What does it take to be a good Pope? What kind of person should be the guardian of the power of the Church? Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is appointed to lead the conclave after the unexpected death of the Supreme Pontiff, making these questions the center of the debate that, from then on, will mark all the conversations, silences and disputes of the Vatican. And with them, a whole arsenal of power struggles that will lead the most powerful leaders of the institution to plot who deserves to be the protagonist of the new white smoke.
The process is not easy, as the election will also involve dealing with the misery, scandals and corruption that also reign in the corridors of the Holy See.
“We have had worse” is the argument that one of the bishops puts forward when analyzing the candidates one by one, excusing their past mistakes. These alliances are the heart of Conclavethe new feature film by Edward Berger that, with his previous film, the war All quiet on the frontwon four Oscars in 2023, including Best International Film and Best Cinematography for James Friend. The German filmmaker returns with a film that is set to take its place in the awards season, starting with the San Sebastian Film Festival, where it is competing in the official section.
The film is intelligent, very entertaining and biting; and it is guided by several very unexpected and effective twists, which manage to increasingly twist a story that is apparently timeless on screen, but which is overflowing with current events in all its aspects. Not only because of the way in which it uncovers the miseries of the Church, but because of how it delves into its intrigues as if it were a Game of Thrones located in the Vatican. The desire to have control is something that escapes religion and extends to all social strata, whether it is the organization within families, business leaders or governments.
Fiennes imprints on the face of the cardinal in charge of the vote the doubts, the extreme complexity of the procedure and the enormous responsibility that the mission he has been given entails. He assumes it after having experienced his own crisis of faith and with the great difficulty of knowing that the ability to transmit the teachings of the Bible is not the quality that he will have to worry most about finding in the candidates. The candidates are full of secrets that could shake the foundations of the Church, including sexual scandals.
“I don’t want to be presumptuous and think that I can dictate how society should be and how it should be perceived,” Edward Berger admitted at the press conference held within the framework of the festival, “what is interesting is when the doors close and personalities are revealed, you see how power ends up exercising a kind of charm over people.” “It is very difficult to resist. Everyone is susceptible to falling into the web of these power games,” he said. Despite how today “extremists tear their clothes off with fights and struggles,” the filmmaker was “positive” about the evolution of his main character: “Maybe he is not the most progressive cardinal, but he does realize that the future is going to be different.”
Raising blisters in the Vatican
Berger’s feature film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris and, although it uses the Church to talk about all the power struggles, the focus is directly on the Church. “If I were the Vatican, I wouldn’t react. I would be above that, it’s a film and the Vatican is something else. I’m not expecting anything,” he explained about the possible concern about the reaction his work could generate in the institution, “all the cardinals I know have said they are going to go see it, but that’s all. They will discuss it behind closed doors, I don’t expect a public reaction.”
If I were the Vatican, I would do nothing. The cardinals I know have said they will go to the ‘Conclave’, but that’s all. They will discuss it behind closed doors, I don’t expect a public reaction.
Edward Berger
— Director
If there was a reaction, he defended that “the truth is that this film is not about religion, but about power games behind closed doors. Beyond the things we can see in the newspapers, this is something that could happen at a political level or in a company.” Berger has opted for the thriller as a genre to tell this story, taking as a reference those of director Alan J. Pakula, author of films such as All the President’s Men (1976) y Sophie’s Choice (1982).
“I am amazed by his precision. The traditional way of shooting is give and take, but he doesn’t do that. He wanted to be very precise in the editing and only cut when it changed the dynamics of the scenes. When someone else had to say an important line, as long as it allowed the story to move forward,” he described about the work in the editing room.
Berger embarked on an exploration of the inner workings of the Vatican after a purely war film. “A film has to come from within. If you have already explored something within yourself, you end up getting tired. Just like if you spend four days talking about the same thing. With films it is the same,” he said, “you end up wanting to do the opposite, find a new topic to talk about.”
Although he maintained that All quiet on the front y Conclave They are very different, but she has detected that both have “an internal battle”: “Faith, doubt, that internal struggle that we all have.” “That is what happens to Ralph Fiennes’ character, in the end he ends up breaking free. He opens a window to fresh air and what the future can bring. It is a kind of journey of liberation and goes beyond death and destruction,” she concluded.
The director was delighted to be able to present his film at the San Sebastian Film Festival – it will be released in cinemas on 31 October – and reflected on the viewing of films. “We have the responsibility of making films that are interesting enough and box office hits so that people say they have never seen anything like this. That is what will attract people to the theatres, that they are different, that they are an event.”
Source: www.eldiario.es
