CONCLAVE
Edward Berger's “Conclave” was a film that I saw late in the year, and to be honest I wasn't really expecting too much from it. Being a non-religious man, I just didn't think I was going to get too much out of a film that was about a bunch of priests, sitting around and voting to find a new Pope, after the current one died from a heart attack. Actually, it sounded incredibly dull, and the main reason I decided to sit down and watch the film was because Edward Berger directed it, and he had received significant acclaim from his recent remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front”. I should say that while I do not practice any form of religion, and call myself an atheist, this doesn't stop me from watching films about religion (of any form), and I often find myself drawn to films that deal with faith or the question of faith. That said, I was expecting to be pretty bored while watching “Conclave”, but I could not have been more wrong, as I was riveted from the opening frame, right up to the final credits. It is an extraordinarily good film, so well made and acted, with a terrific story line too.
While I was expecting a story about boring priests, talking about their religious ideals and then voting on who they thought best would support these ideals, instead what I got was a film that plays more like a political thriller, full of secrets, double crossings, manipulations, voyeurism, and conspiracy. It was such a thrilling watch and what I loved most about it was that it was a film made for adults. It was smart, complex, interesting and insightful, not to mention full of suspense and intrigue.
Ralph Fiennes is excellent as Cardinal Lawrence, the man who is given the task to run the conclave, making sure the process is fair, while at the same time attempting to get the man he believes to be the right candidate for the job of Pope the best chance of succeeding, even when it becomes apparent that people in his congregation feel he might be suited for the job himself. Actually the whole cast is exceptional here, including Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini who has a small but significant role as a nun, who is helping with the meals and behind the scenes stuff of the conclave.
An aspect I found interesting was the fact that the priests are totally shut off from the outside world until they come up with a majority and thus the name of the new Pope. This is done so they are not influenced by what is happening in the outside world or the uncertainty and fear that has been created by there no longer being a Pope. They are not able to access any information that may sway their decision, so when the priests start coming up to Cardinal Lawrence with gossip or conspiracies, he needs to work out what is the truth without any contact from the outside. In fact, the whole workings of the conclave is very interesting, and much more than I was expecting. I do not particularly want to go into too many plot details because “Conclave” is still a relatively new film, but there is one scene that I loved when Ralph Fiennes makes a large speech, and he talks about how the biggest sin he fears is the sin of certainty because if there is no doubt, there is no mystery, which means there is no need for faith (which is the cornerstone of all religion). I thought it was a brilliant moment and gave me food for thought, but lets just say that my reaction may not be the same to those Cardinal Lawrence was speaking to.
“Conclave” has been expertly made and designed with a strong use of colour, especially reds, blues and whites. The cinematography is stunning, and there are a number of amazing shots, like the shot of all the priests in the courtyard, while it is raining, all of them holding an umbrella, which is strikingly framed from above to create quite the image. I also thought that Volker Bertelmann's music was another highlight of this brilliant film. One thing I also like in films is when actions or rituals are shown in detail, and Edward Berger does a great job of showing the little details both of the conclave, and particularly at the start of the film, the preparation of the body once the Pope has died before the room is then sealed.
I want to briefly mention the ending of the film, because I know a lot of people do not like the ending of “Conclave”. Even people who love the film, some are turned off by the final twist the story takes. Personally I was so engaged in the film, that I really liked the ending (but can see why some would rebel against it) too. I also think calling it a twist ending doesn't do it justice, because it is more of a turn in the story, than any big twist that changes everything you thought you knew beforehand.
Without giving anything away, “Conclave” does show up in my top twenty five of 2024, which will give me a chance to take about the film again, so let me just say that I absolutely loved this film, and would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a good thriller to watch. The best part about “Conclave” though was that I was expecting so little from it, and got so much back, and this is why it was my biggest surprise of 2024.
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