So, it's The Princess Bride's 30th Anniversary. It is my favourite film, and I today I wondered why that was. Obviously, there's lots of great bits, great lines, great performances. It's clever and funny and exciting and romantic (it's very easy to drop into Peter Falk's description of the story: "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...). But I was thinking of the moment I fell in love with the film and I realised that it was that moment, and what it represented, that cemented its place in my heart.
We've set up the premise of the film: the story within the story. There's been the meta teasing of the relationship with audience with the interplay between Grandfather and Grandson. There's been the exposition heavy opening of the tale ("Murdered by pirates is good!") and the plot is underway with the kidnap of the titular Princess by a trio of comical rogues. So far, so good.
A hero appears, inconceivably pursuing the villains across the sea and up the Cliffs of Insanity. One of the trio remains to thwart the pursuer at the summit of the Cliffs while the others escape with the Princess. He is an expert swordsman so he wishes to duel the heroic Man in Black who, even now, is refusing to give up the chase and scaling the sheer rock face without the aid of a rope.
A little more comedy. The swordsman is impatient for the Man in Black to reach the top. Of course, he could easily kill him as he climbs but he wants an honourable fight. The Man in Black has no reason to trust the swordsman's offer to lower a rope - he is waiting to kill him, after all - so tossing out some casual racism he refuses any help.
"I swear on the soul of my father, Domingo Montoya, you will reach the top alive," says Inigo, the swordsman.
The Man in Black matches Inigo's gaze.
"Throw me the rope," he says.
What had been an enjoyable enough film became something else then. This moment of startling sincerity in the middle of the stock storytelling and light irony resonated with me. It still does.
It's a well worn trope, the honourable enemies. It's a useful justification for all sorts of masculine nonsense. But for someone like me, who finds day to day interaction baffling, who is constantly wondering at - and trying to understand - the motivation of everyone he talks to the simple clarity of this exchange strikes a chord. Someone says they'll do something, the other person believes them, the first person does the thing they said they'd do. I have always had a problem with ulterior decorating.
Throughout the film it's that naive belief that doing the right thing is important that gives the story its power. For all the archness and satire that informs the dialogue, the idea of True Love, that there is an ideal to strive for, is never sent up. But it is clear, especially in the book, that it is something that only exists in stories. This is the 'good parts version' after all. But it's the good parts that we're here for.
If you still haven't seen it, it's now on Amazon Video if you're that way inclined. Since this is my first blog in ages I'd better cite it as my Eleventh Film Recommendation - might as well try and pick up where I left off.
Extra topical bonus video: with the NFL in the news at the mo, here's when ESPN's Kick Off programme threw in a ton of Princess Bride references:
More soonliest
