Conclave: Movie Review
I am not known as a movie critic. But I do like a good movie: preferably with light sabers and not directed by J.J. Abrams!!!
When I watched Gladiator II a few weeks back I had to restrain myself from yelling at the screen, “That’s historical nonsense” and “Ridley Scott should face damnatio memorial for this drivel!” because of its widespread historical inaccuracies.
However, I did see the movie Conclave about the election of a new pope and the palace intrigue that transpires among the Cardinals over it.
Here’s the trailer:
It does feel a bit like a religious gerontocracy gathering together to argue over which old goat gets to be the top goat for a while. However, it is more than that, as it also touches on deep divisions in the Catholic church about what it means to be a Catholic today, the challenge of new political anthropologies in relation to historical Christian teaching.
Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), the Dean of the Conclave, finds himself in a morally difficult position of trying to referee the theological differences, factionalism, naked ambitions, and immoral antics of the gathered members. At the same time, terrorist attacks are taking place outside the Vatican, a mysterious unknown Cardinal turns up that nobody has ever heard of before, and Lawrence tries to uncover the truth about whether some of the Cardinals have been up to no good. It all makes for a very gripping film.
And there is a very interesting twist at the end of the film that I won’t spoil for you!
It is 5 Stars from me!
But most importantly, I need you all to help me choose my Pope name if I was ever elected Pope. See the list below.
Yes, it was a good movie and one that I believe is satire on actual historical events that have occurred in Catholic Church history.. My radar switched into action immediately when the death of the first pope is announced, and the gathered cardinals ask the question: "Has his family been notified?" and the reply was "yes his daughter has been notified." And immediately I thought of Pope Alexander 6th who did have a daughter.. But even the conclusion echoes a common myth of a "Pope Joan" and whether a Pope Joan ever existed is everyone's debate but nevertheless there exists a particular type of chair that a Medieval Pope was required to take a seat upon .. https://daily.jstor.org/the-myth-of-the-papal-toilet-chair/ .. .. But when it comes to a good movie that challenges membership within the Catholic Church, is the movie "Spotlight" and its exposure of CSA within the Catholic Church at the hands of her priests. This investigative journalism by the Boston Globe Spotlight team created a tidal wave of Global outrage that spilled over into all churches, Protestant, Catholic and Pentecostal alike, and eventually in Australia, it brought on a witch hunt of a referendum that eventually brought down people such as the leaders of Hillsong. So when Conclave is available on DVD Blu-ray, I shall add it to my library..
Personally I do not really like any of those names. There must be other better ones around!