The Princess Bride (1987 shooting script)

After many days and months of neglect, the beatsheet for The Princess Bride is here. It is based off a 1987 shooting script I found at The Daily Script, a website that has a large number of scripts available as HTML and PDF. I converted the HTML version to a PDF, so if anyone wants the PDF, shoot me an email (blog at k-tock dot com) and I can send it on over.

Anyway, the script is a fantastic read. The humour and characterisation of the movie is overwhelmingly evident in the script. It is truly William Goldman’s movie.

We’ll go through the beats in this post, and I’ll do another post where we can have a look at some of the things to notice in Goldman’s script. As always, this post contains spoilers, so if you haven’t seen The Princess Bride, watch it before proceeding.

Opening Image:
We start with a young boy, who Goldman simply calls The Kid. He is at home, sick in bed. His mother tells him that his grandfather is coming over but the Kid is not thrilled at the news. He doesn’t want his grandfather pinching his cheek. The grandfather enters the room and promptly pinches The Kid’s cheek.

The Grandfather has brought a book to read, the same book he used to read to The Kid’s father when he was sick. Once again, The Kid is not overjoyed at the thought of having his grandfather around, even if he will be reading him a story. Grandfather commences reading The Princess Bride, and we are transported into a magical fairy tale.

The opening image of the fairy tale world shows a poor farm boy, Westley, being ordered around by a beautiful young woman named Buttercup. As Buttercup orders him around, all Westley says is, “As you wish.”

Theme Stated:
At the bottom of page 4 Buttercup discovers that when Westley was saying ‘“As you wish,”  what he meant was, “I love you.”’

At the top of page 5 we find out what the movie is about. The grandfather reads that “even more amazing was the day she realised the truly loved him back.”

This is a movie about love, true love.

Set-up:
In the first ten pages or so, Goldman clearly delineates the main characters. He sets up The Kid and the Grandfather, and the nature of their relationship (strained), as well as Buttercup and Westley’s relationship (true love). He also introduces a major complication for Buttercup and Westley – Westley’s apparent death at the hands of the Dread Pirate Roberts. Westley’s death leaves Buttercup empty.

In a clever transition, we are introduced to the main bad guys, Prince Humperdinck and Count Rugen. After Buttercup pledges to herself that she will never love again the story skips ahead five years, to a point where Buttercup is to wed  Prince Humerdinck. But we know that she does not truly love him.

Catalyst:
Following her engagement, the only joy Buttercup finds is in her daily horse ride. However, it is on one of these that she meets up with three dangerous men, Vizzini, Inigo Montoya and the giant Fezzik. They kidnap Buttercup, and flee across the sea on a swift sailing ship.

Debate:
Will Vizzini and his crew get away with their crime? What will become of Buttercup? On page 14 we are introduced to a black ship that quickly closes the gap on the nefarious kidnapper’s own vessel. Buttercup is shown to be a strong character, as she leaps overboard to try and swim to freedom. The screaming eels, however, soon see her back in Vizzini’s clutches.

As Vizzini’s ship sails towards the Cliffs of Insanity, it seems that their pursuer has failed. Fezzik drags himself, as well as Vizzini, Inigo and Buttercup, up a thick rope dangling down the Cliffs of Insanity, a route Vizzini believes will prove impassable to those on-board the black ship.

A masked Man in Black commences climbing the rope, narrowing the distance between them. Vizzini finds it inconceivable that someone besides Fezzik is able to follow this course. Fezzik drags the others to the top. Vizzini orders Inigo to deal with the Man in Black while the rest make their escape.

Break into Two:
The Man in Black begins his fight against those who stand between himself and Buttercup. As he reaches the top of the Cliffs of Insanity, he crosses into Act Two.

B-Story:
On page 25, Inigo and the Man in Black meet. In the description, Goldman writes ‘this is our two heroes meeting. They don’t know it yet; but that’s what it is.’ The A-story is the Man in Black’s quest to rescue Buttercup. The B-story character is Inigo Montoya’s search for a six-fingered man. We get more insight into Inigo’s back story in pages 28 and 29, where we discover that it was a six-fingered man who killed Inigo’s father.

Fun and Games:
The Man in Black V Inigo
An epic swordfight between two masters of the craft. It is a scene full of action, wit and excitement. Eventually, though, the Man in Black bests Inigo and sets off to face the next challenge.

The Man in Black V Fezzik
Having proved he is the best swordfighter, Man in Black must go up against the giant Fezzik in a hand-to-hand battle. Again, the Man in Black proves victorious, and again, he only stuns his opponent, rather than kill him.

Meanwhile, Humperdinck is tracks them. He recreates the swordfight between the Man in Black and Inigo. He sets off in pursuit of the winner of the duel.

The Man in Black V Vizzini
In one of the funniest, most quotable sections of the story, the Man in Black challenges Vizzini to a battle of wits involving goblets of poisoned wine. Despite Vizzini’s complicated musings, the Man in Black proves victorious as Vizzini falls dead, having chosen the goblet with the poison.

The Man in Black V Buttercup
Although the Man in Black has rescued Buttercup, he refuses to reveal his identity to her, and treats her with a level of disdain and harshness. Buttercup trusts that Humperdinck can save her even from the Man in Black. The Man in Black asks her if she thinks her dearest love can save her. Buttercup reveals her true love is dead. The Man in Black is distracted by Humperdinck’s approach. Buttercup seizes her opportunity and pushes him down a ravine. She yells out, “You can die too, for all I care!!”

Midpoint:
As the Man in Black rolls and spins down he shouts out, “As… you… wish…” (page 54 – right on cue)
Buttercup realises it is Westley, her Westley. Without hesitation, she throws herself down the ravine.  The two have been reunited, but it is a false victory, for they are headed into terrible danger.

Bad Guys Close In:
There is a concurrence of bad things happening. Humperdinck and Rugen are closing in, plus the environment, the Fire Swamp, is one of danger and death.  In fact, it is this total danger that helps mask the exposition. Westley explains to Buttercup how he ended up as the Dread Pirate Roberts, but it doesn’t feel too much like exposition, because there is always the threat of danger. It is not boring exposition.

Westley and Buttercup manage to negotiate the three dangers of the Fire Swamp – namely, the fire spurts, the lightning sand (quicker than quick sand), and the Rodents Of Unusual Size. As they exit the Fire Swamp Humperdinck and his men converge on them. Despite being grossly outnumbered, Westley maintains his sense of humour (HUMPERDINCK: “Surrender.” WESTLEY: “Very well, I accept.”)

Buttercup offers herself back to Humperdinck in exchange for Westley’s life. Humperdinck vows to return Westley to his sailing ship, unharmed. Unbeknown to Buttercup, however, Humperdinck orders Rugen to lock Westley up in the Pit of Despair.

All is Lost:
The Pit of Despair. The name is eminently suitable for this beat. The evil Count Rugen, a six-fingered man, tortures Westley on The Machine, an evil device that sucks the very life from its victims. Buttercup mopes around the castle, trusting that Humperdinck has sent his ships out searching for Westley. There is no reply from Westley.

Humperdinck marries Buttercup – he has won. The Kid interrupts his grandfather’s reading, telling him he must have read it wrong – Buttercup can’t marry Humperdinck! The marriage was just a dream, a nightmare. Buttercup awakes, knowing that she would rather die than marry Humperdinck. (The whiff of death, as Blake Snyder calls it.)

Humperdinck’s true colours fully emerge. We discover that he was the one who hired Vizzini to kidnap Buttercup and have her killed, so that he could start a war with Guilder, the sworn enemies of Florin. That plan having been thwarted, he will strangle Buttercup himself, and cast the blame on Guilder.

It is the day of the wedding. We meet back up with Inigo Montoya. He is drunk. Very drunk. Just like when Vizzini first found him. Fezzik reunites with Inigo and nurses him back to health. Fezzik tells Inigo of the existence of Count Rugen, the six-fingered man. Inigo, desperate to gain his revenge, knows that he needs someone of Vizzini’s intelligence to help him plan, but Vizzini is dead. Inigo realises he needs the man who bested Vizzini, the Man in Black.

The characters seem defeated, but it is a false defeat.

Dark Night of the Soul:
Buttercup discovers Humperdinck’s true nature. She realises he never sent the ships to seek out Westley. Buttercup insults Humperdinck, calling him a coward. Humperdinck goes into a vicious rage. He storms to the Pit of Despair and turns The Machine to its highest setting. He will suck 50 years of life from Westley.

As Humperdinck slams the machine on, Westley’s death scream echoes throughout the countryside, alerting Inigo to Westley’s location.

Break into Three:
Inigo and Fezzik make their way to the Pit of Despair’s secret entrance. Inigo manages to discover the secret entrance, but Westley is already dead.

The Kid interrupts the story, again. Westley can’t be dead! The Kid is really involved in the story, now, unlike at the beginning where he was listening to humour his grandfather.

Inigo and Fezzik set off with Westley’s body, hoping to buy a miracle. They get some help from a wizened old man, Miracle Max, and his ancient wife, Valerie. Miracle Max concocts a pill designed to restore Westley from his mostly dead state.

Finale:
As Inigo and Fezzik drag the inert Westley away, Miracle Max tells them, “Have fun storming the castle.” This is exactly what they must do.

1.    Gathering the Team
Inigo, Fezzik and Westley sit overlooking the castle gate. They drop the pill into Westley’s mouth. Westley ‘s mouth springs into action, but the rest of him is paralysed. He asks for a wheelbarrow and a cape.

There is also a time-clock – Buttercup’s wedding is in half-an-hour. She is calm, though, sure that Westley will come for her.

2.    Executing the Plan
The wedding starts. At the gate, though, the eyes of the guards bug out in surprise. A giant floats toward them, seemingly gliding across the ground. Fezzik’s voice booms out, proclaiming himself to be the Dread Pirate Roberts. At Westley’s command, Inigo sets the cap on fire. The guards flee in terror.

Buttercup hears the screams of the guards, and realises Westley is coming for her. Humperdinck tells her he killed Westley.

3.    The High-Tower Surprise
Humperdinck hurries the minister along, skipping straight to the man and wife section. The minister proclaims Humperdinck and Buttercup man and wife. Buttercup is crushed – Westley didn’t come for her.

Buttercup walks back with the frail old King and Queen. She kisses the king, thanking him for his kindness. She informs him she won’t be seeing him again, as she is going to kill herself once she reaches the honeymoon suite.

Inigo confronts Rugen, who turns tail and flees. Inigo chases after him, down corridors, through the labyrinthine castle. Inigo closes the gap, but Rugen has a surprise – a throwing dagger. He hurls it, catching Inigo in the stomach. Inigo slumps against a wall. He has failed.

4.    Dig, Deep Down
Rugen closes in for the kill, tormenting Inigo. He has come so far, dedicated his whole life to revenge, and failed so close to achieving his goal. Rugen strikes at Inigo. Inigo parries. Inigo digs deep down, summoning unknown reserves of strength. It is perhaps the most powerful line of dialogue in the whole movie. “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father; prepare to die.” Inigo repeats it, louder each time, growing stronger each time. The count is powerless in the face of Inigo’s growing rage. Inigo exacts his revenge on Count Rugen.

Inside the honeymoon suite, Buttercup readies a dagger, preparing to follow through on her threat to Humperdinck. Westley, lying helpless on her bed, stops her. She rushes to him, but he is so weak he is unable to hold her. He points out that she is not married to Humperdinck, not technically, because she never said “I do.’

Humperdinck enters, promising to remedy that technicality. Westley, unable to match Humperdinck physically, out ‘wills’ him when he challenges him to a duel, not to the death, but to the pain. Westley wills himself to sit up. This act causes Humperdinck to cower into surrendering.

5.    Execution of the New Plan
As Buttercup ties Humperdinck to a chair, Inigo arrives. Buttercup catches Westley as he falls to the ground, Humperdinck realising the truth – that Westley was essentially paralysed. Fezzik arrives with four white horses, having done something right for a change.

Closing Image:
Inigo, Fezzik, Buttercup and Westley ride off to their happily ever after. The grandfather stops reading because there is a kissing scene, but The Kid tells him he doesn’t mind so much.

Kid is absolutely enthralled as his grandfather finishes reading. In a major transformation from the opening image, he tells his grandfather it would be alright if he came over and read the story again tomorrow.

With the last three words of the movie, the grandfather replies, “As you wish.” In the context of the movie those three words are packed with symbolic significance. They reveal the bond of love that now exists between grandfather and grandson, and call to the audience’s mind the great love Westley and Buttercup share, too.