Conclave // An unprecedented look inside the Vatican

It has always called my attention to know what happens behind the doors of the Vatican, frankly it does not seem to me a place that is sacred because it is run by men who like me make mistakes every day, however, I will not belittle the activities, work and decisions that are made there, I also know that there is a great story behind. I became more interested in this subject after watching the movies inspired by the books “Angels and Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code”. I think those movies aroused a great curiosity in me, even though it is obvious that I am totally clear that they are fiction. “The Two Popes” was also an interesting enough movie to feed my curiosity, that one starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.

Thus, this same 2024 “Conclave”, a film directed by Edward Berger whom I know only for directing the series “The Terror” (which I recommend with my eyes closed), arrived in theaters. From the first moment I saw the trailer I was curious and the fact that there was such a prestigious line of actors gave me to understand that I would see a very good movie, who starred Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, among others who did a very good job.

To give you a little context, a conclave is an activity or ceremony that takes place after the death of a pope, it seeks to elect the new pope and the election is done through a vote in which a certain amount of votes is required, this amount is not by simple majority, but by a majority already established that if I remember correctly must be at least 72 votes, those who vote are the cardinals. A conclave seems to be a simple meeting to elect the new pope, but history has shown that it is much more than that, there have always been delays and inconveniences since not all cardinals have a consensus or preference for someone specific.

Having clarified this, in the film we see with a lot of drama what happens behind the doors of such an important and transcendental meeting for the history and future of the Catholic Church. Here we see how some people want to win and try to make tricks that give them advantages over others, and well, we know that from the Christian point of view there are things that can be seen as a dirty game, it is more like a political game and not a religious one. The truth is that this is where the role of the dean, played masterfully by Ralph Fiennes, plays a fundamental role since it is he who must ensure that the conclave is carried out in the cleanest and fairest way possible.

But I fear that many cardinals do not aspire to win in the fairest way, some even cross the line by betraying and buying companions. While it is true that the film is fiction, I do not doubt that situations like these have been experienced throughout history, as I said, it is men who occupy these positions and beyond apparently being closer to God, I guess they can not help but feel ambition to sit in the papal chair even if they do not deserve it.

I think this is a film that handles drama and suspense quite well as it builds and leaves clues of what could be the outcome of the conclave, but what I like most is that it does not skimp on creating characters that leave the church in a very bad light, even when we know it is fiction, that boldness plays in favor of the entertainment of the viewer. The performances are all very good, each actor fulfilled his role and contributed to give a good drama to this film that tries to give us an unprecedented look at what happens in the election of an event as media and speculative as the election of a Pope.

The movies that are inspired by events that are lived in reality are very attractive to me, although it is true that this one is not entirely inspired by real events, it does a good job showing us situations that I do not rule out that could hypothetically occur in a conclave. So if it calls your attention or if you are curious to know in more depth what happens in a place as enigmatic as the Vatican, then I recommend you to see this movie, it is not very long and is quite entertaining.