BLISS RATING: ★★★★
“No sane man would want the papacy.” – Quote from Conclave
No, this movie is NOT a BL nor is it a bromance, unless you consider a bunch of men parading around in bright red robes acting like prima donnas a bromance. This movie, fictional of course, is shocking in its outcome and conclusion. For those of you who are not Roman Catholic or who have fallen from the Church, like I have, this is still a movie you want to see. It does, I think, rather aptly, show how they pick the head of the Catholic Church. The Pontiff. While it all looks so pious and ritualistic, it frankly is. But it is also so full of intrigue, scheming, conspiracy, plotting, and mystery. It is pulp fiction at its best.
When you watch this movie, it shows rather clearly and sordidly that many if not the vast majority of the ‘popes’ of the Church were not exactly upstanding or moral characters. They were flawed. In some cases, even despicable. In other words, they were human – just like the rest of us.
The Roman Curia, which is the lumbering bureaucratic giant organization that really runs the Church, is a fractious organization each wanting a slice of the pie or the power to control. Change is especially difficult in this ancient and entrenched organization of MEN. This movie clearly shows both overtly and covertly the irreducibility of the power Men in Red Robes have over the lives of everyone in the Church.
The story is a simple one. The pope has died. And the conclave must meet and sequester itself to pick a new pope in absolute secrecy. Everyone professes to not want it yet everyone of them does. This is a story of some of those characters.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this movie? There is some fine acting by several established actors in this movie. Without exception, this is a well-acted and well-directed movie with an exceptional screenplay. But who really displays quietly a strong moral sense about what is ‘right’ and wrong’ is Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz). He is unknown as a cardinal even to the Dean of the Cardinals (Ralph Fiennes), having been appointed by the late pope in secret. Why that is the case is revealed at the end of the movie in rather shocking fashion and the reason I include this movie for review. Carlos’ interpretation of his role is quite subtle and almost from the beginning you sense that he is ‘different’. How, you are not sure. While the conclave is fractious, his eloquence unintentionally persuades the conclave to go with a non-established choice.
I am being deliberately obtuse here because I in no way want to spoil the ending/conclusion for you. But the reason I list it here is that, in a sense, it is a story, while fictional, represents a shocking and deeply challenging thesis for the Church if this were true. It would shake the foundation and the core of the Church to its knees and yet make the Church come to the realization that its thinking is primitive, outdated, archaic, outmoded, and wrong. The glimmer here is that the Dean of the College of Cardinals knows the secret of the new pope. And the words spoken from the new pope, “I am created by God” and “I will not change.” Will the Church?
No, it is not that the new pope is gay. That much I shall reveal to you. That is not in the cards – yet. But this story comes as close to being a transitional one of offering hope for all minorities within the Church a greater role and power, if it was true. And for that reason, this move gets a special distinction.
Be open-minded about this movie if you are a devout Catholic. Be tolerant if you are not as the Church is an Institution in need of major changes.
Oh, if this movie were based on fact, it would bring new light into St. Peter’s Basilica. Hallelujah!
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