Princess' Bride Q&A

What surprised you most about the end of the movie?
 What surprised me most about this was how "The Machine" basically sucked the life out of somebody, and my jaw dropped once the prince turned "The Machine" to level 50.

What were the parts of The Princess Bride you found suspenseful? Realistic? Humorous? Romantic?
One scene that i found suspenseful in this movie was when Inigo was fighting the 6-fingered man wounded, I already kind of figured who would win the fight but it was still a suspenseful scene to me. A realistic scene in this movie was one of the arguments that the princess and prince had, she knew that Wesley would find her out of true love. A humorous scene would be when Wesley is having the battle of wits, and ends up killing the kidnapper. A romantic scene would be when Wesley is laying in the bed unable to move and the princess finds him.

Do you have any memories of your parents reading to you when you were young? What types of books did you enjoy most? Have you revisited any of your childhood favorites in recent years?
Every Christmas my parents would always read "The Night Before Christmas" to me. The types of books i enjoyed most were informational books, and nonfiction. Over the past recent years i have not read any of my books.

Who in the movie did you most identify with and why?
I most identified as a Inigo since I would not give up until i find my fathers killer, if he were to be murdered in real life.

Is the portrayal of Buttercup misogynistic? Is there a pattern in the way that women are portrayed in The Princess Bride? What are stereotypes about masculinity in The Princess Bride? What are the qualities of good men?
The qualities of good men include being polite, and caring for a girl and staying faithful to her no matter what, and through the thick and thin. Also what i noticed with Buttercup how she also stayed in true love with our main character.

 Think about the role of Fezzik in the movie. Andre the Giant played Fezzik. Andre had a syndrome called acromegaly, This condition is a result of excess growth hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland, and it can result in disfigurement, giganticism, and premature death. Do you think it’s acceptable to use characters such as giants and dwarves in movies and television shows? Should they be defined by their physical appearance onscreen?
I think that using people such as Andre the Giant who had the syndrome named acromegaly is ok for some movies that they would fit in with. But with this movie the characters in the film exploited Fezzik for his size and strength, and they took advantage with it. I think that this isn't really the best idea seeing how this is a syndrome that has premature death involved with it.

What do the characters’ actions say about perseverance? What motivates them? Do you think internal or external motivation is more important in accomplishing goals?
What motivates some of the characters in this film is true love, Buttercup and the main character will not give up on each other due to their true love. Also Inigo has revenge of his motivation to kill the 6 fingered man.

During the marriage scene, the priest has a speech impediment. Did you find this scene humorous? If so, were you comfortable laughing?
For the marriage scene, I did find this scene a bit humorous and i think that was the purpose of having this actor was to have a little comedy in this scene.

Many characters in the movie are the best in the world at something. What is Westley the best at?
Westley is the best at many things, strength, swordsmanship, and much much more.

When we first meet Inigo and Fezzik, they are working with Vizzini to kidnap Buttercup. Later, they become allies of Westley in his efforts to rescue her. What causes Inigo and Fezzik to change . . . or do they really change at all over the course of the novel?
What caused Inigo and Fezzik to change was that they knew what they were doing was wrong, and then they become fond of Westly after getting to know him towards the end of the movie. But in the end of the movie/novel, they don't really change.

When Westley confronts Humperdink, he says that he won’t fight to the death but to the pain. Is it crueler to kill someone or leave them alive in their pain?
I think it is crueler to leave someone close to death and in serious pain, rather than to kill someone.

Discuss the story Westley tells about the Dread Pirate Roberts. How does this tale within the tale influence your interest in Westley? Is he still the same farm boy from the beginning of the book?
I don't think he is still the same farm boy from the beginning of the movie, since he ended up becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts, and he also talks a lot more than what he did while he was a farm boy.

How should The Princess Bride ultimately be categorized: Satire? Adventure? Romance? Fantasy? Is the title ironic? Does it imply a tame love story or a traditional piece of children’s literature?
I think this movie would be a mixture of Romance, Adventure, Comedy, and a hint of fantasy but without all of the dragons and what not. I think this story provides a tame love story rather than a child's book.