the café where Albus and Gellert meet is in Piccadilly Circus; Piccadilly became famous enough as a place where queer people (usually gay men) went looking for casual sex that “dilly boy”, short for “Picadilly boy”, became slang for “male sex worker” in Polari, a dialect of English with deep ties to the gay subculture (it’s where “butch” and “fruit/fruity” come from)
Lally’s style of speech is lifted from Oscar Wilde, with her character also influenced by James Baldwin - Wilde is of course well-known, but Baldwin was a talented gay and Black writer whose use as inspiration signals a lot about how Lally is meant to be perceived
much ado has been made about Gellert’s lavender tie, and the lavender in bloom outside Hogwarts, but just for the sake of inclusion: lavender and violets were historically a covert signal/slang term for homosexuality and claimed by both gay men and lesbians
Vinda’s black suit and more masc-of-center costuming might potentially be calling back to the tradition of lesbians wearing tuxedos (as seen in photographs taken in the famous Parisian lesbian bar Le Monocle) but regardless of whether or not this is direct inspiration, she’s definitely signaling she’s not cishet in period-appropriate ways
a major portion of the film takes place in Weimar-era Berlin, which was well-known as a queer haven with a thriving community in the interwar period - if you’ve seen Cabaret, or you’re aware of the works of Christopher Isherwood (or you’ve seen the BBC adaptation of Christopher and his Kind) you’ll begin to get an idea of what it was like
I’m definitely going to be reblogging with additional things I remember but uh. this is a really queer movie guys.
As we all know, the aspect of their relationship that’s the most beautiful yet simultaneously the most tragic is how they never fell out of love. Even after everything that happened and all of their years apart, the intensity of that love never dimmed. Both of them only ever loved one man in the entirety of their lifetimes.. each other. I’ve heard it said that the breaking of the blood pact “changed everything” and that “nothing will ever be the same again” between them.
It’s so ironic because the breaking of the pact did, in a way, “change everything” but in the cruelest way given the circumstances and not in the way that one might think upon seeing a couple “getting divorced.” In my opinion, it only made them love each other more, which tragically only made things that much more difficult for them. And at the same time, it changed nothing. They still can’t bring themselves to kill one other, pact or no pact. In their hearts, there was no “divorce” and never will be.
Albus had an expression of sheer panic when Gellert tried to kiss him and it wasn’t because he was turned off by how evil Gellert was or because he thought him undeserving of his love. It was because he would have kissed him back. He would have comforted the man he loves. He had to remove himself from the situation entirely and he had to do it fast lest he falter in his resolve. As others have pointed out, he did what was right, not what was easy.
On today’s episode of “Mads and Jude know how to do their job”, can we talk about how well their acting performances complement each other? Subtle performances are my personal favorites because they look so natural, so effortless, but in reality it requires a tremendous amount of skill to give the impression that you’re not even acting.
Look at Dumbledore’s expression at the beginning of this scene: before lifting his gaze to look at Grindelwald, he starts to blink very quickly. It can be interpreted in many ways but usually, when people blink excessively in a short amount of time it means that they’re facing inner struggles, they’re flustered and a bit stressed… Isn’t that exactly how Dumbledore is supposed to feel at that moment? Jude managed to show it in such a subtle and realistic way, it’s crazy.
Also look at Grindelwald’s expression when he sees Dumbledore: if you pay close attention to his lips corners, you’ll notice that his genuine smile fades for a sec. He’s probably overwhelmed with joy when he notices Dumbledore but bitterness quickly takes over; he goes from “my man’s there, we’re finally reunited” to “but I know we will both leave on our own again”. This mouth mouvement is so delicate that it’s easy to miss it but it’s sooo important because it gives us precious insights into Grindelwald’s thoughts. Mads is an amazing actor too.
As I said before: details make perfection and both Jude and Mads are well aware of that.
Some of my thoughts about Grindeldore in The Secrets of Dumbledore
So, im REALLY obsessed with this movie and i wrote some of my thoughts and i decided put it here.
First of all, english is not my native language, so im so sorry for any mistake, and obviously, in this post there are spoilers. LETS GO
The Restaurant scene
Their smiles kill me btw
I love the restaurant scene for how Gellert insists over and over that it was both planning a revolution, that Albus not only followed him because they were in love, because HE helped make their plans and HE turned his back on them. Phrases like “It was you who said we can reshape the world” and“Committed to me, to US” it makes that clear
I think that Gellert was so angry with Albus because, in his perspective, he went on with his life as if nothing happened and that bothers him, he has so much anger and bitterness in his heart that he doesn’t see beyond appearances
He doesn’t want Albus to make excuses, he wants the Albus he MET in 1899 in his side , but he hasn’t realized of THAT Albus died with Ariana and only at the end does he realize that Albus left his arms forever
And Albus, this is where I asked myself what was his point in being there, did he just want to try and convince Gellert to break the pact or did he want to see if there was a way to deal with this situation without breaking it? Albus doesn’t want to let Gellert go either (even though he knows that isn’t the Gellert he fell in love with anymore), he wants to save Gellert and try to save what they have.
Gellert was hurt after Albus said“We can free each other”,which is why i think he acts so mean to Albus in the rest of the scene (and in the movie!). Gellert loves and cares about the pact, he carried the Troth with him everywhere for about 28 years, that he had it in a chest pocket, that he sacrificed and risked his escape in order to get it back at the start of COG, it’s very obvious that. I think he uses the pact all the time because it’s a palpable reminder of the one time he felt understood and loved by an equal. He uses it because it makes him feel close to Albus.
This scene was perfect, and I thanks so much to Jude and Mads performace <3
How they talked about the other in the movie
Someone doesnt feels weird the way they talked about the other with another people in the movie? Like, sometimes it feels like their relantionships was not a secret. Gellert explicity admits to his acolites and Kama he knew and was a Dumbledore´s close friend.
I personally think that Gellert doesnt hide their relationship to anyone, he is very pround and selfish about their conextion (another reason for he posibble cares so much about the troth!). But Albus is the contrarian.
He talks about his realantionship but with a few people, talks about it with Thesus but only for convinced him. And says THREE times he loved Gellert (and one of it was to Gellert himself).
ALSO, Gellert and Albus are so obsessed with each other in the movie, like Albus mentions their love every time he can and Gellert have visions about Albus and look at him with the most look of longing have ever see, THEY’RE OBSESSED WITH EACH OTHER AND I LOVE IT!!
For next, my favorite part of the movie
The almost duel
Frist of all, THE SOUNDTRACK OF THS SCENE IS PRECIOUS AND GORGEOUS, thank you James Newton Howard.
And then, can we talk about Gellert’s face in this frame and how he trembles at the mere thought of touching Albus after 30 years and realizing he can’t hurt him because he still loves him so deeply?
When they put their hands on each other’s hearts, Albus keeps his hand outstretched, Gellert presses his hand to Albus’s chest as if he wants to hold on to it, trembles at the thought of hurting him and clings to him in the face of it. His face of him is one of absolute despair, this is the moment where they realize that their destiny is inevitable and that they will repeat this duel one day.
Now something that I find interesting is how Gellert trembles at the idea and lets his guard down for a moment, and Albus holds his wand up, he doesn’t like the idea, but he’s more determined to do it, that’s the moment where he chooses to do what is right and not what is easy.
And Albus, he doesn’t even know how to feel about all of this. Should he feel angry with Gellert for left him? Should he be glad that he was stopped in that summer in the worst way possible? Would he be willing to give up the best two months of his life for his sister? He can hurt to the man he loves?
They both love each other, but that is the moment where they have lost each other and their reactions to it kill me. Gellert seeks to emotionally harm Albus and Albus just walks away, he does not seek to harm Gellert with his action from him, but the fact that he turns his back on him and shows a certain indifference after tremendous emotional shock hurts Gellert more and seeks to harm Albus more with his next action
“Who will love you now Dumbledore?, you’re all alone” Those words seem more directed at himself than at Albus, he feels alone, and the only proof that someone really loved him lies broken on the ground.
It is also interesting how Gellert goes from calling him “Albus”at the beginning of the film to calling him “Dumbledore” at the end of it
I think Albus was more prepared for the idea of confronting him, from the beginning he raises the idea of getting rid of the troth and Gellert is resistant to the idea, he doesn’t want to, it is the only physical proof he has of his and he clings to it. Item.
Gellert is an emotional wreck and unlike Albus, he doesn’t have people who love and support him unconditionally, he’s alone.
He is a man who does not know how to deal with strong emotions (and it has been shown since fbwtft) and that is his greatest weakness. Dumbledore always talks about how love is the most powerful magic because he thinks it is what we don’t know. He doesn’t even feel lovable, but he keeps thinking about it.
And every day I am more convinced that Gellert’s feelings for Albus are the reason why he loses THE duel, that Gellert’s love for him is enough for him to repent and let him win, and thats why Albus locks Gellert in Nurmergard, because he has faith that he will regret it because he already showed signs of it
The end of the movie
“I was never your enemy…” says Gellert to the public, and then proceed to searchAlbus,look at him to the eyes and says “…then or now”
I was speechless at first, THIS MAN hurts Albus firts and he feels betrayed and emotionally hurt by him, BUT HE STILL WANTS ALBUS ON HIS SIDE. I HAVE NO WORDS FOR THAT.
The end of the movie is so sad, Albus promeses to Thesues find and captured Gellert after have that moment is so hurtful. See the pact broken is a hurtful pain and he cant explain that.
(btw Newt is a great friend for Albus in this movie, all the time he helps and supports because he knows that this hurts him, he doesn’t judge him and that’s why i adore Newt so much)
At the very end see Albus seeing the wedding was so sad, i cant belived how that scene is so painful and so happy and the same time. I actually refuse to belive that they dont invite Albus to the wedding, but the fact that he stays alone in the street see something that nows it will never be able to live it’s a very hurtful moment, and a very sad ending for him.
