I loved it when I was a girl, and I could still remember what it was that I loved when I re-watched it now. It was romantic, it was funny... the only scenes I never liked were when he was aggressive towards her and when they rolled down the hill, but everything else I liked.
I liked that this was all a story that a grandpa was reading to his ill grandkid, and that from time to time they would interrupt the story with comments. I loved that.
The special effects were not great even then, I remember, and yet I didn’t care then as I didn’t care now. It’s a story read from a book, it’s like a fairytale, so who cares if the special effects are not great, they don’t pretend to be. Just think that this is how the kid imagines it :-)
The protagonists Buttercup and Westley were very very pretty, and their love conquered all, a thing that always impresses a girl. The fact that he always said to her “as you wish” when she ordered him around, since he was her farm boy, was romantic because they were so beautiful.
Right at the beginning they tell us that Westley leaves in search of fortune, and doesn’t come back and is believed to have been murdered by a famous pirate. Buttercup is devastated. After five years she is presented as the new princess, the one prince Humperdinck has chosen as his wife-to-be. During a ride she’s abducted by three men, hired apparently to start a war. They want to make it look like a neighbour Country kidnapped and killed her, but while Vizzini thinks it a great idea, the other two don’t like the idea of killing an innocent girl. Fezzik is a gentle giant, strong and good, and Iñigo Montoya is a honorable man seeking vengeance against the man, with six fingers on his right hand, that killed his father.
They notice that someone is following them, and try to stop him. This man in black is undoubtedly Westley, we aren’t fooled by the mask. Montoya is the first to confront him, and in order to do so he first helps him get to him safely, lets him rest so to have a fair fight and then they go at it, and Westley wins but of course doesn’t kill him in cold blood, simply knocks him out. The second obstacle is Fezzik, and again despite Vizzini’s suggestion that he should hide and then throw a big rock on his head, Fezzik too chooses an honourable confrontation, missing the first shot on purpose to alert him of his presence, and then challenges him to a hand-to-hand combat. Fezzik is stronger no doubt, but the man in black is resilient and obstinate and eventually wins, holding Fezzik strongly by the neck until he falls unconscious. After that he meets Vizzini who is so cocky about being the most intelligent man that Westley challenges him to a duel of wit, and asks him to choose one of two glasses where he might have put a poison. He thinks he got it, but he didn’t because Westley grew immunity to that specific poison and therefore he could put it in both glasses and drink it without consequences.
Now alone with Buttercup, he seems bitter and he speaks rather annoyingly of “women” and their falsity in love, and even if this bit annoyed me even when I was but a girl, it annoyed me much more now that I know how many man do this: if one love story doesn’t go well it doesn’t mean that all women are bad or false, but it's certainly easier to think that than to admit that the story has ended because of any other reason, being that his fault or her falling for someone else. Surely nobody can be better than them, and no good honest girl would leave them for someone else!
Back to our story, when he said that she should have waited for her love to come back instead of marrying someone else I was always angry because: 1°- five years without a word had passed; 2°-what she should have done, kill herself? that’s what he wanted the person he loved to do? die?; and 3°-she thought he was dead! there was nobody to wait for!
Anyway, he reveals himself to her and they kiss and try to escape together from prince Humperdinck and his party searching for her. They go thru a dangerous forest where he saves her from geysers and quicksands and “rodents of unusual size”, but then they are surrounded by the prince’s men and fearing for Westley’s life Buttercup surrenders to him after making him promise that Westley won’t he harmed, that he will be returned safely to his ship (since he has now assumed the identity of the famous, dangerous pirate that was supposed to have killed him).
Buttercup goes back with him to his castle, but tells him frankly that she will never love him and if forced to marry him she will kill herself. Humperdinck promises her that he will send a message to Westley to come and get her if he still wants her, but of course he does nothing of the sort. He had Westley brought to the “Pit of despair” where his man Count Rugen - the man with six fingers - tortures people. Now enraged after her words, he goes there and kills Westley.
The prince orders his soldiers to free the forests of all the thieves; Iñigo is there too and fights back, with the help of Fezzik who tells him about Rugen. Montoya thinks that their only chance of success relies on ensuring the help of the man in black, but when they find Westley he’s dead. They take his body and bring it to Miracle Max, hoping he can work a miracle and revive him. Fortunately Westley is only “mostly dead”, and Max gives them something that will revive him, although he will need some time before his strength comes back to him. They plan their assault of the castle: Montoya confronts Rugen, is badly hurt but his favourite mantra “my name is Iñigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die” gives him the strength to go on and kill the guy. Buttercup wants to kill herself believing that she is now married to Humperdinck, but Westley has found her and stops her and tells her that the marriage is not valid since she never said ‘I do’, the prince was in such a hurry that she didn’t say anything at all. Westley outwits the prince into surrendering. Joined by Montoya, they escape with the four horses provided by Fezzik. Montoya doesn’t know what to do with his life now that his vengeance has been complete, and Westley suggests him taking his place as the famous Pirate. The story ends with Westley and Buttercup sharing a passionate kiss, while the movie ends with the grandpa finishing the book and preparing to leave. The kid enjoyed it so much - although being a boy he thinks he can’t show it - so he asks his grandfather to visit him again the next day and maybe read him another story, and the grandpa replies, before leaving: “as you wish”, and we know that means “I love you”, and he does.
The film was not only romantic, it was funny too, light and adorable, there were many funny moments: when Westley and Fezzik put down their weapon in order to ‘kill themselves like civilized people’, when Westley and Montoya set talking amiably to each other before getting to their feet and start they fight-to-the-death, and many many more. Even Humperdinck was funny.
The ending was lovely, much more than it would be had it ended with the kiss, much much more.
Seeing it now it’s a little annoying how helpless the girl is, but it’s a different time, a different world.
Buttercup-Robin Wright, always liked her
Westley- Cary Elwes
Grandpa-Peter Falk, adorable here
Montoya-Mandy Patinkin, I would have never recognized him without seeing his name on the credits!
Fezzik-Andre the giant
Humperdinck-Chris Sarandon
Rugen-Christopher Guest
Grandson-Fred Savage, so sweet
Vizzini-Wallace Shawn
the priest who performed the wedding-Peter Cook
Miracle Max-Billy Crystal
ITA la storia fantastica
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