The Princess Bride, a 1987 fantasy film directed by Rob Reiner, is well known by many, as it elicits a wide variety of reactions, some of which are negative. The film is about a young, beautiful woman named Buttercup, who lives on a farm in a fictional world. The farmhand is named Westley, and he has fallen in love with Buttercup, but she is not yet aware of it. To show his love, he does anything she asks and always answers with “as you wish.” He eventually leaves to make enough money so that he can one day have a chance of marrying her. He finds work on a ship, but it is eventually attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who, as it turns out, is not a real person. That is, he was a real person that has already retired and has passed the name and reputation to the next captain. Westley assumes the persona and makes his fortune. However, he receives word that Buttercup is going to marry Prince Humperdinck against her will, and he returns to save her. Through a long series of adventures involving numerous other heroes, Westley defeats Humperdinck and saves Buttercup.
This movie brings up a lot of different emotions. First, it is meant to be funny as it is an exaggerated love story. That is, the characters are all stereotypes, the dialogue is a bit cheesy, and the plot is ridiculous. A few of the scenes are over the top in terms of romance or terms of suspense. For example, the scene where one of the villains poisons the cups to trick Westley into drinking poison could never be part of a normal film. However, it fits right in with this movie. Moreover, the film is extremely fun to watch, as it is suspenseful and promotes positive values. That is, the film is packed with a lot of action, such as when the characters go into the woods with large rodents and explosive quicksand. This is nonstop action, even to the point of it being rather ridiculous. As far as promoting positive values go, the main characters display loyalty, honor, and love for each other. The whole movie is driven by these values, as Westley is devoted to Buttercup. The other minor characters also demonstrate these values when they help Westley in his quest.
Furthermore, this film could be interpreted as a political commentary, as it demonstrates a class struggle. That is, the royal upper class is exploiting the lower class because they force them to work the farms and because the prince kidnapped Buttercup. The upper class has enough power to steal commoners from the countryside, and the prince was planning on killing Buttercup to start a war with a neighboring country. This demonstrates that the upper class uses the working-class people for their benefit, with little regard for their welfare. Throughout history, this has also been true, including today. In the modern-day United States, income equality continues to rise, removing more and more power from the lower classes. This, however, results in the lower-class citizens being more at risk of being exploited. However, in the film, the lower class rise against the upper classes, in that Westley and the other minor characters defeat the prince and his army. Of course, this is symbolic of the revolutions that have happened numerous times throughout history and which will certainly happen again in the future. Perhaps, this film is predicting what might happen in the US in the future if income inequality continues to get worse