And the fight scenes are amazingly well done.
They really were amazing. I watched one of the featurettes on the DVD and they said that both Elwes and Patinkin trained extensively with both their right and left hands in order to pull it off. I thought the Inigo/Man in Black swordfight was just phenomenal.
I love this film! The book is great; I think the movie is one of the best book-to-film adaptations I’ve seen, if not the best overall.
When you read the book, you are told that William Goldman had been that little boy in the bed, and his grandfather had been the one to read the story to him. He grows up, has his own children, manages to find them a copy of that old book, and gives it to them, but finds out to his dismay that they really didn’t like it. He flips through it, only to discover that it wasn’t quite the same tale he’d been told - his grandfather had cut out a ton of old political references and other boring historical stuff, and basically told him a “good parts” version. His book version of the Princess Bride is intended to be the same abridged “good parts” story that he’d been told. It elaborates on the backstories of a number of the characters, and really fleshes them out. It’s extremely clever.
I hate to be pedantic (OK, who am I kidding…no I don’t! :D) but those would be the Shrieking Eels.
“There is one thing you should know…”
“What?”
“I’m not left-handed either!”
Inigo: You seem a decent man. (Gives him an ‘I mean business’ look, lowering his sword.) I hate to kill you.
Man in black: You seem a decent man. (Quarter grin.) I hate to die!
Yes, they both are wonderful. The movie is as great as it is because Goldman also wrote the screenplay (and has written other movies such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).
And, since I can’t enter a thread like this without a quote:
Iocaine! I’d bet my life on it!
Inigo Montoya - I donna suppose you coulda speed things up?
Westley - If you’re in such a hurry, you could lower a rope or a tree branch or find something useful to do.
Inigo Montoya - I could do that. I have some rope up here, but I do not think you would accept my help, since I am only only waiting around to kill you.
Westley - That does put a damper on our relationship.
The book is amazing. I like the movie well enough, but it pales in comparison to the book. (The movie, of course, has a better soundtrack.)
Ndnd: And what is this emotion you humans call “wuv?”
Lrrr: Surely it says “love.”
Ndnd: No, “wuv.” With an earth “w.” Behold!
Lrrr: This concept of “wuv” confuses and infuriates us.
(From Futurama, also heavily referenced on this board.)
Reading a screenwriting book by Goldman, he talks about how “The Princess Bride” comes about. He basically spun it out of thin air, as a long serial, bedtime story for his daughters. His wife tells him to write it down. He apparently doesn’t, confident that he can recall most of it on demand. He gets around to writing the book, he cant remember some of the great parts. He writes the book, but knows that there was great material the he just forgot.
So as great as the story is, his original story was even better. Tragic, just tragic
Also, I love the fact that on Amazon, there are constantly comments about where they can find Morganstern’s “unabridged” version. LOL
If I’m not mistaken, the fight coordinator was the same one for the Lord of the Rings movies (as well as many old swashbuckling movies from the era of Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn).
Miracle Max: Bye bye boys, have fun storming the Castle.
A line I’ve managed to use more than few time in real life.
No good. I’ve known too many Spaniards.
No one’s mentioned the best quote from the movie:
Fred Savage: See? Didn’t I tell you she’d never marry that rotten Humperdink?
Peter Falk: Yes, you’re very smart. Shut up.
I actually read the book (three times in a weekend!) before seeing the movie, and was a little disappointed by the latter. I didn’t like how many jokes they left out, e.g., the swordfight in the book was longer and funnier than the one in the movie. Granted, it’s a sub-two-hour movie, but it wasn’t quite as satisfying to me. It’s been a while; I should watch it again.
Keep in mind that all the “autobiographical” bits in the novel are every bit as fictional as the bits with swordfights, giants, and noisome eels.
Inigo: “You seem a good fellow. I hate to kill you.”
Wesley: “You seem a good fellow. I hate to die.”
Yup. I was trying to be subtle in my phrasing, as was fun to read the book and believe him for a bit, only to get more and more dubious and then enjoy the joke. And yet I still found myself wanting to believe parts, especially about the “sequel”…
My absolute favorite scene/lines in the book (actually, one of my absolute favorite scenes in all of fiction) didn’t make the transition to the movie, so I will attempt to recreate it here from memory:
Inigo has been training with his father’s friend, after his father was murdered. Finally he is set to put on an exhibition for his father’s friend, and for hours he whirls, lunges, parries and executes various and sundry fencing maneuvers in a courtyard while his father’s friend calls out various scenarios, attacks and defenses. Finally, Inigo stands, sweaty and panting, before the man.
His father’s friend starts talking about a swordsman rank above Master – Wizard. He talks about seeing a demonstration by the Corsican Wizard (whose name escapes me). He says that man was the greatest swordsman he has ever seen. And then he says:
“You would never have beaten the Wizard.” Inigo slumps in resignation. And then: “But I tell you this: He would have never beaten you.”
Inigo thinks for a moment. “I am ready, then.”
“I would not want to be the six-fingered man,” is the reply.
Man. That is just a wonderful, wonderful scene.