If I had to pick just one movie to love for the rest of my life, I’m pretty certain it would be The Princess Bride.
I recently watched it with a group of friends, and as we discussed it before hitting play I commented that it’s one of a handful of romantic films that I absolutely love. I was stunned when one of the women there responded with something along the lines of “It’s not a romantic movie.” Now, it would be easy to laugh hysterically at her and point out exactly why it’s a romantic film, possibly the MOST romantic film ever made (I actually did give a list of reasons why to her, but I didn’t point and laugh, I’m not that big of a jerk), the thing I took away from that bit of dialogue was how the movie hits people in different ways. See, she saw it as an action adventure film, others see it as a comedy, some a fantasy, a romance, a drama, a period piece; The Princess Bride is all of that and more.
I’ve talked about perfect movies before and there might not be a more perfect film than this. Don’t get me wrong, Rob Reiner’s classic definitely has its share of plot holes and a few instances of horrid effects work (specifically the scene where Fezzik dons the holocaust cloak), but I’d argue those things don’t detract from the film at all. In fact, I’d say they add to the overall charm of it. Perfect doesn’t always mean flawless.
Rather than go on and on about the movie, appreciating it scene by scene I wanted to highlight two of them specifically. Yes, Billy Crystal knocks it out of the park and I can quote that bit in its entirety, but when you think Princess Bride your mind automatically goes to one specific place: “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.” One of the all time classic movie lines, many a faux duel has began and ended with the uttering of that phrase and I’m sure it never fails to elicit at least a smile from anyone who recognizes it. It’s pure cheese. But, not when it’s coming out of Mandy Patinkin’s mouth. Patinkin says he was grappling with the death of his own father during the scene, he had passed away from cancer a decade before. You can see the emotion on his face as the scene plays out, as he delivers a line that would get laughs coming out of anyone elses lips. After repeating it several times Inigo finally shouts it at Count Rugen, wounding him in only the ways the count has hurt him; the forearm, the shoulder and two cuts on the cheek as he gets the count to promise him anything he wants in exchange for his life. When he does Inigo deals the final wound-for-wound blow. “I want my father back you son of a bitch,” he says running him through the mid-section. It’s a very powerful scene that could have easily gone south. Vengeance is always a tricky thing and Reiner and company manage to make the fulfillment of Inigo’s quest poignant, satisfying and heartbreaking all at once.
The second scene I want to bring up happens immediately after that and is almost the antithesis of the previous. Where Inigo longs for vengeance, Westley wants justice. His true love is being forced to marry another, a man who plans to kill her. He’s crossed an ocean, scaled the Cliffs of Insanity, dueled a swordsman, fought a giant, outwitted a “genius,” braved the fireswamp, wrestled an R.O.U.S. and survived the Pit of Despair, only to wind up lifeless, lying on her bed, lacking the strength to fend of Prince Humperdink and carry Buttercup to safety. As he lies there, he gives a long-winded speech to Humperdink, saying that they should duel “to the pain” in an attempt to intimidate him. Humperdink calls him on it, saying he lacks the will to carry out his threats, Westley’s eventual response: “Perhaps I have the strength to stand after all.” He slowly rises from the bed, raises his weapon and says to Humperdink: “Now. Drop. Your. Sword.” It is a moment of absolute bad-assery and, I think, one of the most romantic scenes in the film, maybe of all time. To quote Huey Lewis, that’s the power of love. A man beaten and broken, pushed to the brink of death, lacking all strength, stands and raises his sword to fight to the death the person threatening the woman he loves. I honestly want to stand up and cheer every single time I watch it. It’s a scene that never fails to make me believe in true love. The kind that, well, only happens in story books.
