True Love of Wesley and Buttercup

"As you wish," Wesley uttered obligingly whenever Buttercup bossed him around her farm.

Little that she knew, those words carried a deeper meaning, a clever play-on-words used by Wesley to declare his feelings - an allusion to 'I love you' - to his fair maiden.

Three simple words which at first sounded emphatic, gradually earned a lilting quality to them as Buttercup finally returned Wesley's affection.



Full of romance, adventure, fairy tale tropes and a great dose of comedy, 'The Princess Bride' is one of my favourite movies of all time. The movie by Rob Reiner, which came out in 1987 to lukewarm response at the box office, was based on a book of the same name by author, Wiliam Goldman. Published in 1973, the long title of the book is The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's classic take of True Love and High Adventure, owing to Goldman's claim that it was first written by Simon Morgenstern. In actuality, S. Morgenstern is both a pseudonym and a narrative device invented by Goldman to add another layer to The Princess Bride.

When the movie was later released on video, it became a cult classic due largely to word-of-mouth communication. In fact, Internet Movie Database (IMDb) rated it as the 8th most popular 80's movie and Bravo ranks it number 50 in its "100 Funniest Movies" list.

What I love about The Princess Bride is the refreshing mix of fun, action, love and wit that makes it an enjoyable view time and time again. The wonderful script - also written by William Goldman - adds to its allure and the phenomenal line-up of great actors enchants an audience from all walks of life.

Filmed entirely against the breathtaking backdrop of England and Ireland, the movie's perfect comedic timing blends well with priceless facial expressions, memorable lines and subdued romantic scenes. Thankfully, the dry humour overtones, coupled with a soothing soundtrack from Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits), work to the movie's advantage, setting it apart from other over-the-top yet schlocky Hollywood fares of same genre. Another great film that employs a similar approach is Ever After, a unique take on the Cinderella story and an impressionable vehicle of Drew Barrymore.



The story unfolds with a Grandfather (Peter Falk) reading to his sick grandson (Fred Savage), one of his favourite books "The Princess Bride." After Wesley and Buttercup declared their love for one another, Wesley left Florin for America to make his fortune so that they could get married. However, Buttercup received words that his ship was attacked by Dread Pirate Roberts and based on Roberts' reputation of never leaving any captives alive, she assumed he was dead. Thoroughly heartbroken, Buttercup vowed never to love again.

A few years had passed and through some form of legal intervention, the lovelorn Buttercup begrudgingly accepted a hand in marriage by Prince Humperdinck, heir to the throne of Florin. Her betrothal to Prince Humperdinck only serves as means to an end in a plot by the Prince himself to kidnap and kill Buttercup!

To do his bidding, the Prince hired a trio led by Vizzini, the so-called genius of the group - to get rid of Buttercup and frame the neighboring country of Guilder for the murder. This would enable him to start a war and accumulate more land.

However, the plan went awry when a masked man defeated the trio, one by one, for he in turn also wanted to kidnap Buttercup. In the ensuing struggle to free herself from the masked man, Buttercup pushed him down a ravine and heard him shout "As you wish!" It's Wesley, she exclaimed with joy.

Thereafter, the two braved the three terrors of the 'Fire Swamp' in their bid to flee the country. Prince Humperdinck however managed to catch up with them and sentenced Wesley to his torturous death.

The rest of the story focuses on Wesley's unmistakable resolve - in his 'mostly dead state' - to save his mistress from her planned assasination with the help of some funny and whimsical characters. Like any predictable fairy tales, this movie has a happy ending. The story's impeccable plot and, convincing twists and turns have you rooting for the lovers. Back in college, I even naively wished that one day I'd find such a 'picture' perfect ending. As Wesley put it, "Death cannot stop true love; all it can do is delay it for a while".

Yet, for that particular moment, I was more than contented living vicariously through Buttercup and Wesley's Ruritanian romance. ;-)

The Princess Bride is a wondrous, timeless gift of a movie that must be disseminated to and enjoyed by the masses! Go and pick up a copy now. Else, rent one or wait for a movie re-run on your cable channel! ;-)