CONCLAVE - Mark Reviews Movies

Conclave, Focus Features

Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Become a Patron

Review by Mark Dujsik | October 24, 2024

The Pope has died of an apparent heart attack at the start of Conclave. Maybe it's a sizeable history of fiction—and some actual history—that leads one to think this story might be a mystery at its core, given the circumstances of the man's death and the ways in which some of those around the dead man seem a bit indirect in some questions. There are mysteries in director Edward Berger and screenwriter Peter Straughan's adaptation of Robert Harris' novel, but one of them is not about how or why the head of the Catholic Church is dead.

No, the mysteries here are more human—about what people want, what they might not realize they desire, and how far they're willing to push the rules and/or their own moral systems in order to obtain those things. Even our protagonist Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), the dean of the College of Cardinals that will elect a new pope within a month of the late one's death, might not be as humble, upright, and free of temptation as he seems. He might not even be aware of his own personal flaws.

The film, then, is about peeling back the layers of formality, pomp, and prestige of this institution to reveal that the people who make it up are prone to failure, to political wheeling and dealings, to sabotage, and to other acts of frailty or potential criminality. This will come as no surprise to those who have followed the news surrounding the Catholic Church in the past couple of decades. It may not be about them, but even those scandals flavor the ways in which these characters go about their business of cutting each other down and trying to ensure that word of none of these activities gets outside the walls of the Vatican.

This is a smart film about intelligent people, as well as an occasionally wise one about how systems are only as worthy of respect, admiration, and, to use an intentionally loaded word in the context, faith as the people who run them. Every major character here possesses a secret of some kind, and while the plot is about Lawrence searching for them in others and himself, the story, ultimately, is more about that bigger-picture view of who deserves to be in charge of an institution that requires faith in it, its views and policies, and those who do hold power within it.

Berger and Straughan may not quite achieve that higher level of thematic intent with this film. As a drama and pseudo-thriller about back-room dealings and all sorts of hidden sins coming to light, though, there's little denying that it's a solid and entertaining one.

Much of that comes from the cast, the tight structure and sense of revelation in Straughan's script, and the setting, as Berger re-creates the halls of religious power that tower over the merely human players or perfectly ordinary spaces that become elevated by the task at hand. Finnes' Lawrence—as well as his exceptionally restrained, internalized performance—is the narrative's cornerstone. This is a man who knows every other cardinal—apart from one notable exception—in the group that will vote on a new pope, organizes the election in such a way to keep internal strife and external interference to a minimum, and keeps looking for answers in the personal and professional affairs of some of the prime candidates.

He's also a man divided on multiple levels, the least of which, under the circumstances, is a crisis of faith Lawrence has been experiencing as of late. He knows, for example, that Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), a moderate in terms of religious dogma and doctrine, had a private meeting with the Pope on the day of the pontiff's death, and the rumors are that the discussion might not have been amenable. However, Lawrence wants to remain officially impartial and ensure that the other bishops are protected from any outside information that might bias their vote. How can he balance his suspicions with his position, if that's even possible?

The major divide among the cardinals is of doctrine. On one side is Lawrence's colleague and friend Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), a liberal—like him—in such matters, who insists he is not seeking and does not want to become pope, which is also Lawrence's stand for his own lack of ambition. On the other side are Cardinals Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) and Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), who hold more conservative views and want to undo some of the reforms made by the recently deceased pope. Listening to the debates and witnessing the various behind-the-scenes negotiations are fascinating, simply for how down-to-earth they are and how much they reveal about the perspectives, as well as the goals, of these characters.

This, then, is a story wholly driven by character, dialogue, and ideas, in which all of the figures within it are clearly developed, while speaking with clarity—or, in some cases, intentional elusion—about what they want, how they'll go about trying to obtain it, and why they want it in the first place, with a firm point of view of what this institution should be. At a time when so many mainstream movies seem to care primarily about plotting and action, here's one that has its feet firmly planted, not only in what its characters do, but also in the assorted personal, political, and dogmatic reasons behind those deeds.

It's refreshing in that context, but Conclave is compelling and insightful enough on its own, too. The film is a very human story about ambition, weakness, and how every institution is a reflection of the people within it—for worse and, hopefully, for better.

Back to Home

Buy Related Products

Buy the Book

Buy the Book (Kindle Edition)