Fiction and Faith in “Conclave”
"Conclave," a recent film dramatizing the papal conclave, has gained new traction with the election of Pope Leo XIV.
Conclave
Directed by Edward Berger
2024
The 2025 election of Pope Leo XIV has renewed audience interest in the recent film Conclave. When the film was released in late 2024, the last papal conclave had happened twenty years earlier and wasn’t the result of a papal death. The exteriors shot in Rome, the detailed costuming and the strong performances give Conclave a vivid sense of realism. Yet the characters and relationships are entirely fictitious, and their drama serves the story.
Some reviews describe Conclave as a thriller, but I believe this is misleading. It tries to be understated, lingering on small sounds and simple, face-on shots of background characters, while also attempting to heighten tension with dissonant strings in the score and literal explosions near the end.
Flawed characters
Conclave explores tensions within the modern Roman Catholic church but doesn’t avoid caricature, especially in its portrayal of Cardinal Tedesco, the conservative Italian candidate. He almost twirls his mustache to show he is a villain and unworthy of being chosen pope.
The central figure is Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). As Dean of the College of Cardinals, he convened the conclave and was a close confidante of the late pope. Doubt about his faith defines him. His role is to prompt viewers to reflect on the “sin of certainty” when discerning the will of God. Other cardinals who feature prominently include Bellini (Stanley Tucci), an American representing the progressive faction; Trembley (John Lithgow), a well-connected and influential figure; and Adeyemy, a prominent African cardinal.
One by one, each cardinal proves to be a flawed choice. Tedesco seems included mainly to make the others look better by comparison, but each favourite has faults of his own. During a secret meeting in a darkened stairwell, one character says, “We’re mortal men. We serve an ideal. We cannot always be ideal.”
Some character flaws are obvious, especially sexual transgression or corruption for ambition, but Bellini’s is the most striking. He begins humbly but uses Tedesco as a bogey man to gain support. When he fails to win enough backing, he grows fearful and bitter toward those who don’t support a liberal alternative to Tedesco, who should still be seen as his brother cardinal. One wonders whether Bellini’s papacy would be any better than Tedesco’s.
An offered alternative
My main issue with Conclave is that it can’t decide what type of film it wants to be. It begins reflective and meditative, lingering on faces and sounds, but as it reaches its climax it sensationalizes a process that is difficult to make dramatic. The stakes feel distant to viewers. Dream sequences and literal explosions clash with the otherwise realistic tone.
The end of Conclave calls for unity and presents an alternative to the flawed men under consideration. For reasons best left unspoiled, this candidate is well suited to the role. Yet even here, the film reminds us that, for all its attempts at realism, it remains a fiction crafted to support its own arguments.
For all its limitations, Conclave offers insight into how the Roman Catholic church selects its leadership. A secret ballot to discern God’s will is not far from how democratized Protestant denominations make decisions. Through Cardinal Lawrence, the film asks how certain churches go about taking positions on world issues. It also reminds us that, whatever God’s will may be, he uses flawed people to accomplish his purposes.
