THE PRINCESS BRIDE
US, 1987, 94 minutes, Colour.
Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, Christopher Guest, Mel Smith, Andre the Giant, Peter Cook, Billy Crystal.
Directed by Rob Reiner.
The Princess Bride is a wonderful storybook fantasy. It is literally the reading of a story: Grandfather Peter Falk to his grandson Fred Savage - who gradually starts to enjoy the fairytale ingredients after an initial brash young American scepticism.
The film is from the pen of William Goldman, from his novel. Goldman's credits range widely from Butch Cassidy to Marathon Man and his screenplay for All the President's Men. It is directed by comedian Rob Reiner (The Sure Thing, Stand By Me and the excellent satire on rock and roll, This Is Spinal Tap). The film also has a very interesting cast led by Cary Elwes as Westley, the princely hero. Mandy Patinkin is excellent as the sword fighting Spanish Inigo, Wallace Shaun as the conceited Sicilian, Chris Sarandon as the evil Prince Humperdinck and Christopher Guest as the evil Count Rugen. Robyn Wright is introduced as The Princess Bride. There are also some guest spots from Billy Crystal as Miracle Max and Carol Kane as his wife, Peter Cook as the impressive clergyman (overdoing it), and Mel Smith as the Albino.
Filmed in Ireland, the film has the visual beauty of the mediaeval story, all the elements of the fairy tale and the storybook romance as well as adventure and derring-do. There is swordfighting, a fire swamp, giant rats, a torture chamber as well as pageantry and romance. The musical score is by Mark Knopfler. A delightful experience.
1. The appeal to fantasy and imagination? Storybook fairy tale? Swashbuckling adventure? The echoes of the adventure films of the '30s, of the imaginative fantasies of the '70s and '80s?
2. The blend of the ordinary and extraordinary? The contemporary boy's bedroom and the beauty of Ireland? The countryside, the town, the ship, the cliffs of Insanity, the castle, the torture chamber? The special effects the fire swamp and the rats? The musical score? The storybook song theme?
3. The reading: the boy and his video game, his mother, not wanting his grandfather to come? The grandfather and Peter Falk's style? TV was books in those days? The boy's comments, wanting sports? The interruptions to the story: the initial kissing, 'Hold it;' the eels and the boy nervous, the repeating of the eels sequence? The next kissing part? Interrupting about Humperdinck marrying Buttercup ? life is not fair, get the story right? The interruption about the hero being dead? The finale, as you wish?
4. Westley as hero: the, farm boy, service of Buttercup, the chores, 'As you wish'? Their falling in love, the kiss, the farewell, true love would always come? Buttercup's grief at Westley's death?
5. Buttercup, heroine, haughty, in love with the farm boy? The kiss and farewell? Her grief? The five years? Humperdinck's decree? Buttercup and her enjoying riding? The capture, her captors, into the sea, the eels? climbing of the cliff, the pursuit by the man in black? The capture by the man in black, his defying her about her fidelity, her pushing him down the hill, 'as you wish', hurling herself down the hill after him? The rediscovery of true love? The adventures in the fire swamp? His capture, her giving herself to Humperdinck, defying him, the letter and the four fast ships, the wedding and her dream, the father of Prince Humperdinck, her contemplating suicide, rediscovering Westley?
6. The three captors: Vizzine and his size, intellectual vanity, 'inconceivable', his taunts? Giving orders? Fezzik and his size, genial, carrying Buttercup up the cliff, his skill with rhymes, the encounter with Westley, being defeated? Inigo the Spaniard, his past and his drinking, the climbing of the cliffs of insanity? His confrontation with Westley?
7. Westley and his reappearance as the dread pirate Roberts, his skill in climbing the cliff, the rope cut., the deadpan comments, the skill in fencing with Inigo, on the back of the giant, the battle of intellectual wits as regards the poison with Vizzine? His poisoning both cups and having immunity? Taking Buttercup, taunting her with infidelity, true love and falling down the hill? His going through the fire swamp? The explanation about his being the dread pirate Roberts? The dread of the name? Into the quicksand and diving and coming out? The rat monsters? Wrestling the giant rat? His capture, being taken to the dungeon, the torture machine, his final scream, the rescue? At Miracle Max's? The gradual recovery of his limbs, limping? Holding the barrow for Fezzik as the pirate Roberts? The confrontation with Humperdinck, defeating him, the escape and into the future with Buttercup?
8. The comedy with Vizzine, inconceivable, his orders, his role in fomenting the war, the irony that he was employed by Humperdinck to kill Buttercup, defeated by the poison?
9. Inigo and his background, his code, his father, his word as a Spaniard, his skill at sword fighting, gentlemanly with Westley? His searching for the man with six fingers? The bond with Westley, the revival, finding Fezzik, the pledge, guiding the sword to the secret entry and failing and leaning on it? The rescue of Westley, going to Max's, the discovery of Count Rugen, the fight, his being stabbed, yet his skill? Happy ending?
10. Fezzik and the boulder, fighting, the rocks, Westley holding him, meeting Inigo again, sharing in the rescue, as the giant dread pirate Roberts?
11. Humperdinck and his decrees, the prince, the pursuit of the captors and his detection? Count Rugen and advice? Deadpan comments, capturing Westley and Buttercup, breaking his word, the promise about the letters and four fast ships, the revelation about the murder plot, his being swamped and busy and unable to look at the torture, the arresting of all the thieves, the truth to Buttercup, the full torture for Westley, the speedy marriage ceremony, his being defeated?
12. Buttercup and her giving herself up, the fire swamp and the explanations, the dream marriage, the old woman booing her, the true marriage, waiting for Westley, the speedy ceremony, her despair?
13. The dungeon, the albino and his taunts? The abyss of despair?
14. Count Rugen, his advice, six fingers, the torture, the fight with Inigo, taunting him, death?
15. The adviser, the rounding up of the thieves, the giving up of the key?
16. Miracle Max and his patter, his wife as a witch? Peter Cook as the impressive clergyman and his dithering? The booing woman?
17. The happy ending, the delight, in the storybook story?
