Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince discussion... - Page 2

Tino · 07-15-2007, 10:21 PM

Are teenagers considered children?

TheLongshot · 07-15-2007, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh.C

Correct Chuck, and this will be Gambon's chance to shine or lay a golden egg. As I have already said (as one of his biggest critics) he did a much better job in OotP, but will need to step up his game even more for HBP, where he should see much increased camera time.

I'm probably in the minority, but I haven't had a problem with Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore in the two films I've seen so far. I haven't seen Phoenix yet, but so far it has worked for me and to be honest, I believe that he can look more capable of carrying HBP.

Jason

Malcolm R · 07-16-2007, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLongshot

I'm probably in the minority, but I haven't had a problem with Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore in the two films I've seen so far. I haven't seen Phoenix yet, but so far it has worked for me and to be honest, I believe that he can look more capable of carrying HBP.

Jason

I'm right with you, Jason. I much prefer Gambon's portrayal to that of Richard Harris. He's much closer to the character as described in the book, IMO.

Harris was really my only casting issue I've had in the series (Though I'm still undecided on Staunton as Umbridge until I see the film.)

Kevin Grey · 07-16-2007, 12:48 AM

Harris is pretty much exactly how I imagined Dumbledore being. However, I don't mind Gambon's take on the role at all.

Brian Sheffield · 07-16-2007, 10:09 AM

Harris played Dumbledore as a wheezy, weak old man, which is completely unlike the Dumbledore from the books.

With Gambon's portrayal, at least Dumbledore does not look like someone to be trifled with.

Kevin Grey · 07-16-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Sheffield

Harris played Dumbledore as a wheezy, weak old man, which is completely unlike the Dumbledore from the books.

With Gambon's portrayal, at least Dumbledore does not look like someone to be trifled with.

With Harris there was a warmth to his almost everything he did that's absent in Gambon's performance much of the time. But it did occur to me watching OotP's finale that the physicality would probably have been beyond Harris even had he lived. But I thought Harris did everything that was demanded on him from the material in the first two books.

TheLongshot · 07-16-2007, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Grey

With Harris there was a warmth to his almost everything he did that's absent in Gambon's performance much of the time. But it did occur to me watching OotP's finale that the physicality would probably have been beyond Harris even had he lived. But I thought Harris did everything that was demanded on him from the material in the first two books.

I don't argue with that, but that "warmth" has become less important as the books go on. I don't really miss it in the two films I've seen Gambon in.

Jason

Kevin Grey · 07-16-2007, 01:52 PM

The warmth will be *very* important in HBP though. Dumbledore was "cold" for most of Phoenix for good reason and they cut out 95% of the sequence at the end where he really brings back the humanity of the Dumbledore from the first four books. But Gambon will really need to bring something new to the character that he hasn't really been on called on for yet. He's a great actor so I have faith but I do have to say that I haven't seen much of that in his Dumbledore so far.

Josh.C · 07-16-2007, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malcolm R

I'm right with you, Jason. I much prefer Gambon's portrayal to that of Richard Harris. He's much closer to the character as described in the book, IMO.

Harris was really my only casting issue I've had in the series (Though I'm still undecided on Staunton as Umbridge until I see the film.)

I have to strongly disagree that Gambon's portrayl is much closer to the books than Richard Harris's Dumbledore. As I have said several times, he Gambon did a good job in OotP, however I don't see how any reader of the books could have enjoyed his performance in GoF. He did several things that Dumbledore would have never done. The one that bothered me the most was when he grabbed and shook Harry after his name flew out of the Goblet of Fire. I'm not going to blame it 100% on Gambon, but this was WAY out of character for Albus Dumbledore.

Now that Gambon seems to have captured the personality and quiet power in Dumbledore's character, he should be able to do a good job in HBP. I also agree that Harris would have had a tough time physically performing the role at this point int the series, but Dumbledore's intimidation has never struck me as being a physical one. He does it with well timed remarks, and always seeming to know more than you know. He also shows this in the way he never seems to get flustered or overly excited (a character trait that was poorly executed in the 3rd & 4th films), and handles each situation calmly and with purpose.

Once again, my criticism of Gambon has been in the 3rd and 4th books, and I hope he can build on a solid performance in OotP in the next film.

JC

Steve Y · 07-16-2007, 03:25 PM

Gambon was good in OOTP because the role required him to be aloof and action-oriented. But I just DON'T buy that he cares that much about Harry, even when he says it to him directly. There is a warmth missing in his performance.

Richard Harris was very sick during filming, and that greatly impeded his performance. But one of the great things about Dumbledore, as Rowling envisions him, is his delicious sense of passive-aggression. Gambon's Dumbledore is merely an aggressor, an almost angry wizard. Dumbledore's anger in the books is more effective when it does appear because he SEEMS so "kind and harmless" most of the time.

Listen to Jim Dale's rendition of Dumbledore on the audio books. It trumps either performance in the films, IMO.

Josh.C · 07-16-2007, 03:27 PM

I still say Ian McClellan(sp) would have made a GREAT Dumbledore, and hate that he turned down the opportunity.