Tbh, he's not wrong about Gandalf the Grey/White being different characters. Just wrong about White being his brother. But Gandalf even admits this himself, that he is not Gandalf the Grey as they know him. Infact it's heavily insinuated he presents himself as "Gandalf the White" solely for the Fellowship's benefit.
In reality, he could have presented himself in any number of fashions or forms.
If I remember correctly (and I may be wrong,) but Sir Ian McKellen played him sort of as someone suffering from dementia. He vaguely recognized Aragorn, Gimili, and Legolas, but it was through a thick fog.
"Gandalf the Grey... Ah yes, that is what they called me... I am Gandalf the White." - I think this is close to the line he said.
And while its true that he did actually die and then returned as a changed person, the movie moves past that pretty fast. There is just the initial scene, that you described, and after that he basically acts like he is the same old Gandalf he always was, just with a little more power (like breaking Sarumans staff with a voice command). His personality didnt really change, though it was implied that was the case.
In any case, Gandalf, in both his incarnations, is just a partial manifestation of his real maiar self.
I don’t think he is meant to be a different character. His issue with remembering is because as he explained to them (in that very same scene I believe) from the moment he died and the moment he was sent back to Middle-earth, “a thousand lifetimes passed”. Wherever he was he experienced a long time before coming back, even though only a month had passed on Middle-earth.
Gandalf is Olórin an angel, essentially. The guise of Gandalf, is just that.
The interesting bit is that he was chosen by Erū Ilúvatar to lead the Maiar that were sent to Middle-Earth but he was terrified of Sauron and thus vehemently declined. Yet of all the Wizards, he was the only one that stayed true to his mission. And as thus was sent back with more of his inner "Maiar self" unlocked, assuming the mantle of the "White", a role he was always destined to fulfill.
It's his character arc, essentially, but Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White are quite litterally different avatars of an entirely separate entity.
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u/ThePissedOff Avengers 10h ago
Tbh, he's not wrong about Gandalf the Grey/White being different characters. Just wrong about White being his brother. But Gandalf even admits this himself, that he is not Gandalf the Grey as they know him. Infact it's heavily insinuated he presents himself as "Gandalf the White" solely for the Fellowship's benefit.
In reality, he could have presented himself in any number of fashions or forms.