist attacks. But I couldn’t care less about those people!

No, I’m going to tell you what I think of this film! First of all, it’s disturbing to have seen this film a few weeks before the death of the last “current” Pope.

Yes, I found it interesting. The cinematographic potential of the Vatican is quite under-exploited, particularly at the time of the conclave. This film fills that gap. We learn a little more about what goes on behind the scenes of the papacy, in particular about these conclaves held to elect a new pope. On the face of it, it sounds very religious, but it’s actually a real job that the cardinals have to do, with all kinds of plots, vicious schemes and betrayals abounding. That’s the subject of this film, which I found to be very rich and skilfully shot, with meticulous photography and an intriguing script. There are also two twists that will surprise many. The second seems to open a rather daring door.

This film about the intimacy of a Conclave is treated like a thriller, but not the kind with chases, fights, infidelity, hostage-taking and torture.

A political thriller directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris.

Here, nothing filters through from the outside. Anything can happen, nothing will disturb this election on which the eyes of the whole world are riveted, waiting to see the white smoke rise, the sign that a new Pope has just been elected. Not even a bomb exploding nearby. Iron curtains drawn, doors closed, this age-old codification is not to be trifled with.

The actors are impeccable, led by the fabulous Ralph Fiennes, who is once again deeply committed to his character. A very fine cast in general, with Isabella Rossellini (who plays a sister in charge of the stewardship, whose role is inevitably a little overshadowed by this cast of cardinals.), John Lithgow and… Stanley Tucci, who is a far cry from his scary zombie role in Patient Zero (2018)!

A film that makes the Vatican tremble. We closely follow the election of a new pope. Plunged into the heart of the famous conclave, the tension builds to a crescendo to find out who will succeed the pontiff.

I loved this review: ‘While these cardinals should be all about spirituality, they are going to tear each other apart for power. It becomes a real strategic confrontation between the different candidates. They will use the worst means to destroy their opponent. It’s fascinating to watch all this scheming. Everyone wants to impose their vision on the others. Conclave shows the different movements that can exist in the Church. They range from modernists to the most traditional. Some will even go so far as to provoke hatred of other religions, as if the time of the Crusades had returned.

The ecclesiastical institution is under attack. Especially as Edward Berger insists on the Vatican’s desire to stifle anything that disturbs. The Vatican’s image takes precedence over morality, and even the well-being of the faithful. A chilling observation.’

The main thing to remember about this film is that Berger doesn’t take his audience for fools. He asks them real philosophical questions about doubt, faith and the meaning of religion, without giving them a pre-packaged answer. The questions are asked, and everyone is free to come up with their own answers, even if it’s easy to see which way the film team is leaning.

Otherwise, a remarkable job has been done on the sound. For example, on several occasions you can hear Ralph Fiennes breathing or his heart beating… which is sometimes more meaningful than lines of dialogue.

It’s also worth noting that a number of shots have lighting mastered to the point where they look like paintings. For an almost novice director, this suggests great potential! Even with the support of a talented director of photography.

The final twist will shock or disappoint many… but, personally, I was fine with it. It’s not necessarily the content itself that’s going to disturb, but the way it’s brought in is (a bit) like a hair on the soup, whereas the film could very well have ended without it and still been a great religio-political thriller.

The moralistic aspect, during the speech by one of the cardinals, will also be disturbing, of course!

This is a very fine production set inside the Vatican during the election of a new Pope.