Conclave in cinemas: Vatican intrigue and doubts of faith in the thriller based on Robert Harris's novel
The secrets of the Vatican are revealed in the new film “Conclave”, now in Swiss cinemas: an intense thriller directed by Swiss filmmaker Edward Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”), based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris. The film, awarded the Oscar for best adapted screenplay, takes us behind the closed doors of the conclave, where the future of the Catholic Church is decided.
Conclave in cinemas: Vatican intrigue and doubts of faith in the thriller based on Robert Harris's novel
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Giulia Greco
21/2/2025 18:07
The secrets of the Vatican are revealed in the new film “Conclave”, now in Swiss cinemas: an intense thriller directed by Swiss filmmaker Edward Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”), based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris. The film, awarded the Oscar for best adapted screenplay, takes us behind the closed doors of the conclave, where the future of the Catholic Church is decided.
After the sudden death of the beloved Pontiff, Cardinal Lawrence, played masterfully by Ralph Fiennes, finds himself leading the conclave. But while the most powerful leaders of the Church shut themselves away in the secluded halls of the Vatican, Lawrence is caught in a dense web of intrigue, betrayal and power games that threaten to shake the very foundations of his faith. “Conclave” imagines a Vatican peopled by manipulative and shadowy figures, where ambition and corruption intertwine in a complex chess game for power. As Fiennes stressed when the film opened in Italian cinemas, shortly before the Pope was taken to hospital, “it is not only about political machinations. Above all for Lawrence, the question is who will be the right spiritual leader.” Among the cardinals in the running for the papal throne are figures such as Bellini (Stanley Tucci), Trembley (John Lithgow), Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) and Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), who could become the first African pope in history. Isabella Rossellini plays Sister Agnes, one of the few female characters in an environment dominated by men.
The reconstruction of the Vatican settings, built at Cinecittà, is impeccable, with a Sistine Chapel and a Casa Santa Marta reproduced down to the smallest detail. Sergio Castellitto, who plays Cardinal Tedesco, points out that the film tells “a war of religion that takes different paths: some are more interested in the power of economic interest, others in power pure and simple”.
“Conclave” is not just a political thriller, but also a profound reflection on faith, power and the search for truth in a polarised world. A film that, as the director explains, “resonates far beyond the world of the Catholic Church”, because “the battle for power has always been waged inside, but also outside, the Church”.
For those who prefer streaming, “Conclave” is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Timvision.
