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Matt Wrather and Pete Fenzel sequester themselves for another storied two-hander as they consider Conclave, a pope-ular and mer-curial film with an all-star cast and an uneasy dramaturgy. See the movie first so as not to spoil the plot, then join us to discuss what genre it is or might be, and what it might be saying about order, patriarchy, tension, progress, and how much your artistic identity might change when you swap out the synth strings and bring in the real ones. We discuss the schema of archetypes these wily cardinals in their extended negotiation might represent, either in culture war or popcorn movie phantasmagoria. We consider the role of women in the movie and the film’s symbolic final shot. We wax on a performance of tantalizing complexity from Ralph Fiennes and the stunning set design and sometimes-controversial camerawork. We lament the poor showing of the Tucci gang when the Tooch needed them most. We recognize our show’s inevitable slide into solely Isabella Rosselini oriented material. And while we do not advise watching this sumptuous piece of visual art on your cell phone, for the podcast that will do just fine.
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Further Reading
- Did Ralph Fiennes Learn Italian and Latin for Conclave? By Upamanyu Biswas, on Cinemaholic
- The Secrets Behind the Vatican’s White/Black Smoke, by V.M. Traverso, on Aleteia
- Horror films: Reflections of Society’s Deepest Fears and Moral Anxieties, By Meenah Rincon, an Interview with Michelle Martinez, an instructor at Arizona State University
- Don’t Click On This Wikipedia Article If You Haven’t Watched the Movie
- The Wild West of Papal Conclaves, by Amelia Soth, Cabinet of Curiosities on JSTOR Daily
872! 872!
Let me suggest an alternate dramaturgical genre for this film: it’s a jury-centered courtroom drama, like Twelve Angry Men, or The Runaway Jury, or possibly even a third such film.
It’s built around a series of inconclusive votes with additional information coming to light after each vote. Personal conflicts between the jurors are just as important as the facts of the case — and we don’t really *care* about the case, we just care about the power struggle in the jury room.
The thing that’s on trial, of course, is the Catholic Church. If the cardinals give in to their baser natures and elect the asshole conservative, the church is guilty; if Benitez wins, the church is Innocent.