Tag: film

by: Brenda G. Smith

During the infamous “COVID” shutdown, confined to our homes, many books, movies, and TV series were consumed. My favorite movie, The Princess Bride, was my go-to. With both hands and feet, I cannot count the number of times I have watched The Princess Bride. It is a timeless classic that has held up with the warmth and coziness that envelops you even as Fred Savage is enveloped in his blanket, waiting for Peter Falk to read his story. This story has become iconic for its characters and its movie quotes. As an example, my husband and I were asked to officiate a wedding, and the bride wanted The Princess Bride’s marriage speech recited during the ceremony.

The Princess Bride movie was adapted from a 1973 novel written by William Goldman. In the opening scene, you see a young boy, played by Fred Savage, home from school and playing video games. His grandfather comes into his room to keep him company for the day. In his hand is a book that he would like to read to his grandson, who rolls his eyes at the idea.

The grandfather is persistent and reads the story of a farmhand named Westley. Westley works on the farm where the beautiful Buttercup lives with her family in the fictional kingdom of Florin. Whenever Buttercup tells the farmhand Westley to do something, he always obliges with an “As you wish.” The two eventually fall in love. Westley aspires to do more than just be a farmhand for Buttercup and leaves to make his fortune on the sea. The Dread Pirate Roberts attacked his ship. Westley is presumed dead, leaving Buttercup devastated.

Through a series of events, Buttercup has been forced into an arranged marriage with Florin’s Prince Humperdinck, but she is still in love with “her Westley.” Before the wedding can take place, three outlaws, Vizzini, Fezzik and Inigo Montoya kidnap Buttercup. However, an unknown masked man in black follows them.

The man in black confronts the outlaws and, one by one, he defeats the three. He flees with Buttercup, and she assumes he is the Dread Pirate Roberts. Buttercup’s anger at the Dread Pirate Roberts ignites as she believes he is responsible for “her Westley’s” death. The two tussle and she pushes him down into a gorge. As he rolls down, he shouts, “As You Wish!” Buttercup recognizes Westley, and follows him. They are reunited for a short time before Prince Humperdinck recaptures Buttercup and throws Westley into the Pit of Despair.

Through events, Westley is reacquainted with Fezzik and Inigo Montoya. They set out to rescue his true love Buttercup, from the evil Prince Humperdinck.

Woven into the narrative are the conversations between the grandfather and grandson. The grandson was taken by the story and the events sparked his imagination. At the end of the movie, the boy eagerly asks his grandfather to read the story again the next day. The grandfather responds with “As you wish.” (The Princess Bride (film), n.d.)

The Princess Bride, released in the fall of 1987, is an old yet modern-day fairy-tale brimming with action, romance, and comedy told through a sweet relationship between a grandfather and grandson. This story told through the medium of film captured my heart and imagination as the grandfather sat down to engage the grandson in a story. This struck a personal memory in my childhood as it reminded me of my grandparent watching over me when I was sick. I would hear stories of my grandparents coming to Canada and making their way to Alberta. In its own way, my grandparent’s story had action, some comedy, and a bit of romance.

In listening to the TED Talk – Why Storytelling is so Powerful in the Digital Era by Ashley Fell, she states that “a good story has a character that you can identify with.” I could identify with the young boy at home from school listening to a story told to him by his grandparent. The story piqued my interest from the very start, as the grandfather was very strategic in arousing the grandson’s interest in the story. I wanted, like the grandson, to see what the story was about. I wanted to keep watching. The story carried the premise of good over evil. Would the underdog Westley triumph over the evil Prince Humperdinck and how would that happen? As the movie played out and jumped from the story in action to the story being told by the grandfather, or rather the grandfather stating that the “story may be too much” and the young boy crying out that he wanted to hear more. It involved me as the viewer, and I wanted to continue to the end.

In conclusion, through the inspiration of justice triumphing, Westley, Buttercup, Fezzik, and Inigo Montoya ride off on white horses. Ashley Fell stated in her TED Talk, the story did not just connect with the eyes of my brain but it fully connected with the eyes of my heart.