The Princess Bride
THE PRINCESS BRIDE (PG)
D: Rob Reiner
Vestron/Act III (Rob Reiner & Andrew
Scheinman)
US 1987
98 mins
Adventure/Fantasy/Comedy
W: William Goldman [based on his novel]
DP: Adrian Biddle
Ed: Robert Leighton
Mus: Mark Knopfler
PD: Norman Garwood
Cary Elwes (Westley), Robin Wright (Princess
Buttercup), Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya), Chris Sarandon (Prince Humperdinck), Christopher Guest (Count Rugen), Andre The Giant (Fezzik), Wallace Shawn (Vizzini), Peter Falk (The
Grandfather), Fred Savage (The Grandson)
"Inconceivable!"
The Princess Bride is one of the most quotable
fairytale fantasies of all time with a vast array of classic characters and fine actors.
The story is bookended with a grandfather reading a
fairytale to a bed-ridden child, the story of The Man In Black, Westley (Cary Elwes) and his quest to rescue Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) from the clutches of the evil Prince
Humperdinck (Christopher Guest).
Along the way he is both hindered and helped by Andre
The Giant and Mandy Patinkin's Spanish swordsman, Inigo Montoya, who himself wants his own revenge, seeking the six-fingered man who killed his father.
It's arguably Patinkin's performance which steals the
entire film as he seems to get all the more memorable lines of dialogue ("I am Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die.")
It's a unique twist on fairytale movies, with the
typical princess in distress, dashing princely rescuers, evil monarchs, monsters, sword fights and the usual ilk, but it also makes an insightful commentary on the conventions of the
genre with an anachronistic, dark humour.
Just one viewing will leave most of the more famous
scenes & quotes with you for the rest of your life, especially the "battle of wits" scene between Westley and Vizzini.
7/10
