by Afra Nariman

The Ghost of Richard Harris (2022)

Director: Adrian Sibley

REVIEW:

I conducted the post-screening Q&A with Jamie Harris and Damian Harris @ NBFF ’22

A fascinating documentary about an acting titan who I shamefully didn’t know enough about prior to watching this. I was aware of him as an actor and person, am familiar with his work (some of it without having originally realized), but hadn’t connected all the dots somehow — and now it’s all clicking. He was such a brilliant actor, an interesting person, and a polarizing figure in cinema for so long. It was very cool learning about his knack and passion for poetry as well. 

I still remember, as a kid, noticing the difference in Dumbledore when I first watched the third Harry Potter film. At the time, I knew nothing about Richard Harris; that the legendary actor who portrayed the legendary wizard, had passed. Without knowing why, I still noticed the change in actors. Something just wasn’t there anymore. 

Much like Max Von Sydow (who similarly portrayed a ‘magical’ being in his final days), Richard Harris’ presence on screen is second-to-none — and this is with simply considering his role in Harry Potter, not to mention his decades long career as one of the world’s most premiere film stars. I regrettably hadn’t registered this when I first watched it, but realizing that Richard Harris is the man called Corrado Zeller in Antonioni’s Red Desert — a film that I love — was wild. Harris’ filmography features such an array of different kinds of roles, which is a significant testament to his talents. 

The Ghost of Richard Harris is made very well and offers an honest and encompassing view of the life and career of the late, great Richard Harris; and the legacy that he’s left behind.

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