After watching 1987’s The Princess Bride again after several years, it’s hard to believe William Goldman’s (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men) brilliant script took so many years to make it to movie screens. Originally written in 1972 to entertain his children, the script went through development hell before director Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me) optioned the screenplay. Though Reiner deserves credit for his contributions to the success of the film, it is really Goldman’s screenplay that makes The Princess Bride work. At once trite, romantic and minimalistic, Bride opens with Peter Falk and Fred Savage as grandfather and grandson, respectively with the former reading The Princess Bride to his sick grandson.
The main narrative, which evolves as the grandfather reads it, takes places in the magical land of Florin and tells the story of the true love between peasant girl Butercup (Robin Wright, in her film debut) and stablehand Westley (Cary Elwes). After declaring their unending affection for each other, they are separated, and Westley is reported dead. Buttercup, cold-hearted and stone-faced after her loss, is chosen by the crown prince, Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), to be his bride. Humperdinck’s motives, however, are far from pure. He intends to arrange for Buttercup’s abduction, frame rival country Guilder for her murder and start a war with the backing of the common people, who adore their princess-to-be. To this end, he hires three rogues to capture Buttercup: the wily Sicilian Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), who fancies himself to be the smartest man in the world and has a fondness for the word “inconceivable;” the giant Fezzik (Andre the Giant), who is dumb, kind-hearted, and humongous; and the swordsman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Pantankin), who is scouring the world in search of the six-fingered man who killed his beloved father.
The threesome manages to kidnap Buttercup while she’s out riding and quickly escape with her via boat. Hot on their trail is the ship of the Dread Pirate Roberts (a.k.a. The Man in Black). He pursues them to the Cliffs of Insanity, where he engages in a duel of steel with Inigo, a wrestling match with Fezzik, and a match of wits with Vizzini to win Buttercup. Once she is in his custody, he reveals himself to be Westley. Fleeing Humperdinck and his lackey, Count Rugen (Christopher Guest), Buttercup and Westley enter the dreaded Fire Swamp, where they face several dangers. Once they get out, there’s still Humperdinck to deal with. Fortunately, Westley and Buttercup have some new allies; Fezzik and Inigo and they also have the help of a wizened old dwarf named Miracle Max (Billy Crystal), who has no love for Humperdinck or Rugen.
Aside from William Goldman’s brilliant script, the acting is wonderful. Robert Wright seems like the perfect choice to play Buttercup. Though she was born and bred in California, Wright affects a lilting British accent that effectively captures the feelings of a love struck princess. Elwes is perfect as the dashing Westley, and he plays him to a tee, with the matinee confidence of a young Errol Flynn. As Inigo, Patinkin tosses his heavy Spanish accent around convincingly. Shawn’s Vizzini almost steals the film with some of the best lines, and his battle of wits sequence with the dread pirate Roberts is a piece of timeless comedy. The rest of the key players (Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Andre The Giant, Billy Crystal) all carry their weight solidly, as well.
Though The Princess Bride was only a moderate box office success upon its initial release in 1987, it’s wonderful that a film of this caliber has got a second life on VHS, DVD and now Blu-ray. William Goldman, Rob Reiner and everyone involved in the project have created a wonderful fantasy that will continue to entertain generations of filmgoers.
The Princess Bride debuts on Blu-ray with a fine 1080p transfer framed inside its native 1.85:1-window. This Blu-ray transfer offers a nice, noticeable improvement over the DVD. The image is consistently strong, sharp, and clear, with well-defined textures and many eye-catching details. The image remains stable in exhibiting fine clarity in both the foreground and background of most every frame. Particularly impressive are the richly-adorned fabrics worn by the actors. Each reveals all of the stitches and adornments nicely, and the varied colors of each, from more earthy tones to vivid reds and purples, sparkle. A layer of grain over the entirety of the image adds a good cinematic feel to the transfer. Although a few speckles and pops creep up from time to time over the print, this remains a strong, eye-catching and generally first-rate Blu-ray . This is a fabulous transfer from MGM.
The Princess Bride features a solid DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The surround speakers work to strong effect through parts of the film; the “eel” sequence in chapter five features the shrieking creatures swimming and screaming around the soundstage as the music swells to a pitch. Elsewhere in the film, wind swirls about, enveloping the listener and practically placing a chill in the room. Bass rumbles here and there, the “fire swamp” sequence in chapter eleven a fine example of the generally subtle yet highly effective lows that come into play several times throughout the film. However, the front three speakers handle much of the track to fine effect. Music plays clearly and accurately across the front, and dialogue is delivered crisply and accurately through the center channel.
The Princess Bride has an impressive slate of special features:
• Audio Commentaries – The first is with Director Rob Reiner; this track is interesting in its information but somewhat dull in its delivery. Reiner shares plenty of fascinating tidbits about both the movie and the people and things around it, including the original book on which it is based and a run-in with John Gotti and one of his henchman. The second track features William Goldman, screenwriter of the film. This track features plenty of fun and interesting information amongst some moments of silence. The writer discusses behind-the-scenes anecdotes, some lines he would have written differently, the casting and more.
• The Art of Fencing (480p, 7:07) features Sword Master Robert Goodwin and others discussing the art of the sword fight, the craftsmanship of the swords, the purposes, styles, and honor of the duel, and the importance of good training.
• As You Wish: The Story of The Princess Bride (480p, 27:17) features cast and crew recounting the story, its themes, varied styles, the history behind the book and the production, the sets and locations, and more.
• Cary Elwes Video Diary (480p, 3:55) features behind-the-scenes video footage and stories from the set, narrated by Elwes and Robin Wright.
• The Dread Pirate Roberts: Greatest Pirate of the Seven Seas (480p, 11:43) is a lighthearted piece with a comic edge that looks at attempts to discover the real-life basis for the Dread Pirate Roberts character.
• Fairytales and Folklore (480p, 9:16) features the cast, crew, and others looking back at what makes the movie work and why the Fairy Tale remains a staple of literature.
• Love is Like a Storybook (480p, 16:43) is another piece that looks at the history of Fairy Tales and how all of the genre’s motifs come together in The Princess Bride.
• Miraculous Make-Up (480p, 11:22) examines the film’s prosthetics.
• Princess Bride: The Untold Tales (480p, 9:06) looks at the film’s lasting legacy, the making of some sequences, the inspired casting and more.
• Theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:19).
• Disc two offers both a DVD version of the film and several supplements, three of which — Princess Bride: The Untold Stories, The Art of Fencing, and Fairytales and Folklore — also appear on disc one. The only unique extra here is a game entitled True Love and High Adventure: The Official Princess Bride Game. Players must complete a series of rhymes by choosing the right answer from a series of three, punch eels, and steer a ship to collect gems and save the princess.
