Rob Reiner’s 1987 classic The Princess Bride is a rare example of a cult film becoming a mainstream success. Very much like Reiner’s previous film 1984’s This is Spinal Tap as well as films like Pulp Fiction and The Big Lebowski it is frequently quoted by film buffs casual and obsessive alike. Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name the film opens up with a sick bedridden child (played by Fred Savage of The Wonder Years fame) as his grandfather (played by Columbo himself Peter Falk) comes over to visit. He reads to him from The Princess Bride and it’s here we’re introduced to our main characters farm boy Westley (Carey Elwes) and princess Buttercup (Robin Wright). Whenever Buttercup gives an order to Westley he simply replies “as you wish.” Eventually she comes to realise it is his secret way of saying I love you. She returns the love back. Unfortunately however when Westley leaves to seek his fortune so that the two can marry his ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts.
Five years pass and believing him to be dead Buttercup reluctantly agrees to marry the smug Prince Humperdinck (played by Chris Sarandon) However she is kidnapped before the wedding by 3 outlaws. A Sicilian named Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) a wrestler from Greenland named Fezzik (played by the late WWF wrestler Andre the Giant) and a masked Spanish fencing master named Inigo Montoya (played by Mandy Patinkin). Montoya is obsessed with finding Humperdinck’s sadistic six fingered vizier Count Rugen. They are also pursued by another of Humperdinck’s men as well as another man in black who is revealed to be Westley alive and well as he tries to reconnect with Buttercup.
What works wonderfully about The Princess Bride is that it takes the basic fairy tale conventions and turns them on it’s head. My personal favourite scene is when a romantic scene takes place between Westley and Buttercup. It’s a beautiful setting, the music is in full swing and the scene stops when the grandson realises there’s romance involved much to his disgust. As he puts it “hold it, hold it. What is this? Are you trying to trick me? Where’s the sports. Is this a kissing book.”
The cast is also wonderful although I do have to admit I prefer the supporting cast over the leads. Westley and Buttercup are likable enough characters and Cary Elwes and Robin Wright are both fine actors but I always found the side characters all the more enjoyable. Mandy Patinkin is hilarious as Montoya a suave, sword wielding, black masked Zorro like character and of course he delivers one of the most awesome lines in cinema history. “Hello my name is Inigo Montoya you killed my father prepare to die.” There is also an absolutely hilarious cameo from the always wonderful Billy Crystal who is completely unrecognisable in heavy prosthetic make-up as Miracle Max in a scene where he brings Westley back from the dead( or as he put’s it he’s only mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.)
Also as an Irishman I’m proud that certain scenes from the movie where filmed in my home country. The cliffs of insanity where filmed around the cliffs of Moher in County Clare as well as other parts being shot in England such as Sheffield, Derbyshire and Kent among many other places.
The Princess bride has been parodied and referenced in many other media and has a strong cult following and I’m not the least bit surprised. It has a warmth and wit to it that is hard to find in many modern movies.
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