Edward Berger’s “Conclave” speaks precisely from this point. The film is not about God, but about the people who make decisions in God’s name.
After the death of the Pope, the cardinals gather behind the closed walls of the Vatican to choose a new leader. This process is called a “Conclave.” From the outside, it may appear to be merely a religious ceremony. But the film shows that what happens after the doors close is not simply a selection process. It is a test in which people confront their own consciences.
The film’s central figure is Cardinal Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes. Lawrence is not someone seeking power. He is tired. He wants to free himself from this burden and withdraw. However, the course of events places him at the center of the process. He must both oversee the election and witness the decisions concerning the future of the Church.
At this point, the film poses a clear question: does faith make a person stronger, or does it place them under an even heavier responsibility?
The cardinals in the film experience faith in different ways. Some want change, others try to preserve the existing order, while some see the process simply as an opportunity to gain influence. Each of them speaks of religious values, but their decisions are affected by human weaknesses.
The film presents this contradiction openly. Even within sacred walls, people are not free of sin. Faith may remain pure, but those who represent it are not always pure.
Amid this tension, Cardinal Benitez appears different from the others. He is calm, unambitious, and does not join the struggle for power. Having worked in war zones, this man carries his faith not through words, but through the experience he has lived.
It is no coincidence that Benitez is elected Pope at the film’s climax. It is later revealed that he is biologically intersex. This detail is not included merely to create shock. Through it, the film puts forward a very clear idea: spiritual leadership is not measured by the body, gender, or social forms. Faith looks not at who a person is, but at how they live.
At the end of the film, we see a turtle on screen. This turtle in Lawrence’s arms is a symbol of patience. It represents not rushing, and decisions taking shape over time and in calmness. The film suggests that faith is strengthened not through sudden decisions, but through a long internal process.
We do not see the famous “white smoke” announcing the election of the new Pope. We simply hear the people rejoicing. Because according to the film, true change is hidden not in visible ceremonies, but in the quiet transformation that takes place within a person.
