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Law on Film
Law on Film explores the rich connections between law and film. Law is critical to many films, even to those that are not obviously about the legal world. Film, meanwhile, tells us a lot about the law, especially how it is perceived and portrayed. The podcast is created and hosted by Jonathan Hafetz, a lawyer, legal scholar, and film buff. Each episode, Jonathan and a guest expert will examine a film that is noteworthy from a legal perspective. What does the film get right about the law and what does it get wrong? Why is law important to understanding the film? And what does the film teach about law's relationship to the larger society and culture that surrounds it. Whether you're interested in law, film, or an entertaining discussion, there will be something here for you.
Law on Film
Conclave (2024) (Guest: Monsignor Raymond Kupke) (episode 54)
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In Conclave (2024), Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) organizes a conclave to elect a new pope. Key candidates and factions vie with one another as the process plays out until finally a new pope is elected. The film was directed by Edward Berger from a script by Peter Straughan (based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris), and features an all-star cast including Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini. The film provides a window into the process for electing a new pope, along with the legal, historical, and political forces that have shaped it.
Timestamps:
0.00 Introduction
2:32 The origins of the conclave
5:29 Electing a new pope
8:03 The College of Cardinals
10:23 The Apostolic Constitutions
14:46 The contentious conclave in the film
21:05 Naming a new cardinal in pectore
24:51 Leo XIV, the new pope
26:58 The Roman Curia
26:38 The nuns in the film
30:05 Symbol and ritual: the smoke from the chimney
32:17 The custom of a new pope choosing a name
36:55 Struggles over different visions of the church
40:58 How accurate was the film in capturing a conclave?
42:39 How the conclave has changed
45:04 Possible future changes to the papal selection process
Further reading:
Allen, John L. Conclave: The Politics, Personalities, and Process of the Next Papal Election (2002)
Baumgartner, Frederic J., Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections (2003)
Harris, Robert, Conclave (2016)
Povoledo, Elisabetta, “A Papal Primer That’s Fiction, but Also Rings True,” N.Y. Times (Mar. 2, 2025)
West, Morris, L., The Shoes of the Fisherman (1963)
Law on Film is created and produced by Jonathan Hafetz. Jonathan is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. He has written many books and articles about the law. He has litigated important cases to protect civil liberties and human rights while working at the ACLU and other organizations. Jonathan is a huge film buff and has been watching, studying, and talking about movies for as long as he can remember.
For more information about Jonathan, here's a link to his bio: https://law.shu.edu/profiles/hafetzjo.html
You can contact him at jonathanhafetz@gmail.com
You can follow him on X (Twitter) @jonathanhafetz
You can follow the podcast on X (Twitter) @LawOnFilm
You can follow the podcast on Instagram @lawonfilmpodcast