Conclave by Robert Harris at the movies

Submitted: 20th December 2024

Conclave

Does a movie ever live up to a book? Sometimes! Sometimes they are similar but evoke quite different feelings and atmosphere but the story of Conclave is one that excelled on both counts for me.

There’s something fascinating about how the Pope is elected. The entire ritual of the conclave, the voting, the traditions, the time it takes etc. I’ve been to the Vatican and inside St Peter’s – inside the Sistine Chapel but of course never to Conclave. So, reading this book and seeing the film made my travels to Vatican city all the more real. And my travels made this book particularly interesting.

The stillness of St Peter’s Square and inside the hallowed halls is something I will never forget, The book and film both capture this extremely well. I’m not religious at all but I completely marvelled and respected this historical tradition and its meaning. I felt quite humbled reading and watching the proceedings to be honest and felt the author had some terrific research!

The stillness and mastery of the film really does the book justice. And let’s be honest, I was tempted to go as I am a HUGE fan of Ralph Fiennes and he was born for the role he plays in it. Was it wrong to want to see him as a holy man? Stanley Tucci was in it too – Also brilliant.

The book and film complement each other well and tell the story of one of the oldest and most sacred events. The behind the scenes look, the way the religious men try to gain a nomination, the politics at play – utterly fascinating. I learned about the white and black smoke given to announce the ballot result. This is something I knew of but not the detail so that was good.

The book and film were equally claustrophobic and purely set inside the walls of the Vatican so we see very little of the outside world. Perfect for what it represents and how it makes you concentrate. The book and film both started off quite slow and it’s the dialogue that matters here. So, I had to concentrate from the off but it all flows very well and the story grips. Such fascinating and intriguing characters! It was an eye-opener in more ways than one.

Part of the movie poster: (you’re welcome)