Overlay: Improvised scenes in the film Conclave (2024)

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
0	3	0	3

How were these counts calculated?

Missing (3)

While true, the summary underplays the extent. Castellitto revealed the script wlost-nuance The 'Turtle' Scene: The scene involving the turtle was a spontaneous addition byomitted-detail Extent of Multilingual Improvisation: The summary mentions the language mixing alost-nuance

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film Conclave (2024), are there any scenes that were improvised by the actors, and if so, which ones?

#T NARRATIVE TIMELINE

Inciting Incident

The Pope dies, and Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with managing the election of the successor.

Act 1

Mentioned

Cardinals arrive at the Vatican, including the traditionalist Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), who is seen vaping in the courtyard.

This is accurate. Director Edward Berger confirmed in interviews that this detail was added after he saw actor Sergio Castellitto vaping during costume tests. It was not in the original script.

"The most famous 'unscripted' moment in the film is Cardinal Tedesco... using a vape."

Act 2

Mentioned

The Conclave begins; the Cardinals are sequestered. Intense debates occur between the liberal faction (Bellini) and others.

Accurate to the actors' description of the process (Fiennes specifically used the 'fencing' and 'tennis' metaphors in interviews), though the dialogue itself was scripted.

"Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci’s 'Verbal Fencing'... described their intense debating scenes as having a 'sport-like' or 'fencing' quality"

Act 2

Mentioned Context: Low

Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini) silently observes the Cardinals' machinations from the background.

Accurate. Rossellini and Berger discussed her 'silent authority' extensively, though calling a silent performance 'improvised' is a semantic stretch regarding the definition of a 'scene'.

"Isabella Rossellini’s performance... is defined by her silence... collaborative development between the actress and the director."

Act 3

Cardinal Lawrence uncovers the scandal regarding Cardinal Tremblay (Simony). Sister Agnes intervenes, revealing she witnessed the events.

Resolution

Cardinal Benitez is elected Pope. Lawrence discovers Benitez is intersex.

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

While the script for Conclave (2024), written by Peter Straughan, was described by the cast as being meticulously detailed and "all there on the page," the production allowed for several spontaneous moments and character additions that were not originally in the screenplay.

The most notable improvised and spontaneous elements include:

1. Cardinal Tedesco’s Vaping

The most famous "unscripted" moment in the film is Cardinal Tedesco (played by Sergio Castellitto) using a vape.

The Detail: In several scenes, the traditionalist Italian cardinal is seen puffing on a modern vape, creating a stark visual contrast with his ancient liturgical robes.
How it happened: This was not in the original script. Director Edward Berger noticed Castellitto vaping during costume screen tests and decided to incorporate it into the character. Berger felt it perfectly captured the film's theme of the modern world intruding upon the ancient traditions of the Vatican. It became a viral moment among audiences, serving as a "victory lap" or a show of "attitude" for the character.

2. Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci’s "Verbal Fencing"

Director Edward Berger and the lead actors have described their intense debating scenes as having a "sport-like" or "fencing" quality that changed with every take.

The Detail: While the dialogue itself was largely scripted, the emotional intensity and the "fencing" nature of the reactions were improvised.
The Process: Ralph Fiennes mentioned that in scenes where he and Stanley Tucci (Cardinal Bellini) are debating, they followed their instincts together. Fiennes compared it to a game of tennis, where his response depended entirely on how Tucci "hit the ball" back to him. Berger encouraged this "chaos," allowing the actors to explore different levels of anger or emotional availability "on the day" rather than sticking to a pre-planned performance.

3. Isabella Rossellini’s "Silent Authority"

Isabella Rossellini’s performance as Sister Agnes is defined by her silence and her watchful eyes, which was a collaborative development between the actress and the director.

The Detail: Much of Sister Agnes’s "screen time" consists of her observing from the background. Rossellini, who grew up in Rome and attended Catholic schools, used her own memories of the "silent authority" of nuns to improvise her physical presence.
The Process: Rossellini described her role as a "shadow" and worked on conveying deep emotion and authority through her breathing and "alertness" rather than lines. Berger noted that they often kept the camera on her in silence to see what she would "reveal" in the moment, rather than following a strict storyboard for those shots.

4. Spontaneous Multilingualism

Sergio Castellitto (Tedesco) frequently switched between Italian, Latin, and English, often adding an "anarchic quality" to his performance.

The Detail: Castellitto’s character was meant to be a boisterous, "larger-than-life" figure. In interviews, it was noted that the way he mixed these languages and his informal, "companionable" behavior in the cafeteria scenes were flourishes he brought to the character to make him feel like a real, fallible human being rather than a "pious statue."

Summary of Key Improvised Scenes/Elements:

Character	Improvised/Spontaneous Detail	Specifics
Cardinal Tedesco	Vaping	Added after the director saw the actor vaping during costume tests; not in the script.
Cardinal Lawrence	Emotional Beats/Breathing	The specific "heartbeat" of the film—when he holds his breath or reacts—was found in the moment.
Cardinal Bellini	"Verbal Fencing"	The intensity and "tennis-match" style of debates with Fiennes were instinctive and take-dependent.
Sister Agnes	Silent Presence	Her "alertness" and physical authority in the background were developed spontaneously by Rossellini.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] Director Edward Berger explicitly stated in interviews (e.g., Vulture, Reddit AMAs) that the vaping was added after seeing Castellitto vape during costume tests.

[2] Ralph Fiennes and Edward Berger have both described the acting process in these scenes as 'tennis' or 'fencing,' where the emotional delivery was instinctive and varied by take, even if the lines were scripted.

[3] Isabella Rossellini confirmed she used her personal memories to inform the silent performance, and Berger noted the camera work was adapted to capture her unscripted presence.

[4] While true, the summary underplays the extent. Castellitto revealed the script was originally in English, and he unilaterally changed his lines to Italian/Latin during a read-through, causing initial panic among producers before it was accepted.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

Medium

The 'Turtle' Scene

The scene involving the turtle was a spontaneous addition by the director after seeing turtles in the Vatican gardens, fitting the 'unscripted elements' theme.

Low

Extent of Multilingual Improvisation

The summary mentions the language mixing as a 'flourish,' but omits the detail that the actor effectively rewrote his character's dialogue language from English to Italian/Latin, a significant production change.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 Did Isabella Rossellini improvise the curtsy in Conclave?

#02 What is the symbolism of the turtle in Conclave?

#03 Edward Berger Conclave director interview improvised scenes

#S SOURCES

youtube.com youtube.com youtube.com youtube.com dokumen.pub amazonaws.com youtube.com dokumen.pub gutenberg.org youtube.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

▼

While the script for *Conclave* (2024), written by Peter Straughan, was described by the cast as being meticulously detailed and "all there on the page," the production allowed for several spontaneous moments and character additions that were not originally in the screenplay. The most notable improvised and spontaneous elements include: ### 1. Cardinal Tedesco’s Vaping The most famous "unscripted" moment in the film is Cardinal Tedesco (played by Sergio Castellitto) using a vape. * **The Detail:** In several scenes, the traditionalist Italian cardinal is seen puffing on a modern vape, creating a stark visual contrast with his ancient liturgical robes. * **How it happened:** This was not in the original script. Director Edward Berger noticed Castellitto vaping during costume screen tests and decided to incorporate it into the character. Berger felt it perfectly captured the film's theme of the modern world intruding upon the ancient traditions of the Vatican. It became a viral moment among audiences, serving as a "victory lap" or a show of "attitude" for the character. ### 2. Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci’s "Verbal Fencing" Director Edward Berger and the lead actors have described their intense debating scenes as having a "sport-like" or "fencing" quality that changed with every take. * **The Detail:** While the dialogue itself was largely scripted, the emotional intensity and the "fencing" nature of the reactions were improvised. * **The Process:** Ralph Fiennes mentioned that in scenes where he and Stanley Tucci (Cardinal Bellini) are debating, they followed their instincts together. Fiennes compared it to a game of tennis, where his response depended entirely on how Tucci "hit the ball" back to him. Berger encouraged this "chaos," allowing the actors to explore different levels of anger or emotional availability "on the day" rather than sticking to a pre-planned performance. ### 3. Isabella Rossellini’s "Silent Authority" Isabella Rossellini’s performance as Sister Agnes is defined by her silence and her watchful eyes, which was a collaborative development between the actress and the director. * **The Detail:** Much of Sister Agnes’s "screen time" consists of her observing from the background. Rossellini, who grew up in Rome and attended Catholic schools, used her own memories of the "silent authority" of nuns to improvise her physical presence. * **The Process:** Rossellini described her role as a "shadow" and worked on conveying deep emotion and authority through her breathing and "alertness" rather than lines. Berger noted that they often kept the camera on her in silence to see what she would "reveal" in the moment, rather than following a strict storyboard for those shots. ### 4. Spontaneous Multilingualism Sergio Castellitto (Tedesco) frequently switched between Italian, Latin, and English, often adding an "anarchic quality" to his performance. * **The Detail:** Castellitto’s character was meant to be a boisterous, "larger-than-life" figure. In interviews, it was noted that the way he mixed these languages and his informal, "companionable" behavior in the cafeteria scenes were flourishes he brought to the character to make him feel like a real, fallible human being rather than a "pious statue." ### Summary of Key Improvised Scenes/Elements: | Character | Improvised/Spontaneous Detail | Specifics | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Cardinal Tedesco** | **Vaping** | Added after the director saw the actor vaping during costume tests; not in the script. | | **Cardinal Lawrence** | **Emotional Beats/Breathing** | The specific "heartbeat" of the film—when he holds his breath or reacts—was found in the moment. | | **Cardinal Bellini** | **"Verbal Fencing"** | The intensity and "tennis-match" style of debates with Fiennes were instinctive and take-dependent. | | **Sister Agnes** | **Silent Presence** | Her "alertness" and physical authority in the background were developed spontaneously by Rossellini. |

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

▼

In Conclave (2024), the most significant improvised element is Cardinal Tedesco's vaping, which was added after director Edward Berger saw actor Sergio Castellitto vaping during costume tests. Additionally, Castellitto improvised the multilingual nature of his character, changing his lines from the original English script to a mix of Italian and Latin during a read-through. While the dialogue for other characters was largely scripted, Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci utilized an instinctive "verbal fencing" style where their emotional reactions varied by take. Isabella Rossellini also improvised her physical performance of "silent authority" based on her personal memories of nuns, rather than following a strict storyboard.

OVERLAY REPORT