The Princess Bride
Are guys supposed to like “The Princess Bride,” let alone love it as I do? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for 25 years now, and I’m no closer to the answer. I’m pretty sure the answer is, “yes,” and I say that because of the framing device of a grandfather (the incomparable Peter Falk) telling this story to his sick grandson (Fred Savage). The sincerity of Savage’s performance, whether it’s his pleas for more sports or his faux illness over all the kissing, his performance sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
This is a special movie. It’s not often that you can say that about a film, and mean it, but the word truly fits the bill for Rob Reiner’s 1987 fantasy. Based on a novel by William Goldman (who also wrote the oft-quoted screenplay), the movie is at once a call-back to the swashbucklers of Hollywood’s Golden Age– in particular, “The Adventures of Robin Hood” comes to mind –and a satire of such films and their conventions. That second part is the key to the film’s enduring popularity since it was released 25 years ago (yesterday, in fact).
The story is well known. What I want to focus on is the screenplay. This is one of the great scripts in movie history. Don’t believe me? Have you ever said, “As you wish.”, or “Inconceivable!”, or “Have fun storming the castle!”, or “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”, and smirked a little bit after? Of course, those are the most iconic, but who hasn’t laughed at those, and other great exchanges? Like when Inigo (Mandy Patinkin) and Fezzik (Andre the Giant) taunt Vezzini (the great Wallace Shawn) with annoying rhymes? Or when the sinister Count Rogen (aka the Six-Fingered Man, played by Christopher Guest) is torturing Wesley (Cary Elwes), and explaining his methods? And that wedding scene! “Skip to the end.” Is this a Hollywood movie, or a Monty Python sketch? While the British bad boys, no doubt, influenced Reiner’s sensibilities (see his 1984 debut, “This is Spinal Tap,” for further proof), Goldman’s tightly-crafted script is steeped in Hollywood convention, and not in that unknowing, hackish way we’re so used to nowadays. This is a living legend (Goldman had won an Oscar for “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” after all) at the peak of his powers, working with a director who would, over the years, show that he knows his way around a lot of genres, and carve out quite a few beloved films over the years. (See “Spinal Tap,” “The Sure Thing,” and “Stand By Me” before “Bride,” and “When Harry Met Sally,” “Misery” and “A Few Good Men” afterwards.)
Another key contributor is Mark Knopfler, the Dire Straits rocker who wrote the film’s magical, exciting score. This is one of my favorites of all-time. It’s sly, subtle, and energetic, and oh so romantic. The music when Wesley is forced to leave Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright, lovely in her first film), and later, is feared dead, has always broken my heart, including that line of Buttercup’s, “I will never love again,” said with such pain by Wright. Personally, it’s always sounded like a synthetically-produced score rather than a fully-orchestrated, “live” performance, but I’ve never looked at that as a shortcoming, but part of its charm. It’s a simple effort, but some of the best scores are, and this is a classic. Much like the film itself.
The review feels finished. Right? But how is it I haven’t mentioned the great swordfighting the cast indulges in? Or the cast in general (in any analytical way, at least), which is full of knowing, hilarious moments, but all played with real sincerity and affection for the material? (My favorites are probably Patinkin, Wright, and Andre the Giant.) Of course, I could probably go on for a few more paragraphs, or I’d like to think so, at least. I could just go beat-for-beat, scene-for-scene, and point to this great moment, or that great moment, and basically ruin the pleasure of watching the film for all of you. But why do that to you, or the film? Just watch it for yourself. I’d be surprised if you didn’t watch it again, and again, and just enjoy one of the great movie experiences I’ve ever had.
