'Sublime': Angus MacDonald reviews 'Conclave'
Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence | Image by: BFA / Alamy Stock Photo
3 min read
An institution with intricate power dynamics; characters grappling with political intrigue, elections and doubts about their faith – what film could be more apt for a parliamentary audience than the gripping and sensational Conclave?
The most enjoyable film, Conclave’s pageantry, cinematography and music are all sublime. Adapted from Robert Harris’ eponymous novel, the film delves into the intricate power dynamics within the Vatican following the death of the pope. Ralph Fiennes excels as Cardinal Lawrence, grappling with doubt and his faith, as do all the rest of the cast – Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini, and Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes delivers a wonderful moment in the film. As a Catholic, one tends to approach films about Catholicism (especially the Vatican!) with a healthy dose of scepticism, but from the very beginning Conclave was a gripping watch, quietly intriguing and thoughtful.
Faith and doubt are a classic theme within Christianity, as Cardinal Lawrence’s speech to the conclave highlighted, quoting Jesus’ lines from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In 2021, Pope Francis reflected on this exact question, writing, “a faith without doubts cannot advance” and that: “Crises of faith are not failures against faith. On the contrary, they reveal the need and desire to enter more fully into the depths of the mystery of God. A faith without these trials leads me to doubt that it is true faith.”
Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini | FlixPix / Alamy Stock Photo
Moving away from the theological, as parliamentarians, a drama about an election seems apt viewership. Our hallowed halls are hardly the Vatican, but I’m sure there’s plenty of gossip and political intrigue in both – there certainly is in the film. And who as an MP hasn’t occasionally imagined themselves behind the despatch box, just as Cardinal Bellini rebukes Cardinal Lawrence when he claims that he had never imagined his papal name?
Ralph Fiennes excels as Cardinal Lawrence
And of course, we cannot forget the relevance to the recent death of His Holiness, Pope Francis. On a popular culture level, the film has sparked an unprecedented interest among non-Catholics regarding the proceedings. In The Times, I was amused to read: “The Lord moves in mysterious ways, as do Hollywood contracts. At 3am EST yesterday, 24 hours after the Pope’s death, a pre-existing deal between Universal and Amazon Prime came into effect which meant viewers in the United States could stream the film Conclave for free.” I suppose it’s little surprise, then, that Conclave viewership rose 283 per cent on the day of Pope Francis’ death.
Odder that 52 per cent of Britons think the choice of who becomes pope will make “not much/none at all” difference to the world (YouGov). I would think that the outpouring of grief and commemoration for Pope Francis’ lifetime of service to world peace, harmony, and humankind would serve to show just what the papacy can achieve at its best.
Conclave is a must-watch – a film about doubt, faith and hope, but also a jolly good sensational, intriguing drama. While we won’t be privy to the machinations behind the real-world conclave, we’ll all be imagining it with a good deal more colour and detail than before.
Angus MacDonald is Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire
Conclave
Directed by: Edward Berger
Screenplay by: Peter Straughan
Broadcaster: Amazon Prime Video
