The Vatican-set mystery “Conclave” opened in theaters today, but one single shot has been the talk of moviegoers all season on the film festival circuit. Late in the film, we see dozens of Catholic cardinals, all dressed in white and red, filmed from overhead and at a distance, marching forward in the rain. Their faces are obscured underneath stark white umbrellas, which bob along in the frame.
No plot spoilers here, except to say that the shot is emblematic of the high drama and arch formality in the film, which is essential to understanding the story. Based on a novel by Robert Harris (“The Ghost Writer”), the film is about a weary cardinal (Ralph Fiennes) organizing the election of a new pope.