Script To Screen: “The Princess Bride”
A memorable scene from the 1987 movie The Princess Bride [screenplay by William Goldman based on his novel].
A memorable scene from the 1987 movie The Princess Bride [screenplay by William Goldman based on his novel].
Setup: The Princess Bride on the verge of marrying the evil Prince Humperdinck while Westley, Indigo Montoya, and Fezzik try to get there to stop the proceedings.
Buttercup and Humperdinck kneel before the Clergyman. Behind
them sit the mumbling old KING AND QUEEN. Standing in the
back is Count Rugen.FOUR GUARDS are in position flanking the chapel door. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN
(clears his throat,
begins to speak)
Mawidge...mawidge is what bwings
us togewer today...He has an impediment that would stop a clock. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN
Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement,
that dweam wiffim a dweam...And now, from outside the castle, there begins to come a
commotion. And then-- YELLIN
(off-screen)
Stand your ground, men. Stand
your ground. CUT TO:THE BRUTES AND YELLINby the gate, for it is indeed they who are making the
commotion, frightened, pointing. YELLIN
Stand your ground. CUT TO:THEIR P.O.V.:And it is a bit unnerving -- a GIANT seems to be floating
toward them out of the darkness, a Giant in a strange cloak,
and with a voice that would crumble walls. FEZZIK
(deep and booming)
I AM THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS.
THERE WILL BE NO SURVIVORS. CUT TO:FEZZIKand he seems to be floating because he's standing in the
wheelbarrow, as Inigo, hidden behind him, busts a gut by
pushing it and supporting Westley. INIGO
Now? WESTLEY
Not yet. CUT TO:THE GIANT FLOATING CLOSER FEZZIK
MY MEN ARE HERE, AND I AM HERE,
BUT SOON YOU WILL NOT BE HERE CUT TO:YELLINkeeping the Brutes in position, or trying to, shouting
orders, instructions and as yet the Brutes hold. Now -- CUT TO:INIGO AND WESTLEYInigo struggles bravely under their combined weight -- INIGO
Now? WESTLEY
Light him. CUT TO:THE BRUTESas the Giant bursts suddenly, happily into flames. FEZZIK
(roaring)
THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS TAKES NO
SURVIVORS. ALL YOUR WORST
NIGHTMARES ARE ABOUT TO COME TRUE. CUT TO:THE CHAPEL, where The Impressive Clergyman plows on. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN
... Ven wuv, twoo wuv, wiw fowwow
you fowever.. CUT TO:PRINCE HUMPERDINCK, turning quickly, giving a sharp nod to
Count Rugen, who immediately takes off out of the chapel
with the Four Guards as we CUT TO:FEZZIK, flaming and scary as hell. FEZZIK
THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS IS HERE
FOR YOUR SOULS! CUT TO:YELLINas suddenly the Brutes just scream and take off in wild
panic -- YELLIN
Stay where you are. I said stay
where you are! CUT TO:INSIDE THE CHAPEL IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN
... so tweasuwe your vruv.. HUMPERDINCK
Skip to the end. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN
Have you the wing?As Humperdinck whips out the ring, the screams are very loud
outside. BUTTERCUP
Here comes my Westley now. CUT TO:Fezzik, as he pulls off the holocaust cloak. WESTLEY
FEZZIK, the portcullis.And FEZZIK rushes forward, grabbing the portcullis, which is
indeed closing quickly.FEZZIK grabs the gate: and swings the tonnage back upward.
Yellin just watches in fear. CUT TO:THE CHAPELas Humperdinck shoves the ring on Buttercup's finger HUMPERDINCK
Your Westley is dead.Buttercup only smiles, shakes her head. HUMPERDINCK
I killed him myself. BUTTERCUP
(never more serene)
Then why is there fear behind
your eyes? CUT TO:PRINCE HUMPERDINCKAnd she's right. It's there. CUT TO:YELLINpressed against the main gate. Westley, Inigo, and FEZZIK
close in. WESTLEY
Give us the gate key. YELLIN
(every ounce of
honesty he's got)
I have no gate key. INIGO
Fezzik, tear his arms off.FEZZIKsteps toward him. YELLIN
Oh, you mean this gate key.And he whips it out, hands it to Fezzik.
Here is the movie version of the scene:
Some personal trivia: Given my background in theological studies, I was once asked to officiate at of one of my best friends’ daughter’s wedding. And the couple asked me to begin the ceremony with “Mawidge…mawidge is what bwings us togewer today… Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement, that dweam wiffim a dweam…”
Which I totally did.
What do you notice comparing the script to the movie version of the scene? I’ll see you in comments for a discussion of this terrific scene from The Princess Bride.
One of the single best things you can do to learn the craft of screenwriting is to read the script while watching the movie. After all a screenplay is a blueprint to make a movie and it’s that magic of what happens between printed page and final print that can inform how you approach writing scenes. That is the purpose of Script to Screen, a weekly series on GITS where we analyze a memorable movie scene and the script pages that inspired it.
For more Script To Screen posts, go here.