Amazon.com Essentials:
Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned
its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently
satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost
purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters,
the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator
and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously,
director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic
fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a
storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces
his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible
melodrama of the title story.
And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his
love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and
reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil
Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a
scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious
masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail
toward the Cliffs of Insanity...
The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and,
above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very
funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and
Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor
and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy
Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous
schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but
funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam
Sutherland
