Released in Oct. 2024 and propelled back into relevance by the passing of Pope Francis, “Conclave” includes a star-studded cast who elevate the already fantastic story. The film follows Cardinal Lawrence — played by Ralph Fiennes — who must oversee the election of the next pope in his role as Dean of the College of Cardinals.
The movie is able to shed light on an often unknown and highly secretive process within the Catholic Church, that being the process of choosing a pope. The pope is chosen by an anonymous vote from the cardinals, and any person must receive a two-thirds majority in order to assume the title of supreme pontiff; if no one is able to reach that majority, the cardinals vote again and again until a consensus is reached. After each round, the ballots are burned and result in black smoke if there is no pope and in white smoke when a choice has been made. During the conclave, the cardinals are sequestered within the Sistine Chapel and are not allowed any electronic devices or outside communication.
“Concalve” is able to peel back that curtain in a miraculous way, showing the insider politics within the church and masterfully spinning a tale of drama, mystery and intrigue.
Lawrence must grapple with many difficult responsibilities throughout the course of the story. He is tasked with leading the other cardinals and maintaining order; this leads him to investigate some of the other leading candidates and forces him to make decisions on the different scandalous information he uncovers. He must grapple with his own unexpected candidacy for the papacy despite his lack of ambition and hope that he will be allowed to retire after the conclave. And the most weighing burden of all, the choice of whom to elect to be the successor of Saint Peter.
Fiennes is able to portray these struggles in a remarkably graceful way. The film features many solo and close-up shots of him, and he is able to convey the character's emotions so clearly with just an expression. He also captures the dichotomy of being a holy man and trying to live up to a great ideal while still being human and fallible. I would say he definitely delivered an Oscar-worthy performance.
The one thing that keeps this from being a typical conclave, however, is the unexpected arrival of Cardinal Benítez – played by Carlos Diehz – who was appointed as a cardinal in pectore or in secret, as he is the Archbishop of Kabul. Benítez is my personal favorite character; he is portrayed as humble, spiritual, quiet and unwavering in his convictions. He is also one of the supporters of Lawrence for Pope and is unwilling to change his vote even in the face of condemnation and pleading from Lawrence.
In the scene where he is first introduced to the other cardinals, he is asked to bless their meal, and after finishing the traditional grace, he begins another in Spanish, calling for remembrance of the poor and hungry and blessings for the nuns who prepared the meal. This catches the others rather off guard and instantly demonstrates the kind of person Benítez is. Diehz also gave a beautiful performance, being able to perfectly convey the deep emotions of the character while keeping his performance rather simple and plain, just as Benítez is.
Moving past the engaging plot, deep characters and thoughtfully crafted script, where this film truly shines is in its filmmaking and cinematography.
The camera is able to creatively capture the elegance of Saint Peter’s Basilica along with the intricacies of the Sistine Chapel and other pieces of Vatican architecture that appear throughout the film, but it isn’t merely a showcase of Italian art and architecture — “Conclave” is able to transform those pieces and seamlessly integrate the characters and world it creates into this deeply historical setting. The sharp angles and deep contrast that are shown create striking images and add to the sense of mystery that unfolds through the film.
The use of color is especially impressive to me. The rich, nearly royal red of the zucchettos and other vestments the cardinals wear can create an overwhelming effect when all the cardinals appear as a group or can serve as a highlight for when a single character is shown surrounded by shadow, it also stands out against many of the stark white marble features of the set. The swarm of white umbrellas, overlooked by Lawrence, when the cardinals enter the cathedral, shows the width of the church and is a scarcity in a film that contains so many close personal shots of individual actors.
This is also a testament to the costume design, which created intricate outfits that can oftentimes look better than what actual cardinals wear.
The blue of the seats in the main meeting room of the cardinals, along with the blue of the nuns' uniforms, creates a near-perfect complement to the outfits and settings of the cardinals. When the cardinals are meeting by themselves, the films contain mostly reds and whites, and the occasional black when they are doing dealings quite literally in the shadows. But when the cardinals are joined by others, or are discussing issues outside of church drama, more colors start to sneak in, scenes incorporate blue and yellow, which begin to merge with the cardinal's colors.
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Overall, “Conclave” is a film that is based on an unexplored, unique concept and delivers a masterpiece. It brings together great cinematography, acting, and storytelling to create a sweet, endearing, but also thought-provoking and philosophical work.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
