The Pope is dead, and the red-clad Cardinals gather to choose the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, in a conclave led by the Dean of Cardinals, Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). That might not sound too exciting as a film but CONCLAVE is highly entertaining, turning that premise into a tense political thriller, with personal ambitions, clashing factions, twists and secrets, as competing visions for the church’s future and ambitious men vie one of the most powerful positions on Earth.
Part of why this film works as a entertaining thriller is the outstanding cast, which includes Ralph Fiennes, in one of his best performances, plus stars like Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, all in fine form.
Another reason it works so well as nature of the Roman Catholic Church. The cardinals are tasked with a holy mission, to choose the next pope, but the Catholic Church, whose roots reach back through the Middle Ages to Rome, has long had a political aspect when you reach the level of cardinals and the Pope in the Vatican. Extending that into a thriller where ambitions and visions for the future clash, with echoes of any other struggle, whether for leadership of any great organization or even a country, is not a great stretch. There are the parallels with any organization needing to fill a powerful position of leadership, whether religious or secular, even political, with competing factions, ambitious personalities, and a struggle over the direction it will take.
On the other hand, these are men of faith, and the focus is the leadership of a major worldwide religion, which makes religious beliefs a balancing thread. In the film, there are factions in the Church, and they are vying to move it forward or backward in the modern world. The cardinals are deeply divided on that. Then there are personal ambitions too, as rising within the ranks to level of cardinal is no small feat, and aiming to become pope is not an unreasonable dream.
All that gives this drama both deep material to explore and powerful contrasting feelings to drive it forward, along with strong personalities and hidden secrets to help the tensions along.
The excellent Ralph Fiennes is top of his game in CONCLAVE, playing the reluctant Cardinal Lawrence, Dean of Cardinals, who had tried to resign from his position and its responsibilities shortly before the pope’s death, hoping to retreat to a quiet life of contemplation. The pope had refused to accept his resignation, and Lawrence suspected he knew this task was in the offing, and that it would be a battle for the soul of the Church.
Ralph Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence, as the Dean of Cardinals, is the reluctant leader of the conclave to pick the new pope. The church at this moment is split deeply into factions, some wanting to modernize and others wanting to return to the past. Some of the cardinals are openly ambitious on a personal level, while others are pressed into it by their vision for the Church’s future.
Stanley Tucci plays a cardinal who fits that latter category, Cardinal Bellini, pressed into service by his friend Lawrence. The pope (Bruno Novelli) who just died was from the church’s more liberal faction and his supporters and friends like Fiennes would like to see his modernizing policies continue. But they face strong opposition from Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) who would like to reinstate the Latin Mass and restore the dominance of Italians in the church leadership, among other things, and is pushing back against the more international approach of the last pope.
Another candidate for pope is Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), who would be the first African pope, but the liberals are troubled by his strong anti-gay stance. There is a fourth candidate, an ambitious man who would be pope, Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow). Tremblay is a competing candidate from the liberal wing but one about whom Lawrence has suspicions and who may be concealing something that may disqualify him. Tremblay was the last to see the pope alive and another priest who was present nearby, Wozniak (Jacek Koman) overhead parts of a confrontation with late pope and Lithgow’s Tremblay. Tremblay denies there was even an argument and Wozniak is so upset it is hard to tell what he really heard. There are rumors of a missing document reflecting badly on Tremblay, and Tremblay’s delay in notifying Lawrence, who should have been told immediately about the pope’s death, casts more suspicion.
So the stage is set for intrigue and tension. The cardinals gather to be sequestered to they choose the next pope but rumors and secrets still circulate from inside and out. There is a surprise arrival, of a secret cardinal stationed in Afghanistan, Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), that no one had known about. except the late pope. Meanwhile, there is unrest in the streets as the cardinals are gathered to do their holy work.
There are nuns present too, led by Isabella Rossellini’s Sister Agnes, who are there to take care of practical matters like cooking and serving food. The nuns stay silent – well, until Rossellini’s Sister Agnes finally does speak up.
The cardinals speak a mix of Italian and English, with surprisingly little Latin. Ralph Fiennes is at the center of this story, trying to uncover the truth about every candidate for pope to determine who is most worthy, and often going down a rabbit hole as he uncovers what has been hidden, but it is very much an ensemble effort and each actor gets to shine. In the end, it is the cardinals themselves who will pick the pope, in round after round of voting during the day. After hours, candidates campaign and jockey for position in quiet conversations in hallways, as Fiennes’ Lawrence investigates.
Rich color and pageantry fill the screen while all this intrigue and clash of ideas and personalities takes place. The Vatican setting has always provided plenty of pomp and gorgeous theatrical visuals for films, which CONCLAVE uses to great dramatic effect to frame it’s taut, twisty plot. Seas of cardinals, in red and white trimmed in gold, move through stately halls of gleaming white or black marble, while nuns in blue move silently among them, and cinematography Stéphane Fontaine gives us one beautiful, striking scene after another, adding a visual delight to the film’s many admirable qualities.
Director Edward Berger, who also helmed last year’s excellent German war drama adaptation of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, brings that same skill in storytelling and drawing fine performances from actors to this film as well. The screenplay is by Peter Straughan, adapted from the book by Robert Harris. From the acting to the cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine and art direction by Suzie Davies and Lisy Christi, CONCLAVE is first-rate at every level, and seems a sure thing for Oscar nominations, as it deserves..
CONCLAVE builds tension as secrets come out and positions shift, with Ralph Fiennes character acting almost as a detective to uncover the truth of every candidate for Pope. The film ends with a shocker but no spoilers from here. You will have to go see it to find out, and you will not be sorry you did, as CONCLAVE is one of the year’s best, with Oscar potential on multiple levels.
CONCLAVE opens Friday, Oct. 25, in theaters.
RATING: 4 out of 4 stars
