The Princess Bride

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. (2013-05-12)

This fairy tale didn't really captivate me in any significant way. It's a comedy + fairy tale + fantasy mix, which is quite normal for America. It moves along at a good pace, has interesting characters, and Robin Wright is beautiful, but overall, it didn't quite grab me. It definitely isn't an equivalent to Czech fairy tales for me. It's different, it has a different poetic quality, and it didn't stir any strong emotions in me, at least not in terms of moving me deeply. (2014-01-15)

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. (2023-09-22)

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. (2011-12-02)

Probably one of the best fantasy tales I've seen. Perhaps only Stardust has similarly resonated with me, and it too wasn't afraid to take a slightly different path in its film adaptation than mainstream audiences would expect. The Princess Bride stands out above all for its great characters, who (thank goodness!) are not one-dimensional or cookie-cutter, with very few exceptions. In fact, thanks to their imperfections and flaws, they are much closer to real characters, which often results in unexpectedly funny and touching moments. It's really a very nice fairy tale. [85%] (2022-08-21)