Conclave, a riveting, drama-filled film had me on the edge of my seat while watching. From the gorgeous imagery and suspense, this movie was a win in my book. Directed by Edward Berger and screenplay by Peter Straughan, this film drew inspiration from the 2016 novel Conclave by Robert Harris. The film did incredibly well in the box office, grossing $101 million worldwide, with a production budget of $20 million.
Conclave follows Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he navigates the complicated world of the Catholic Church’s ritual of selecting a new pope. Lawrence expresses his faith has been wavering, and the death of the pope furthers his loss of love for his religion. Being selected to coordinate the conclave, the process of selecting a new pope, Lawrence unravels hidden secrets about members of the clergy.
While chasing down new leads, Lawrence is also faced with many cardinals with vastly different ideologies, both politically, religiously and personal opinions on who the new pope should be, and how the Vatican should be run. Lawrence, with the help of Cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanely Tucci) and Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), tries to tip the scales to favor a new pope with more progressive political stances.
Throughout the film we are introduced to many cardinals with the desire to become the next pope. Each cardinal represents vastly different ideals and directions they want the Church to go. Joshua Adeyemi of Nigeria, (Lucian Msamati) a social conservative that has a past that follows him to the Vatican, Joseph Tremblay of Canada, (John Lithgow) a moderate that has been pulling strings behind the scenes to secure his place as pope and finally, Goffredo Tedesco of Italy, (Sergio Castellitto) a staunch traditionalist that wants the church to return to its ‘former glory’ and praises the past.
These characters highlight very real problems that the church faces today in this modern world, as well as problems that are age old and need to be addressed. This film does a wonderful job of demonstrating the clash of old and new during a very troubling time.
With the mix of the harsh office style quarters, the Vatican’s soft romantic-esque style and the contrasting outside gardens with turtles that were given great emphasis, the setting and set design helped move the plot along immensely.
The turtles were an interesting element that continuously appeared throughout the film, the most notable being at the end when Lawrence had to return one to its habitat in the garden. Having these animals present can represent a multitude of things. Primarily, turtles are ancient creatures that have been around a very long time, much like the church itself, which brings a wisdom to their presence. Having them present for Lawerence’s conversations with Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), the young cardinal that mysteriously appears at the Vatican after being made a cardinal “in pectore” or in secret by the late pope, displays the value that they have in this process. Lawrence talks about how the turtles were the pope’s favorite aspect of the garden, and no one else in the film acknowledges them aside from these two characters who are closely involved with this conclave. I think the turtles represent the spirit of the church, and with these two interacting with them, the two people seemingly uncorrupted by the greed and desire to become the pope means that they have the spirit of the church backing them. this aspect showed the connection these two cardinals had with the church, with emphasis on the struggle that Lawerence was facing throughout this film.
Along with the ornate gardens, I was loving the color choices in this film. The rich blood reds that were lavishly everywhere, along with the contrasting whites and creams. This combo creates an eerie vibe that really puts emphasis on the suspense in this movie. The color outside in the gardens is very bright, contrasting greatly with the blank dorm-esque rooms the cardinals live in during the election. Having these romantic and soft spaces with lavish decor against darker and harsher lighting with office style furniture was really interesting. Both styles present in the same space represents the modern world and ideologies that come with the progression clashing with the old traditions that the church has upheld for ages. This contrast presents the balance of being in the modern world as well as upholding age old traditions of the church. Having both is important for the film. Acknowledging the history that is still very present in the teachings is necessary, but a drive to integrate new ideas that fit with the progressive mindset of many followers of the church is also present within this design and an important step that the church needs to take. We see this idea upheld by Lawernce, and his supporters Bellini and Benitez. Progression is inevitable, and with the modern elements seeping into the design shows the need to adapt and grow as an institution. The hallways specifically stood out to me, with the set design making the chapel feel like a prison. The halls and their drab colors make the costumes pop against them, with the characters often being donned in rich reds. This color specifically emphasised the feeling of dread and guilt, red is a very angry color.
Technology also played a necessary role in the film. The juxtaposition between the ornate Roman Catholic imagery and modern technological devices, like iPhones, was shocking to witness. I especially noticed this in the beginning of the movie, when they are preparing for the other cardinals to arrive. The shot of the pile of telephones removed from the rooms emphasizes that they are not to have any contact with the outside world. We see how this impacts Lawrence while he unpacks the mystery surrounding Cardinal Benitez. Computers and printers littered throughout the Vatican makes the space seem more office-like, and less holy.
With all of these design choices we see the struggle, both internally as an institution and within the characters, to uphold the ancient-ness of the church while in the modern world. I think that having these juxtapositions throughout the film helps further the concept that the church was, and is, an institution run by man. Having technology, modern furniture stylings and the occasional smartphone puts emphasis on the greed that they talk about in the film.
This movie is compelling due to the direct critique on the Catholic Church that it posed. The backlash that this movie experienced from religious leaders was not intense, but there. I find it interesting at this moment we are still calling for the Catholic Church to critique their standings on certain issues. Talk of abortion rights, gay and trans rights, among other issues that society has been facing in this movie is refreshing, but it did make me question whether or not people in these positions are considering these issues. Knowing this movie is based on the 2016 novel Conclave by Robert Harris, but ultimately is a fictional story begs the question of what issues are being brought up behind those closed doors.
The backlash that this film is facing, despite the director having conversations with cardinals and visiting the Vatican during production is interesting. A large number of priests and Catholics alike called this movie ‘blasphemous’ and not a true representation of the church. Many people shared the sentiment that if you are Catholic this movie is not for you. As talked about in this blog; Why As Catholics We Should Not Support the Movie ‘Conclave’, which calls the movie a mockery of the church. As well as numerous YouTube reviews that detail how and why this film is a farce. I believe that seeing the flaws in the church, especially considering the past scandals that have occurred, is important. I never understood the blind following that the church preached, but hey, that’s religion. I think that more films like this shedding light on the inner workings of this institution can only bring good to the church. Having a public eye does (sometimes) influence people and institutions to do better.
Miley Charsky is a Junior at Ithaca College that has nevertheless been given eyes and ears. They can be reached at [email protected].