Director Edward Berger had not planned his new film Conclave ‘a tearing down of the Catholic Church’, even though some may see it that way.
The film, now in theaters, follows Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he brings together a group of religious leaders, known as a conclave, to elect a new pope. They gossip and campaign as scandals involving papal candidates come to light, as does the tension between progressive and conservative factions.
Berger told Yahoo Entertainment that he “tried to portray the characters in the film as people.”
“People make mistakes, have problems and are burdened by their conscience,” he said. “That’s what I embrace, not all the evil of it [the Catholic Church]but I’m just trying to understand what people are.’
On October 5, weeks before the film’s theatrical release, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro shared a video about it Conclave, titled “Catholics should be pissed off about this movie.” He read the Robert Harris book on which the film was based and determined that Berger’s film was “about how the traditional Catholic Church is bad and how the church needs to become a progressive bastion.”
“This is not a movie that is going to take Catholicism seriously,” Shapiro said in the video. “It will use all the trappings of Catholicism to preach about the evils of the Catholic Church.”
A review on Catholic news site Angelus said the film was “full of prejudice against the Catholic Church.” A report on the film in the Catholic League condemned it as “anti-Catholic propaganda.” An Indiana priest said in a YouTube video that the film “is about mocking salvation.”
Berger told Yahoo Entertainment that he views arguments and discussions about the film as “a good thing.”
“At the end of the day, if there was controversy, I never think it’s a bad thing. I invite that. I like that. We have lost the ability to discuss with each other without fighting each other,” he said. “And if everyone has a different opinion and a different feeling, that’s a good thing.
“If I don’t agree with you, maybe I can learn something from you… and suddenly say, ‘Ah, okay, I’ve never thought about it that way before.’ Thank you for teaching me,” he added.
Berger said they tried to portray the process of forming a conclave and selecting a new pope as accurately as possible, but filled in the gaps in their knowledge with their own ideas.
“It’s a movie after all,” he said.
Ralph Fiennes told Yahoo Entertainment that he understands why people are drawn to stories about secret worlds, from religious gatherings to spy stories.
“If you’re hiding something, I want to know what you have,” he said. “It’s a catalyst for people’s curiosity.”
The fact that conclaves are “ancient” and include “all these rituals” also adds to the intrigue, Fiennes added.
“Is it old-fashioned, outdated? Possibly yes, but it is there, it is happening,” he said. “So this is where this ancient ritual still takes place, and it’s still secret. I think all of these things make it dramatically powerful.
Berger said he hopes audiences can identify with Fiennes’ character, Lawrence, who takes on an important leadership role despite his struggles with faith.
“Personally, I love…Lawrence’s inner arc, and this wrestling with who he is and his purpose in the world,” Berger said. “If people experience this journey with him, I am very happy.”
Conclave is in theaters now.
