CONCLAVE - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
"Certainty is a great enemy of unity and a deadly enemy of tolerance."
At the beginning of the film Conclave, this line is spoken as part of a prayer offered by Cardinal Lawrence just before the conclave begins. It suggests that the framework of prejudice born from certainty distorts reality and separates us from any genuine attempt to understand others. While this may sound self-evident at first, guarding ourselves against such certainty in actual life is far from easy. As individuals living within the structure of overarching societal principles and rules, we often struggle even to recognize the boundaries of that framework, and without clear values or direction, we can easily lose our way in the chaos of reality.
What should we doubt, and what should we believe? What choices must we make at every moment of life? Could it be that I am unable to see the truth because I am trapped within the framework of my own self-assurance?
Conclave explores these questions by placing them in the unique setting of the Vatican’s papal conclave—the secretive process through which cardinals from around the world gather after the death of a pope to elect his successor. Through the figure of Thomas Lawrence, who oversees the vote, and within the sealed-off space of the Sistine Chapel, the film leads the audience to experience the language of uncertainty and conviction, as various cardinals clash in their ideologies and roles in this momentous process.
Visualizing Disconnection and Connection
Through contrasting spaces and the use of light, the film effectively conveys the need to transcend rigid societal rules and open ourselves to the diversity and uncertainty of life. The conclave takes place in the fully sealed Sistine Chapel—a space meticulously constructed by human hands to block out every trace of the outside world, including sound, light, and even airflow. Though elaborately adorned, the Chapel paradoxically emphasizes sterility and rigidity.
Within this space, cardinals divide into conservative and progressive camps, focused solely on power struggles. They even rationalize dishonesty for the preservation of the Church’s system. But a turning point arrives when an external terrorist attack causes a hole in the chapel ceiling. This rupture symbolically and literally breaks the barrier between the conclave and the outside world. Light pours in, birdsong fills the space, and the breeze transforms the suffocating room into one that breathes. Even the ballot papers appear to breathe in sync with the air, creating a dramatic shift.
Ultimately, the cardinals move beyond ideological divisions and elect Vincent Benitez—a figure committed to love and compassion—as the new pope.
This symbolic transformation is echoed in Thomas Lawrence’s private quarters. Once marked by the weight of responsibility and internal pressure, his room is bathed in sunlight for the first time after the conclave ends, as the curtains are drawn open. The first thing he sees through the window is three nuns, smiling in the brilliant daylight. With this final scene, the film reinforces the importance of recognizing and communicating with diverse voices.
Trembling, Transformation, and Acceptance
Beyond its spatial contrasts, the film develops its core message through how characters respond to the unpredictability of reality. Each cardinal reacts differently. Many are trapped by their own certainty and ambitions, trying to force reality to fit their preconceived frameworks. Goffredo Tedesco, for example, excludes difference under the guise of unity. Joseph Tremblay actively manipulates his surroundings for personal gain, while Aldo Bellini is imprisoned by the belief that only he holds the truth, later compromising when his ambitions are thwarted.
All these figures are limited by their own perspectives, unable to see beyond them.
In contrast, Thomas Lawrence—who leads the narrative—constantly questions whether he must challenge and dismantle his own framework to reach the truth. The film repeatedly shows his internal struggles and hesitation. His prayer to the doubting pope before the conclave begins, and his desire to see the unexpected and reform-minded successor of Pope John XXIII continue as "John XXIV," suggest his hope for a divine providence that defies human prediction.
Lawrence’s focus is not on the destination itself, but on the means of arriving there. In key moments of choice, he must ask whether to break his own standards in order to see clearly. The Church’s long-standing traditions and patriarchal system must be dismantled to reveal the truth and accept Benitez as pope.
Vincent Benitez, upon becoming pope, not only transcends human-made rules and customs but also embraces life’s diversity and uncertainty as blessings. He accepts his identity as an intersex individual and refuses to conform to the Church’s patriarchal expectations. His desire to be known as Innocentius (meaning “innocent” or “pure”) seems to stem from this self-awareness. He rejoices in and gives thanks for the boundless potential that comes from unpredictability and diversity.
Through carefully constructed visual and narrative devices, Conclave articulates its themes of self-assurance, uncertainty, and tolerance with great coherence and persuasive power.
The film uses visual symbolism—sealed versus open spaces, darkness versus light—to depict disconnection and connection. Through the cardinals’ conflicts and transformations, it raises universal questions: how does one’s conviction shape and limit their perception of reality, and how should we respond to uncertainty in life?
Just as Lawrence’s prayer suggests, the ideal human figure is one who doubts themselves, asks for forgiveness even after sin and error, and continues to move forward.
Ultimately, Conclave presents a compelling argument for breaking out of psychological and social frameworks and moving toward a more open world. More than simply delivering a message, the film invites active contemplation through its cinematic language and execution—offering viewers a chance for deep reflection and intellectual engagement, and in doing so, achieving a high level of completeness and cinematic integrity.
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