Warning: Slight Spoilers For Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Jude Law has a thing or two to say about gay representation in film.
The latest Wizarding World film is out and many reviews say it’s a letdown. This includes the review from Instinct’s own Samuel Murrian.
One thing that many are complaining about is the lack of commentary or acknowledgement of Dumbledore’s (played by Jude Law) sexuality.
But while speaking to the New York Times, Law says that Dumbledore’s sexuality was never the real focus of the film.
“This film is not about his homosexuality, nor does his sexuality define him. But that relationship is certainly a defining element of who he is and what he’s about. I also don’t think he’s someone who has given his heart or his soul to many people. The aftermath of their relationship left him reeling, and he’s packed his heart in ice, to be honest, and no one’s quite thawed it.”
Then, the New York Times asked Law if he thinks the world is ready for a gay children’s icon, to which replied:
“I think the world is ready for it, and if it isn’t, it bloody well should be.”
While talking to Indie Wire last month, openly queer actor Ezra Miller also shared his thoughts on the Dumbledore controversy. He says the character’s queerness is extremely explicit.
“It’s a funny idea to me that every form of representation has to look the same,” Miller said. “For me, personally, I find Dumbledore’s queerness extremely explicit in this film. I mean, all around. He sees Grindelwald, his young lover who’s the love of his life; he sees him in the Mirror of Erised. What does the Mirror of Erised show you? Nothing more than the most desperate desire of your heart. If that’s not explicitly gay, I don’t know what is.”
“People have to also take a moment and acknowledge the gift that Jo Rowling gave us,” he said. “[She wrote] one of the greatest characters in literary history, one of the most beloved characters across the whole spectrum of civil society…and then, at the end of writing that series, was like, ‘Oh, yeah, and he’s gay. What? Step to me.’ She is forever a god for that.”
What do you all think? Have you seen the film yet? Do you think there’s enough representation and acknowledgement of Dumbledore’s past and sexuality? If not, what were you hoping to see?
If you haven’t seen the film yet, Fantastic Beats: The Crimes of Grindelwald is out now.
Let’s get real. This movie is
Let's get real. This movie is for a world-wide audience, including viewers in countries where gay people are condemned to death and where leaders state that homosexuality is a western import meant to corrupt their nation's youth. To say that we want to see something more explicit about Dumbledore's being gay than the coded images being presented is to severely limit the film's audience. So with all due respect to Jude Law, maybe the world SHOULD be ready for a gay icon; but the sad fact of the matter is that it's not.