Cardinals reportedly watched Edward Berger’s ‘Conclave’ for tips on electing the new Pope-OxBig News Network

A still from ‘Conclave’
| Photo Credit: Prime Video

Sure, life can imitate art, but how bizarre can it get? An article published by Politico has triggered a myriad of reactions from netizens. It claims that many real-life cardinals, currently participating in a conclave to elect the new Pope, watched the 2024 film Conclavefor guidance.

As weird as it sounds, director Edward Berger’s cinematic take on the highly secretive elective process proved to be a wonderful primer to some of the 133 cardinals, who are currently in seclusion behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel.

As the article suggests, many of the cardinals participating in the conclave following Pope Francis’ death were appointed by the late pontiff and, thereby, have never experienced a real-life conclave. Even hearing about the many rituals and complicated procedures that go into the elective process can feel daunting, and so, enter: Ralph Fiennes’ political thriller.

The film, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris, tells the story of a cardinal tasked to head the most secretive process of selecting the new leader of the Vatican. According to Politico, a cleric involved in the real-life conclave regarded the film as a remarkably accurate telling of a conclave, making it a useful tool for research. “Some have watched it in the cinema,” he said.

Directed by Edward Berger, Conclave excelled in the festival circuit before its dream run in the theatres. The film notably won four BAFTAs and an Academy Award. Jointly written by Peter Straughan and Robert Harris, the film boasts an award-winning cast with names like Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, Jacek Koman, Lucian Msamati, and John Lithgow.

“In charge of running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes) gets embroiled in secrets and conspiracies that threaten to weaken the foundations of the ancient institution. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders gather from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers the mysteries left in the wake of the Pope’s death, trying his hardest to hold together the threads that could unravel the centuries-old legacy of the church,” reads the logline.

Fascinatingly, the film’s viewership has surged worldwide following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. The film saw a staggering 283% surge in viewership, jumping from 1.8 million minutes watched on April 20 to nearly 6.9 million minutes on the day of the Pope’s death.

Meanwhile, the conclave at the Vatican is all set to enter its second day today. Black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, signalling that no pope had been elected. Interestingly, the ongoing conclave, like its Hollywoodian replica, features cardinals from some of the most overlooked dioceses in the world. It’s the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history as Pope Francis named more than a hundred pastors from marginalised countries as “princes of the church.”

As the world awaits to white smoke over the Sistine Chapel, Indian viewers can now watch Conclave on Prime Video.