Konklave (Conclave)
U.K./U.S.A. 2024

Opening 21 Nov 2024

Directed by: Edward Berger
Writing credits: Peter Straughan, Robert Harris
Principal actors: Ralph Fiennes, Jacek Koman, Lucian Msamati, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow

It’s Rome and sadly the Pope has died. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is now faced with the responsibility of organizing an election for a new Pope. Three weeks later he invites cardinals from around the world to meet in a “conclave” at the Sistine Chapel; over one hundred forty arrive. They will choose which one of them, e.g., Tedesco, Tremblay, Adeyemi, Lawrence, Bellini or Benitez, will become Pope. Tedesco has the most votes, but still not enough to have a majority. A second vote is called for the next day; Lawrence doesn’t want to be on the list. He “has enough to do already.” Here, Adeyemi, the Black cardinal, has the most votes, but also not a majority. On the third day several scandals come to light which hinder the competition.

It's wonderful to see all these men dressed in red. A few women appear, all nuns. In spite of their connection to “God,” cardinals are definitely not out of the ordinary as far as human shortcomings are concerned. They lie and cheat, even stealing a chess game out of the room when the Pope dies. Try to imagine the intrigues and corruptions which cardinals reveal about each other to strengthen their own personal chance of winning.  Based on the 2016 book, Conclave by Robert Harris, a “conclave” in the Roman Catholic Church is “an assembly of cardinals for the election of a pope.” For comparison, you might try to re-see the film Die Päpstin from 2009, based on the 1996 book Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. Konklave showed at film festivals in Telluride, Toronto, and San Sebastian. (Becky Tan)

Second Opinion

Robert Harris’ 2016 eponymous psychological papal thriller throbs to life under Edward Berger’s powerfully measured, deft handling with Peter Straughan’s acutely sophisticated screenplay. One early autumnal morning Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), the Cardinal Dean at Città del Vaticano, hurries to the Pope’s bedside. It seems the Pope’s health condition was much worse than he allowed even those closest to him to realize. Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), Archbishop Wozniak (Jacek Koman), and Monsignor Raymond O'Malley (Brían F. O'Byrne), among others, join him in prayer. The Apostolic See is vacant. As Dean, Thomas’s job is to assemble, from around the world, the cardinals to the city-state, home to the Pope and center of Catholicism whence they will vote, secretly and sequestered from the outside world, for a new leader.

Three weeks later: Close on the heels of workmen making the Sistine Chapel ready, and the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery nuns under Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini) readying Domus Sanctae Marthae for lodging, the men are gathered for the conclave. Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) is late, unexpected. The voting body’s first vote introduce the main contenders including Trembly, Bellini, Lawrence, Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), Cardinal Sabbadin (Merab Ninidze), and Cardinal Villanueva (Loris Loddi). The politicking begins in earnest. Of the candidates there are, naturally, those that want to be pope, those that do not want the position, and one that is willing to do anything to knock aside all competition. Thomas must be strong pragmatically, be vigilant and discerning, understanding, and wise. “The men who are dangerous are the ones who do want it.”

Ralph Fiennes’s standout performance and ensemble are exquisite in their smoldering, shrouded, and sensitive portrayals. Stéphane Fontaine’s mesmerizing camerawork intently studies the men—scrutinizing facial tics, sidelong glances, calculated gestures, and situations—in the dining area, their quarters, the Sistine Chapel’s magnificence from all angles and perspectives allied with Volker Bertelmann’s eloquently timed music that editor Nick Emerson finesses into the compellingly potent Konklave. Suzie Davies’s production design, Cynthia Sleiter’s sets, and Roberta Federico’s art direction stunningly recreate Vatican City, et al. Particularly for those who have read the book, this powerful visualization of Conclave gratifyingly expresses its essence intelligently, suspensefully, and graced with wittiness. (Marinell Haegelin)