The Big Picture
Michael Gambon’s portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series was characterized by his edge, fierceness, and wit. His performance in Half-Blood Prince is his best, striking a balance between Richard Harris’ interpretation of the character and Gambon’s own unique take. In Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore’s fragility is highlighted, but he still showcases his power, manipulating situations and ultimately sacrificing himself for the greater good.
The passing of Sir Michael Gambon will surely make Harry Potter fans look back on his part in the Wizarding World series. The headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore is quick-witted and an expert in spell casting, making for a great ally to go against the Dark Lord. Although Gambon’s fierceness can be thought of as too aggressive for the elder wizard, it comes in handy as the movies get increasingly darker and more mature. Maybe Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince isn’t at the top of a fan favorite list, but it’s a special one out of the six movies Gambon starred in. As the final battle draws near, Dumbledore’s last major appearance holds the late actor’s best performance.
Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore Always Had an Edge in the ‘Harry Potter’ Series
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
When looking back on Gambon’s performance in the Harry Potter films, he is perhaps most well-known for the infamous “did you put your name in the goblet of fire?!” scene, but that is far from the first instance that shows Gambon’s edge as the elderly wizard. A moment that comes to mind is when Caretaker Filch (David Bradley) shoots a canon during the final task of the Triwizard Tournament and Dumbledore glares over, unable to properly finish a countdown. Dumbledore says nothing, but one can practically hear, “Imbecile,” rolling around in his head. The actor’s portrayal is usually gloomy, before shooting right back to a cheery state of mind. Early in Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore tells the student body gathered in the Great Hall, “I’m reminded of a sobering fact. Every day, every hour, this very minute, perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle’s walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon is you. Just something to think about.” Then he swiftly announces, “Now, off to bed. Pip-pip!” In Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore spends a chunk of the runtime giving Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) the cold shoulder, and while it’s for the greater good, it’s still hurtful to see.
In contrast, there is an added warmth to Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince that is essential to the character — “Dumbledore” is an old English word meaning fuzzy “bumblebee,” after all. Plus, it feels like a good balance of Richard Harris’ take and what Michael Gambon brings to his interpretation. When Ron (Rupert Grint) recovers after he’s accidentally been poisoned, Dumbledore is among the staff present in the infirmary as Harry and others sit nearby. That means the headmaster is there when Lavender (Jessica Cave) sobs and runs away upon realizing she has no part in Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron’s love story. “Oh, to be young, and to feel love’s keen sting,” Dumbledore states with amusement. While there is a gentleness to Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince, though, the movie isn’t absent of his fierceness, which is impressive due to his fragile health. If the leading Hogwarts professor wanted to, he could be a master manipulator judging by the way he handles situations in this particular movie.
What Is Dumbledore up to in ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’?
Image via Warner Bros.
So, what exactly is Dumbledore planning in Half-Blood Prince? The series’ sixth installment sees Death Eaters bringing chaos to the Wizarding World and modern London, marking the sixth year at Hogwarts as a precarious one — and that’s saying something. Harry and friends have faced a slew of dangers in the previous academic years, from a family of Acromantulas, a gatekeeping Basilisk, soul-sucking Dementors, and of course, the nose-less Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Professor Dumbledore comes calling for Harry with an important mission to take down He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named. They need to learn the secret of the Dark Lord that enables him to be immortal, eventually finding out Horcruxes are to blame, dark magic objects that must be destroyed if they wish to rid the world of the Dark Lord for good. From the movie’s start, Dumbledore is a more fragile character this time around.
It should be said that Gambon’s Dumbledore looks his best when he removes the signature tassel hat, appearing the most regal when he lets down his snow-white hair, not as frazzled as in the other movies. Like an Auror says in Order of the Phoenix after the headmaster’s disappearing trick with Fawkes, “You can’t deny, Dumbledore has got style.” That he does. Other than appearance, past entries have him at a distance from Harry, but there is an urgency to the events of Half-Blood Prince that puts them side-by-side consistently, building onto a relationship that began when Dumbledore helped place baby Harry at a doorstep on Privet Drive. Early on in Half-Blood Prince, Harry notices the headmaster’s blackened hand, a foreshadowing that he won’t be as invincible as he has been. He won’t be as volatile either.
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Michael Gambon Plays His Best Version of Dumbledore in ‘Half Blood Prince’
At the beginning of Half-Blood Prince, Harry tags along to Slughorn’s (Jim Broadbent) residence where Professor Dumbledore hopes to entice the retired Potions master to return to Hogwarts. Once Dumbledore cleans up the house Slughorn ransacked, it returns to its cozy, original self, and he admires the clean-up job. “That was fun,” he remarks with a smile, a reminder that even a wizard as great as himself can be charmed by magic. He then treats himself to Knitter’s Own, a magazine he found lying around. Small moments like this make for a restrained, playful demeanor, a departure from the agitation Gambon can lean quite easily into, unlike the patience of Richard Harris’ version.
Dumbledore knows that bringing Harry along for a visit will persuade Slughorn back onto school grounds. By doing this, Slughorn will desire to “collect” Harry as a favorite student, like he has done in the past with others. Dumbledore also counts on this as a way for Harry to get close to the professor and retrieve a memory that reveals Voldemort’s use of Horcruxes. It’s the kind, gentler attitude to the elder wizard that makes Harry go along with the plan, without Gambon verging into the aggressiveness from previous movies. “Once again, I must ask too much of you, Harry,” he says wearily. The adults may not be the best mentors in this series, and unfortunately for Harry, Dumbledore becomes yet another father figure he loses when the finale arrives.
Standing in the astronomy tower, Dumbledore shares a moment with Harry, ensuring the boy understands that, “Should I tell you to hide, you hide. Should I tell you to run, you run. Should I tell you to abandon me and save yourself, you must do so.” The building score does its part to make this scene epic, Nicholas Hooper’s “Journey to the Cave” soaring like the monstrous waves crashing into the rocky cliff when Harry and Dumbledore apparate to their location. Ocean spray and blasting winds hit them, but while Harry seems to be at the mercy of it, Dumbledore is unaffected, staring ahead to the cave.
The scene that follows has a pained, angry Dumbledore, forced to consume the dreaded and delirious Emerald Potion. It takes advantage of the aggression Gambon knows how to do so well. “Kill me!” he cries out in anguish, slipping into a feeble old man who seems devoid of Dumbledore’s recognizable strength. He does finish the potion, doing a Dumbledore-esque mannerism by smacking his lips, requesting water to wash down the aftertaste of the murky potion. The headmaster remains incredibly powerful as he soon hurtles flames to rescue Harry from the approaching Inferi. The fighting agility seen in Order of the Phoenix is back, mixed with his weakened state for this installment. Like outside the cave, the elements of the environment create a searing visual. Dumbledore conjures up fireballs and a ring of fire to get Harry and himself to safety, his beard and robe fluttering wildly, capturing the sheer force of his blazing spell. And the return to the astronomy tower leading up to Dumbledore’s death is quiet but just as intense.
In said scene, Dumbledore tries to help a conflicted Malfoy (Tom Felton), letting himself be disarmed, although never pausing in talking his student down. “Draco, years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices,” he says, “Please, let me help you.” When the Death Eaters arrive and eventually Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), Dumbledore welcomes death, never once losing control of the situation. “Severus. Please,” are his last words, full of dignity, even to those without the knowledge of how he ordered Snape to strike him with the Killing Curse, to help win Voldemort’s trust and not have Draco become a killer.
Michael Gambon Was the Dumbledore the ‘Harry Potter’ Series Needed
No one should compare Harris’ portrayal too much to Gambon’s — the early movies are different in tone along with having a different director. The series lost the golden hue as the Wizarding World got further hostile, and Gambon’s approach made sense for the darker tone the series was heading in. Instead of recreating what Richard Harris did, Gambon played the character his way. If there were any character in this franchise who ushers in respect simply by presence alone, it would be Albus Dumbledore. He wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes. Michael Gambon was a treasure of an actor, and in Half-Blood Prince, he delivers what is his funniest, most tragic, and commanding performance as the beloved Albus Dumbledore.