I have a lot of fond memories involving The Princess Bride. It was the first "grown up" movie my grandma would let me watch back when she was picking me up after school every day. When I was in college, I met my closest friends during a movie night watching The Princess Bride. We then proceeded to watch it nearly every day for a year, and it is still in the lineup for movies we watch when we get together. The Covenant (2006) also continues to make a frequent appearance.
Not bad for a movie was made the year I was born. So what is it about that movie that makes it timeless? I think there's a few factors.
For me, there's two main reasons. One is Inigo Montoya (played by Mandy Patinkin). Inigo is a mercenary on a quest for vengeance, and he is the most sympathetic character in the movie. Westley (played by Cary Elwes) and the central love story combine into the second reason. Seriously, who doesn't love the Dread Pirate Roberts? He's a swashbuckling pirate, a brilliant strategist and, to top it all off, has a heart of gold - believes in true love, remained loyal to one woman during a five-year separation and even came back from the dead just to be with the one he loves (with a little bit of help from Miracle Max, Valerie, Inigo and Fezzik).
Of course that kind of thing doxesn't happen in real life, but that's part of what makes this a timeless film - no matter how old you are, you willingly suspend belief for an hour and a half because the world of swashbucklers, true love, giants and miracles is so attractive. I can't say I'd want to give up the luxuries for modern life forever, but for just a little while? Absolutely.
The special effects hold up, mostly because there aren't many. Digital special effects age fast, and bad effects can be jarring. They age a movie faster than anything else. But the effects in The Princess Bride are mostly mechanichal and physical stunts rather than computer generated. They're always going to look real because they are real. That adds to the film's timeless quality.
As much as I love talking about old movies that's not the entire reason behind this post. I've got a bit of trivia that people don't seem to remember.
The Princess Bride was based on a book by the same name.
This is an example of a book-to-film adaptation done absolutely right.
The book was published in 1973 by William Goldman, who is credited as the screenwriter for the film. And you know what? It's amazing. It's presented as a literary version of a found footage film, with his fictional account of abridging the book from its original version. The chapters are interspersed with his fictional account of deciding to abridge the book, the trials and tribulations of doing it (from creative and legal perspectives) and the eventual publication of the book.
I've loved this movie since I was a kid and it's still one of my favorites. But nobody ever seems to talk about the book, and that's a shame because it's as well done as the movie. Did you ever want to know why Westley left Buttercup to begin with? Did you ever want to know what Buttercup did when he left and how she came to be engaged to Prince Humperdink? How about the backstories for Inigo and Fezzik? It's all in there. All of it.
I like the book's version of Buttercup a little better. She's still a damsel in distress, but she has a more active role in her life. She has a family. Westley worked on her family's farm and they grew up together. You actually get to see the two of them falling in love, more so in Buttercup's case. You get motivations for the characters, which can be difficult to get across in film.
If you haven't seen The Princess Bride, what are you waiting for? You can get it free from your library! And while you're at it, see if you can find a copy of the book. This is the only time I will ever give this piece of advice, but read it after you see the movie.
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