Conclave (2024) TRAILER REVIEW: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz

The trailer begins in the halls of the Vatican. You see a group of Cardinals, all wearing black, entering the main hall.

You hear a man’s voice, “The Pope is dead.”

It cuts to a Cardinal putting a white cloth on the deceased Pope’s face. This is a Silk Veil. It symbolizes the shroud of Jesus Christ in the belief that the dead shall rise again.

“The throne is vacant,” said the voice again.

Standing near the Pope’s deathbed are Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) and Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow).

It cuts to the first responders zipping up the body bag and then gurneying the Pope’s body away. All the Cardinals and Nuns did the sign of the cross as soon as they rolled out the body.

It cuts to Cardinal Lawrence talking to Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci). “What happened?” Cardinal Lawrence asked.

“They said heart attack,” Cardinal Bellini said.

Is this a murder mystery? Is there a reason to doubt whoever saw the Pope for the last time.

“You know how rumor spreads, and one and a quarter billion souls watching,” Cardinal Tremblay said.

You hear a man’s voice, “Well done, Cardinal Lawrence. It seems the responsibility for the Conclave falls upon you.”

What does that mean? Cardinal Lawrence will host the Conclave. Formally, he is the Dean of the College of Cardinals. He will be the Manager of the Conclave and manage all the Cardinals during Sede Vacante (the time between Popes).

It cuts to a group of Nuns entering the Vatican.

It cuts to Cardinal Lawrence talking to Cardinal Bellini again. Maybe they are friends. “The supervision of the selection is a duty I never thought I’d have to perform,” Cardinal Lawrence said.

It cuts to him on a balcony looking down at the Courtyard where everyone seems to be hanging out. As you know, during the Conclave, Cardinals from all over the world arrive at the Vatican.

It cuts to the police entering the premises of the Vatican.

“They are sequestered,” Cardinal Lawrence continued. “And they must be shielded from all news that may influence their judgement, you understand.”

Here’s a scene you don’t see every day, whether on film or in real life: 3 older Cardinals smoking.

“No sane man would want the Papacy,” Cardinal Bellini told Cardinal Lawrence.

It cuts to the actual Conclave. All the Cardinals wore their scarlet choir dress. All men, mostly older, in different races around the world.

“The men who are dangerous,” Cardinal Bellini continued, “are the once who do want it.

It cuts to outside the Conclave as a Cardinal pushes the lock. It had a loud…

CHUUUUGGGH!

And now, the Conclave begins. The Conclave can last days because it requires a SUPERMAJORITY or two-thirds of the total vote. In 1260 to 1271, we had the longest Conclave, which lasted for 3 years. Holy Mary Mother of God!

It cuts to Monsignor O’Malley (Brian F. O’Byrne) approaching Cardinal Lawrence. He is the Secretary of the College of Cardinals. “I’m wondering if I could have a word in private,” he told Cardinal Lawrence.

In essence, Conclave is a political thriller set in the Vatican. It’s fun to watch that the Holiest people in the world are as political as the rest of us. With a dash of gaslighting.

Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) approached Cardinal Lawrence. “You look anxious,” Cardinal Tedesco told him. “Everything under control?”

For context, Cardinal Tedesco is an ambitious conservative who represents the Old World Church.

It cuts to hands dropping the ballot into a bronze urn.

It cuts to Cardinal Lawrence talking to Cardinal Mendoza (Rony Kramer).

“How has this been kept secret for so long?” Cardinal Lawrence asked.

What do you think is the BIG SECRET or INTRIGUE in this story?

It cuts to a Cardinal stabbing the needle into a ballot. What is this? During the Conclave, they string the ballots (with a needle and string) to create a garland. This is both TRADITION and PRACTICAL. It makes sure that the number of ballots is the same as the number of Cardinals in the room. The garland is then burnt in the oven/stove. That creates the WHITE or BLACK smoke that signifies the result of the Conclave.

It cuts to Cardinal Bellini praying.

It cuts to Cardinal Tedesco and the rest of the Cardinals, raising their ballots up.

It cuts to Cardinal Tremblay looking around the Refectory. This is the dining hall of the Conclave. Even the dining hall is a semi-formal event during Conclave. I bet there are no hot dog sandwiches and chips here.

“We’ll never find a candidate who doesn’t have any kind of black mark against them,” Cardinal Bellini told Cardinal Lawrence.

Cardinals are humans, too. Everyone has a secret and some sort of dark past.

It cuts to Sister Agnes (Isabell Rossellini). She is the Mother Superior of the Vatican. “Although we Sisters are supposed to be invisible, God, has nevertheless, given us eyes and ears.”

Ooooooh. This is so INTRIGUING. Even the Sisters, who might not be part of the issue or scandal, KNOW SOMETHING.

It cuts to Cardinal Lawrence inside someone’s bedroom. Was it the Pope’s bedroom? He slowly pulled out a paper behind the wooden headboard. He read the letter, which is pretty long and handwritten. Unfortunately, they DID NOT TELL US what it is. But Cardinal Lawrence read the whole thing.

It cuts to Cardinal Tremblay talking to Cardinal Lawrence. He is ambitious too. He is more of a centrist in the Vatican. In the story, the values of the Cardinals mirror the politics of our world, too. There are Conservatives, Liberals, and Centrists.

“You should be careful, Thomas,” Cardinal Tremblay told Cardinal Lawrence.

It cuts to all the Cardinals in their scarlet choir dresses and white mitres. This is formal official Conclave attire.

It cuts to the now iconic scene of all the Cardinals with white umbrellas walking towards the Sistine Chapel (where the Conclave happens).

It cuts to Cardinal Lawrence talking to Cardinal Bellini in the bedroom hallways. “It’s a Conclave, it’s not a war,” Cardinal Lawrence told him.

“It is a War!” Cardinal Bellini exclaimed. “And YOU, have to COMMIT, to a SIDE.”

It cuts to the Sistine Chapel. Cardinal Lawrence talked to all the Cardinals. “There is one sin, which I have come to fear above all others,” he told everyone. “CERTAINTY.”

It cuts to Sister Agnes listening in at the back door of the Sistine Chapel.

“If there is only CERTAINTY, and no doubt, there will be no mystery,” Cardinal Lawrence said.

It cuts to him holding up his ballot, praying to the altar before he puts it in the bronze urn.

But then….

BOOOOM!

I did not expect that. It’s a….MEDIUM-SIZED explosion at the top glass walls of the Sistine Chapel. Shards of glass rained on the Cardinals. What the Fudge is happening? One of the Cardinals, an older man, lay on the ground covering his head.

But it cuts back to Cardinal Lawrence talking to the Cardinals, “ And therefore, no need for FAITH.”

Shop

Watch Conclave

Listen to the Conclave novel Audiobook by Robert Harris

**Notebook Ideas**

Shop on Amazon

Business Company Logo CUSTOMIZABLE Khaki Trucker Hat

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

(As a Zazzle Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)