Day: August 19, 2019

“in-con-ceivable” – the princess bride, a review

hannah kairuzLeave a comment

The Princess Bride is a story told in true fairy-tale fashion. The film opens on a sick little grandson being read a storybook by his grandfather. And the kingdoms tale of long lost love begins.

It’s a weird poor boy-loves rich maiden love story with a mix of Monty-Python-esque fight scenes. The story basically  follows a masked heroes quest to save the woman he loves. He battles 3 villains, two which turn away from the dark side and join his quest. And then at the end he must fight the Prince who solely  wishes to marry the young maiden just for the flare and drama of it all (also in hopes to start a war with his neighbouring kingdom). PS… he ends up being the bad guy at the end.

The movie was made in the 1980s and it was filmed in both Great Britain and Ireland. Yet the scenes of the Grandson and Grandpa are most likely shot in a studio in Hollywood. If the question is “who is the movie made for?” – I wholeheartedly, cross my heart and hope to die, could not give you a legitimate answer. But I will say the film is, at the same time, made for everyone, yet no one at the same time. It for inner romantic in all of us, pulling at the movies theme that true love is unstoppable. But technically speaking the movie is classified PG and is shelved under the Family/Kid category.

For one to just grasp the basic contextual ideas of the movie they must:

  • have knowledge of fairytales and ye ole times – kingdoms, knights, fair maidens, giants (that kind of thing)
  • know what “inconceivable” means (not capable of being grasped mentally; unbelievable.)
  • be aware that the spaniard’s name is Inigo Montoya, and if you killed his father.. you must prepare to die.

The movie supports the idea of cultural homogenisation, not just because the film is set in a time where royalty reigned, but because the culture of this “rich kingdom” is show to be superior to the poor kingdom, and film even talks and dumbs down one of the only character of “colour”, the spaniard, it paints him to be all braun. But for a film of its kind, like I said – very similar to Monty Pythons tropes – it’s perfect.

It is in no means a mega blockbuster to me but as a “blockbuster” can be described as an evolving system to determine films based on kind of knowledge deemed to be worth of social events (Stringer, J 2003) – to some, namely my sister who has been asking me to watch this film for years, it could be considered a major blockbuster. It one of those films that isnt quite big enough for people to throw a big party over – yet does have quite the cult following.

As this is a movie review – ill have to give it a rating. So as a spaniard, myself ill give the film four dead father out of five. If you’ve got a thick brain and love some dark, stupid, poorsome comedy. This ones for you.

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