The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a 1987 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner and starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, and Robin Wright. Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel, it tells the story of a swashbuckling farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. The film preserves the novel's metafictional narrative style by presenting the story as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson. The film was first released in the United States on September 25, 1987, and was well received by critics at the time. After only having modest initial box-office success, it has over time become a cult film and gained recognition as one of the best films of the 1980s as well as one of Reiner's best works. The film is number 50 on the Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies", number 88 on The American Film Institute's (AFI) "AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions" list of the 100 greatest film love stories, and 46 in Channel 4's 50 Greatest Comedy Films list. The film also won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. In 2016, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
Why is that, do you think? Well, I haven't fought just one person... for so long. Been specializing in groups, battling gangs for local charities. That kind of thing. Why should that make such a... difference? Well, you see, you use different moves when you're fighting... half a dozen... people... than when you only... have to be worried... about one.
The Princess Bride
All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink and find out who is right and who is dead. But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I'm not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool. You would've counted on it. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. - You've made your decision then? - Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows. And Australia is entirely peopled with criminals. And criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. Truly you have a dizzying intellect. Wait till I get going! - Where was I? - Australia. Yes. Australia. And you must have suspected I would've known the powder's origin. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. - You're just stalling now. - You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong. So you could've put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must've studied. And in studying, you must've learned that man is mortal. So you would've put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work. It has worked! You've given everything away! I know where the poison is! - Then make your choice. - I will, and I choose... What in the world can that be? What? Where? I don't see anything. Well, I-I could've sworn I saw something. No matter. Hmm. - What's so funny? - I-I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours. - You guessed wrong. - You only think I guessed wrong. That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! - Who are you? - I am no one to be trifled with. That is all you ever need know. To think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned. They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder.
The Princess Bride
I was giving you a chance. It does not matter where you take me. There's no greater hunter than Prince Humperdinck. He can track a falcon on a cloudy day. He can find you. - You think your dearest love will save you? - I never said he was my dearest love. And yes, he will save me. That I know.
The Princess Bride