Smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican where the conclave (a secret meeting of cardinals) was taking place. This is a sign that a new pope has been elected. The crowd gathered in the square erupted in cheers.
Moments later, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (69), draped in a robe, appeared on the balcony, and the senior cardinal elector boldly proclaimed, “Habemus Papam!” It was the moment that Pope Leo XIV was elected as the 267th pope.
On the 7th (local time), the conclave to elect the next pope was held, 15 days after the death of Pope Francis, coinciding with the popularity of the film titled 'Conclave' which was released in March.
The film 'Conclave' surpassed 300,000 viewers at the end of last month, achieving a rebound to the 6th place in the box office. Considering that the threshold for independent and art films is 100,000 viewers, this is three times that number.
The film explores the faith, politics, and human greed that emerge during the papal election process. Centered around Director General Thomas Lawrence (RAY), it depicts the candidates' psychology and political conflicts from the beginning of the conclave to the moment of election.
The film begins with the sudden death of the former pope from a heart attack. Director General Lawrence arrives at the Casa Santa Marta, breaking through the somber atmosphere, and soon after, the Apostolic Nuncio calls for the declaration of 'Sede Vacante' (the vacant seat), formalizing the vacancy of the papacy.
Three weeks later, the conclave is held in the Vatican Sistine Chapel with 108 cardinals in attendance. There are four prominent candidates: the conservative Nigerian 'Joshua Adeyemi (Lucien Nsamati),' the traditionalist Italian 'Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto),' the progressive Italian 'Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci),' and the French 'Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow),' who is the Head of the Vatican Secretariat.
In the early voting, the four candidates are in a tight race. In the first and second votes, they receive similar votes without a wide gap, prolonging the conclave. However, in the third vote, Adeyemi receives 52 votes, drawing closer to the 72 votes needed for election.
From this point on, cracks begin to appear in the smoothly proceeding conclave. Under-the-table efforts begin to undermine the leading candidates. Tremblay reveals the existence of Adeyemi's illegitimate child, while Lawrence exposes allegations of Tremblay's trafficking in ecclesiastical positions.
After the prominent candidates have all expressed their intentions to resign, who will be elected as the new pope? In the latter half of the film, unexpected new figures emerge as papal candidates, presenting another turning point in the conclave. Throughout this process, the nature of humanity shaken before power, as well as the ensuing conflicts, regrets, and reflections, are depicted in depth.
Will there be smoke rising from the chimney of the Vatican Sistine Chapel? Instead of trying to dominate others, could there be a pope who offers tolerance to grow together? What would it be like to delve into that intense journey of electing a pope?