By JOÃO LANARI BO*
Commentary on the film directed by Edward Berger, currently showing in theaters
habemus papam, or “We have a Pope”: for the past two thousand years, this has been the fetish phrase that has inspired Catholics around the world, proclaimed immediately after the conclave that decides who will be the new Holy Father. In 2016, the Catholic Church had approximately 1,3 billion followers – that is, 19% of the world’s population and more than half of all Christians. True, the various evangelical orientations have advanced, especially in the new millennium, but the sacred institution in Rome remains firm – for better or for worse, skeptics would say.
Conclave is the title of the film directed by Edward Berger that deals exactly with this, the most anticipated election of all, the one whose winner is supposed to be invested with nothing less, nothing more – sainthood.
Based on the book of the same name by British writer Richard Harris, a renowned craftsman of suspense, Peter Straughan's script is meticulously constructed to hold the audience's breath – the palace intrigues of the cardinals, the dispute over the supreme mantle, the microphysics of power that takes place in the secluded environments of the Vatican where the election takes place, are the ingredients of the plot.
Um casting also formed to perfection – Ralph Fiennes, Dean Lawrence carrying the narrative, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, veteran actors and rivals in the Conclave, Isabella Rossellini and Sergio Castellitto, in small roles, also excellent, as well as several supporting actors, all very good – it is the final touch to this production where everything seems to be in the right place.
Yes, it is entertainment, papal entertainment, which undoubtedly has a special charm. The Pope, by the way, dies in the very first sequence, triggering the race for succession – and revealing the political division deep-rooted in the Church, liberals versus conservatives, to put it very briefly (there are many nuances in this binomial).
A global institution for millennia, founded in the Roman Empire, the Church has a unique historical density in humanity. It has gone through schisms, other spiritual institutions were created from it – the Orthodox, the Protestants – it has assimilated corruption, excesses and fratricidal wars, and it has resisted. Today the Vatican administers a diversity of faithful and an equally diverse support base – the Catholic hierarchy – unmatched among organizations that meet the demands for religious inspiration of the population.
This whole universe is implicit when the cardinals gather to vote in the film – there are a hundred or so voters, the chosen one needs to receive two-thirds of the total, and no cardinal can abstain from voting, nor vote for himself. Some cardinals are highlighted in Conclave, representing geographical differences and prevailing mentalities in the Church.
We are in a thriller political, with sharp and precise editing, and a soundtrack that matches the tense atmosphere. Dean Lawrence maneuvers through this maze, imbued with the authority that the dead Pope – whose legacy suggests something of the current Pope Francis – granted him. It is no easy task.
The plot is fictional, but the conflicts are real. In the conversations between the prelates, the traumatic recent past comes to the fore – Pope Benedict XVI, for example, was a member of the Hitler Youth and fought in the war. John Paul II, his predecessor, covered up serious and pathetic cases of sexual abuse. Straughan's script mentions these aspects, but avoids going into deeper debate, as was the case with Two Popes, by Fernando Meirelles.
This does not mean that controversial topics are avoided: Cardinal Tedesco, one of the most active candidates, rails against Muslims as if he were in the Middle Ages. The antics of his ambitious competitor, Cardinal Tremblay, border on the implausible – whatever God wants.
A speech by Sister Agnes, who manages the nuns’ support – that is, the traditional subservient position of women in the Catholic Church – subverts the gender hierarchy for a moment: “we are supposed to be invisible, but we cannot help but have eyes and ears.”
In this static world, evolving without losing relevance is a huge challenge. A soft-spoken figure, who emerged at the last minute thanks to an untimely appointment by the recently deceased Pope, is Cardinal Benitez, from Kabul – yes, the capital of Afghanistan. He is Mexican, a newcomer to the Vatican, and has sailed through rough seas in his priesthood – Congo, Baghdad – and his speech can enlighten the congregation.
High political voltage, therefore, at a fun pace. Healthy, certainly – and the twist The end brings the papal transition to a close with a flourish.
*João Lanari Bo He is a professor of cinema at the Faculty of Communication at the University of Brasília (UnB). Author, among other books, of Cinema for Russians, Cinema for Soviets (Time Bazaar). [https://amzn.to/45rHa9F]
Reference
Conclave
USA, UK, Northern Ireland, 2024, 120 minutes.
Directed by: Edward Berger.
Screenplay: Richard Harris and Peter Straughan
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto.
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