Sonofamoviegeek

Read C. S. Lewis' Christian writings for the immense practicality of Christianity. Read Freud for insights on human personality. If you do read both, then you may speculate what would happen if these two great minds met. That is not what happens in this film. Lewis is portrayed as someone quite adrift in thought, not as someone who boosted British morale in his BBC broadcasts. Hopkins channels Freud as King Lear but more whiney than Shakespeare's original.

Worth skipping to the next movie.

I love a movie that is faithful to the book and doesn't try to "improve" the plot by tarting up the ending or adding needless violence. Conclave is faithful to Harris' original to the point of incorporating factual errors. Even that ending that no one seems to like is faithful to the original. If there are any changes to the book, it is due to casting. Ralph Fiennes' character is originally Italian, not English. To his credit, he does speak passable Italian at many points of the movie. Todesco is an uncouth peasant in the book but the makers chose to cast an Italian romantic movie star.

One subtle addition occurs just before the controversial ending A breeze rustles the papers on Lawrence's desk. Wind (ruach, pneuma) is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, putting the stamp of God om the Conclave's vote.

Excellent adaptation.