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Conclave’s Surprise Twist Ending Has a Deeper Meaning
The conclusion of this gossipy Vatican drama makes one distinct change from the book it’s based on, in service of a message about progress.
Edward Berger’s Conclave, adapted from the novel by Robert Harris, showcases the gaudy ritual and ornate displays of Roman Catholicism, while also offering an intimate (albeit imagined) look at the backroom dealings and catty confrontations that go into the election of the supreme pontiff. While the film’s ending is certain to catch audiences off-guard, it’s far from the only secret revealed over the two-hour run time — and it plays into the theme of progress versus tradition that serves as Conclave ’s central conflict. It exists in the context of a long cinematic history of the “Unsettling Gender Reveal,” as The Advocate once called it — a trope best associated with The Crying Game but with even more troubling examples to point to, like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Sleepaway Camp.
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