The thriller Conclave directed by Edward Berger is ultra-effective, but the ending surprised a good part of the spectators. Explanations.
Edward Berger is the new darling of Hollywood, already in the works to take care of the next James Bond (according to rumors), the next Jason Bourne (he spoke about it himself) or even a new part of the saga Ocean’s (another rumor). One thing is certain, he will return to Netflix in 2025 with the thriller The Ballad of a Small Player and is preparing a time travel film between Interstellar et Top Gun with Austin Butler.
Waiting for, Conclave, his thriller about the death of the Pope and the election of his successor organized by the character of Ralph Fiennes, is still in theaters. The film is a small commercial success with nearly 40 million dollars accumulated at the box office (for a budget of 20 million) and it is one of the big favorites for the 2025 Oscars ceremony. However, this adaptation of the eponymous novel by Robert Harris has sometimes divided spectators and critics, notably because of its grand finale. Explanations with SPOILERS everywhere!
the secret of the vatican
As a reminder, Conclave sees several candidates lose their favorite status as the conclave progresses for reasons of corruption (Cardinal Tremblay), scandal (Adeyemi), popularity (Bellini) or political leaning (Tedesco). Finally, it was Cardinal Benitez, appointed in pectore (in secret to summarize) by the late Pope before his death, who was elected to everyone's surprise, notably for his goodness and purity. However, we learn in the last minutes of the film that Benitez (Carlos Diehz) was hiding a secret himself: he is intersex.
The announcement comes as a bit of a blow to Cardinal Lawrence, Benitez explaining to him that he only discovered his peculiarity as an adult after being injured during an attack in Kabul (where he is the archbishop). He says that he submitted his resignation to the Pope, but that he refused and simply asked him to have a hysterectomy (operation consisting of removing the uterus). A surgical procedure that Benitez ultimately refused to undergo to remain as God created it.
An astonishing ending which falls a little more like a hair in the soup than in Robert Harris' book (where the story regularly insisted on an aborted medical intervention). Edward Berger therefore returned, alongside Den of Geekon Lawrence's choice not to say anything to the other cardinals, to keep this confession to himself and on the contrary to open himself to this new possibility for the Church:
“I think ultimately Ralph recognizes that the right person to be pope is a pure person, who still believes…and I think that's what it's about. You must keep the purity, the innocence of your true belief. It doesn't matter whether you are a cardinal, a filmmaker, a journalist or an engineer. […] This film is about the oldest patriarchal institution in the world, which represents many other patriarchal institutions in the world. And at the end of the film, there is a crack in this institution, a crack in femininity, perhaps?
It is a crack through which a light can shine, a light that will guide the future, perhaps. And the future is a world where maybe both can exist? […] Once the conclave is over, the shutters open and [Lawrence] open the window and let in the air, the sun and the life. And he hears the feminine laughter of these three nuns. In a way, it's the future and that makes him smile. It is the promise of a more egalitarian future with a Pope who could offer some understanding to all people, regardless of gender or sex. »
WE HAVE POPE
Throughout the film, Lawrence is in full doubt and experiences a real crisis of faith, seeing the Church become a small theater of ideological war (progressive vs. conservative), corruption and manipulation. For him, Benitez's election is a possible divine message, a sign that it is time to end these conflicts and embrace the true meaning of religion Christian, the notions of sharing, hope, love of one's neighbor and equality. The handover is thus carried out gently and with a form of serenity rediscovered for Lawrence.
Edward Berger, however, explained to Vanity Fair that Lawrence's reaction had almost been slightly different in another version considered:
“From the point of view of Ralph's character, it's a shock. It revolutionizes his way of thinking. […] for a Catholic, it is a major event. Because even though he propagandizes at first about wanting a Pope who doubts, when he's suddenly confronted with someone who says he's between the two worlds, he suddenly needs a moment to get over it.
But we didn't want to play on the shock. We really wanted it to look very natural and soft. It's Benitez. It's who he is, it's part of him. We wanted it to be played as subtly and sensitively as possible, and really not for the big twist, the sensational reveal. »
A particularly successful choice of staging and narrative as the grand finale of Conclave, even if it will probably annoy the most traditionalists, it brings a certain optimism about the future. After all, Benitez represents the hope of a renewal, of a real modernist shift in the face of a Church mired in scandalsstuck in time and too regularly opposed to social progress (at least, as it is described in the film).
A relevant comment which comes alongside a thriller as captivating as it is entertaining, not to be missed, and that's good since Conclave is still visible in French cinemas.
