Princess Bride

Les fans des séries Homeland et House of Cards dégusteront ce film avec la pensée que la princesse est en réalité la présidente des États-Unis et que l'escrimeur espagnol est Saul, témoignage incroyable et invraisemblable de l’inexorable empreinte du temps. :-) Cary Elwes restera à jamais gravé dans ma mémoire comme quelqu'un qui joue dans des presque-parodies de contes de fées. Princess Bride ravira toutes les tranches d'âge, même si les plus jeunes auront éventuellement besoin de quelques explications supplémentaires, comme ce fût le cas avec moi. Je n'avais jamais entendu parler de ce film et je suis ravi qu'HBO MAX l'ait inclus dans sa filmothèque. (15/01/2023)

Well... I mean... I have to say that compared to the book, The Princess Bride disappointed me. The plot is more or less identical and the dialogue and all the "catchphrases" are the same (Goldman wrote the script himself, so it's not surprising), but somehow I missed the magic that made me read on and on, the funny narrative language, the fiction with the non-existent Morgenstern... And what's worse - most of the things I laughed at in the book, I didn't find funny here at all. Partly it was Cary Elwes, partly it was Knopfler's really ugly music and the cheap-looking production design in general (yes, I know that was probably the intention)... In the end, it amounts to about three stars. If I hadn't read the book, I might add. (02/12/2011)

The Princess Bride is indisputably enchanting, but it is also treacherous because of that. On the one hand, it’s true that the film’s charm is derived from how it leans into fairy-tale clichés with levity, exaggeration and self-irony. However, its approach to the basic elements of the genre is not revisionist in any case. All of the light-heartedness and self-reflection only conceal a reinforcing of the traditionalist core of classic fairy tales. Despite the fact that the title highlights the main female character, she isn’t in the position of a heroine, instead serving only as an object without her own will. Whereas all of the other characters defy the standard formulas or at least ridicule them, the titular princess is passive in the Disney way and utterly lacks any personality beyond her own beauty. Each of the positive male characters –- Westley, Inigo Montoya and even Fezzik – is defined by his faith in himself and his own abilities, and can use his cleverness and physical skills to defeat more cowardly and less capable opponents. Of course, the princess also has her own indomitable faith, but it is unfortunately only her faith that her beloved will come for her; and when she stops believing at the beginning, she soon gets an earful from her darling. As a result, The Princess Bride remains a work that should be an ideal fairy tale for young boys, as it carries them across the threshold of immaturity and reveals to them the attraction of kissing girls. Fortunately for others who want a truly modern fairy tale that abounds with charm and reflects the clichés of the genre, particularly those connected with female characters, there is Gaiman’s excellent Stardust and its great film adaptation. (11/05/2013)

Leaving aside Disney’s animated movies, The Princess Bride must be the most fairytale American fairytale, and this is despite the fact that the script is often ironically subversive and communicates with the viewer to explicitly defend some of the clichés. It’s a shame that at times it’s spoilt by the routine TV look, because Reiner is not afraid to come up with bold ideas (the switch of the main character, the unexpected change in settings and atmosphere) and the narration flows along smoothly. Also, Robin Wright looks great, Mandy Patinkin creates one of the best fairytale characters ever – his search for revenge is perfectly portrayed and supported by a monologue with deserved cult status. A very nice movie. (27/12/2019)

A wonderfully whimsical fantasy tale. The humor feels like something straight out of Terry Pratchett’s books, though surprisingly, he wasn’t involved. It’s fascinating how, in the 80s, someone crafted such a delightful fantasy with warm, quirky humor. There’s truly nothing else like it. Plus, that 80s vibe just makes it all the more charming. (22/09/2023)