The Princess Bride (film)

''The Princess Bride'' is a 1987 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner and starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, and Christopher Guest. Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name, it tells the story of a swashbuckling farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. The film preserves the novel's metafictional narrative style by presenting the story as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson.

The film was first released in the United States on September 25, 1987, and was well received by critics at the time. After only having modest success at the box office at first, it has over time become a cult film and been considered as one of the best films of the 1980s, and one of Reiner's best works. The film is number 50 on the Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies", number 88 on The American Film Institute's (AFI) " AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions" list of the 100 greatest film love stories, and 46 in Channel 4's 50 Greatest Comedy Films list. The film also won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

In 2016, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

Plot

A grandfather reads a novel to his sick grandson, who initially dismisses the story.

The tale is about Buttercup, a young woman living on a farm in the fictional kingdom of Florin. Whenever she tells farmhand Westley to do something, he always complies, saying, "As you wish." The two fall in love, and Westley leaves to seek his fortune overseas so they can marry. When his ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, Westley is presumed dead.

Five years later, Buttercup is forcibly betrothed to Florin's Prince Humperdinck. Before the wedding, she is kidnapped by three outlaws; a small Sicilian man named Vizzini, a giant from Greenland named Fezzik, and a Spanish fencing master named Inigo Montoya, who seeks revenge against a six-fingered man who murdered his father. A masked man in black pursues them, as does Prince Humperdinck and his soldiers.

The man in black confronts the outlaws atop the Cliffs of Insanity. He defeats Inigo in a fencing duel and knocks him out, chokes Fezzik into unconsciousness, and tricks Vizzini into drinking a deadly poison. He forcibly flees with Buttercup. Buttercup correctly guesses he is the Dread Pirate Roberts, berates him for killing Westley, and shoves him into a gorge. While tumbling down, he shouts, "As you wish!" Realizing it is Westley, she throws herself into the gorge after him, and they are reunited.

As they make their way through the dangerous Fire Swamp to avoid Humperdinck and his men, Westley explains how "Dread Pirate Roberts" is an inherited title that he assumed when the previous Roberts wished to retire. Having found Buttercup, Westley intends to surrender the title to another. Humperdinck captures the pair after they emerge from the Fire Swamp. Buttercup agrees to return with Humperdinck after he promises to release Westley. Humperdinck secretly orders his sadistic vizier, Count Rugen, to take Westley to his torture chamber, the Pit of Despair. Before being knocked out, Westley notices that Rugen has six fingers on his right hand.

When Buttercup threatens suicide if the wedding happens, Humperdinck falsely promises to find Westley for her. His real plan is to start a war with the neighboring country of Guilder by killing Buttercup and framing Guilder for it. He had secretly hired Vizzini to do this before Westley interfered. Meanwhile, Fezzik becomes part of the brute squad ordered to clear the thieves' forest before the wedding. He finds a drunk Inigo living in the forest, whom he sobers up and tells him about Rugen. Inigo realizes that he and Fezzik need Westley's help to storm the castle.

Buttercup finds out that Humperdinck never intended to search for Westley and calls him a coward. Enraged, Humperdinck imprisons Buttercup and tortures Westley, seemingly to death. Inigo and Fezzik, who followed Westley's screams through the forest, find his body and bring him to Miracle Max, a folk healer. Max is able to revive the " mostly dead" Westley, though he is severely weakened.

As Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik storm the castle, Humperdinck panics and orders the in-progress wedding ceremony to be shortened. Inigo finds and chases Rugen before Rugen throws a knife into Inigo's abdomen. Rugen realizes who Inigo is and taunts him about his father's death. Inigo overcomes the pain and kills Rugen. Westley locates Buttercup, who believes she is married to Humperdinck and is about to commit suicide. Westley assures her the marriage is invalid because she never completed her wedding vows. Humperdinck finds them, and challenges Westley to a duel, but Westley wills himself to stand and intimidates the prince into surrendering just before Inigo finds them. They hear Fezzik's voice outside and discover he has procured four white horses for their escape. They leave Humperdinck tied to a chair and jump to safety through the window. Having killed Rugen, Inigo is unsure what to do with his life now. Westley offers him the Dread Pirate Roberts title. As dawn arises, Westley and Buttercup share a passionate kiss.

Back in his bedroom, the boy eagerly asks his grandfather to read him the story again the next day, to which his grandfather replies, "As you wish.”

Cast

Framing story

* Fred Savage as The Grandson
* Peter Falk as Grandpa/The Narrator
* Betsy Brantley as The Mother

Main story

* Cary Elwes as Westley/ Dread Pirate Roberts/The Man in Black
* Robin Wright as Buttercup/The Princess Bride
* Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya
* Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdinck
* Christopher Guest as Count Tyrone Rugen
* Wallace Shawn as Vizzini
* André the Giant as Fezzik
* Peter Cook as The Impressive Clergyman
* Mel Smith as The Albino
* Carol Kane as Valerie, Max's wife
* Billy Crystal as Miracle Max
* Margery Mason as The Ancient Booer
* Malcolm Storry as Yellin
* Wi