Inconceivable! That a film should have so much to it, it’s got “Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles……” and it’s brilliant. A cult classic, The Princess Bride is a film to suit any mood, and if you see it enough times you’ll have the privilege of joining a unique group where any multitude of narration in the film can be used as a greeting.
Witty, quick, fun, and adventure-filled, along with a little poke at fairy-tale magic – while still being exactly that. Although you wouldn’t expect such things from the start of its modern-day setting, but don’t be deceived, for in the hands of a twinkle-eyed grandfather (Peter Falk aka Columbus) is a book of immeasurable excitement and fantastic tales – of course it’s the ‘The Princess Bride.’ But his grandson (Fred Savage), who’s stuck in bed with a cold (though he looks pretty well by the end) doesn’t seem enthused, he’d rather be playing his video games, but humouring his grandad, only slightly, he lets him begin the tale of “true love” but with a heaping of fun, mischief and mayhem.
As the narration begins The Princess Bride transports us to 16th century Florin – just think England’s Robin Hood era – the story beginning with its hero farm boy Wes (Cary Elwes), and his true love, and heroine of the movie, the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright). Their story already smelling of roses and filled with the arrows of cherubs (really is a fairy tale), but then by a twist of misfortune the lovers are separated by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Years later Buttercup has been kidnapped and is due to now be married to the incompetent, nasty and simpering Prince Humperdinck of Florin. But what happened to true love? They can’t give up right? You’ll have to wait, but someone is hot on the heels of the kidnappers, and he’s taken fashion lessons from Zorro. In a variation to the hero’s trope of ‘true love’ for this film’s lovers to be together again, they’ll come across a swordsman seeking revenge on six-fingered man, make friends with a “giant” and travel through treacherous woods that would fit happily within Middle Earth – though with a touch of Jim Henson puppetry to it.
Voicing our initial scepticism and yuck at clichéd lovey-dovey romance are the grandson’s initial interruptions of his grandfather’s reading. Their interactions are comfortable and typical of family generations, and as the grandson becomes enchanted with the story so to do we, yelling alongside him in, that can’t happen, to knuckle-whitening terror – well a tiny racing of the heartbeat, after it’s a film for all the family.
Oh, but there are fantastic scenes of sword fighting, mixed with being at the world’s top gymnastics competitions – the writing something like Will Ferrell and Robin Williams would dream up – it’s that brilliant. The pace of The Princess Bride is twisty, but uncomplicated to follow, the dialogue fast and the retorts quick, while its layer upon layer of jokes will leave you needing multiple reruns to catch them all, but this is a film you’ll never get bored of – you just can’t.
Based on the 1973 book of the same name by William Goldsmith – the novel does have a bit more prologue and epilogue than the film. However, Goldsmith also produced the film’s script thereby retaining its brilliance and adding a few more quips and pokes at the genre of a damsel in distress. The typical tropes are still at play in The Princess Bride, but they wink at the audience when playing them. There is nothing in the script that should or could be better, so just sit back and enjoy it, just as the many actors who created these iconic roles did. From Billy Crystal, Peter Cook, Mel Smith, oh and Mandy Patinkin as you have never seen him before; his character the inescapable swordsman Inigo Montoya – who has the most memorable lines of the film, the biggest development in his character’s story and the most satisfying of fights.
The Princess Bride is like watching your childhood dreams of make-believe come to life, while having plenty of jokes, new takes and a sincerity of adventure to keep even the grumpiest of people happy.
Director: Rob Reiner
Other notable works:
- The American President 1995
- A Few Good Men 1992
- When Harry Met Sally 1989
- Stand By Me 1986
Writer: William Goldman
Other notable works:
- Maverick 1994
- Chaplin 1992
- Marathon Man 1976
- All The President’s Men 1976
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969
Based on The Princess Bride (1973) by William Goldman
