INCONCEIVABLE!

5 Fun Facts About The Princess Bride

1. Andre the Giant (plays Fezzik) had undergone back surgery before shooting this movie. In all of the scenes where he's carrying a person, they are actually being supported by a series of ramps and pulleys.

2. The giant rodents in the Fire Swamp were actually little people in costumes.

3. When Buttercup roll down the hill after Westley, it's actually a male stunt double rolling down the hill. The hill was really that steep.

4. All of the fencing scenes between Inigo Montoya and Westley were the real actors. They studied fencing for months to prepare for it.

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both considered to play the role of Fezzik.



The Princess Bride is truly one of my favorite films of all time. It has a very complex and witty script, balanced by a relatively simple idea and plot. For example, although the movie is simply about a kidnapped princess trying to be saved by her true love, the writers worked in jokes like "MLT: mutton, lettuce, and tomato", keeping the movie light in an otherwise very dramatic storyline.

What I don't like about the film is that it's very male dominated. There are only three women in the film that have lines, and two of them are old hags. There isn't a single conversation between two women in the entire movie. All Buttercup does is get kidnapped; she doesn't have any skills besides looking pretty, and when put into a dire situation, she sits and pouts, waiting for men to do everything for her. The most drastic thing she does is threaten suicide, and even then, it's not very effective, since they want her dead anyway.

For example, when Buttercup and Westley are in the Fire Swamp and Westley is being attacked by the Rodent of Unusual Size. I was sitting and waiting for her to run around them, grab Westley's sword, and slay the beast, but no, she just stood there, wondering how he'll get himself out of this. When she finally does do something proactive for the conflict, picking up the stick, she sits there and pokes the rat. POKES IT. How could you possibly think that would be effective? One good swing at the thing and it's down for the count, and she decides to poke it. Really? Be effective. Stand up for yourself. Come on.