``The Princess Bride'' A fantasy comedy that was not a hit when it was released in theaters, but became extremely popular when it was made into a video.

"The Princess Bride" synopsis

A grandfather reads a book of adventure stories set in the Middle Ages to his grandson who has a cold. The grandson, who was reluctant at first, gradually becomes captivated by the story, which is full of sword fights, Monster, pirates, revenge, giants, and princesses.

Index

• A fantasy comedy that deconstructs a “fairy tale”
• The legendary original novel that Truffaut and Redford also wanted to make into a movie.
• The best casting that changed the lives of the performers
• A metafictional story that borrows the form of a fairy tale.
• Why do grandfathers read books to their grandchildren?

A fantasy comedy that deconstructs a “fairy tale”

``The Princess Bride'' is a fantasy comedy about love and adventure about the ``world's most beautiful princess,'' which was released in 1987 by director Rob Reiner, the year after `` Stand by Me '' (1986). Although it was released theatrically in Japan in 1988, one year later than in the United States, it is one of the seven directorial works released in the decade that can be called Reiner's golden age, which began with his debut film Spinal Tap (1984). Unfortunately, this is probably the least well-known work.

However, it is extremely popular in the United States. Although it was not a commercial success in the United States when it was released in theaters, it became a big hit at the dawn of the video market as a movie to give to children and a movie that parents and children would want to watch together, and even now, more than 30 years later. It is handed down as a masterpiece that can be enjoyed by generations. According to her memoir, Cary Elwes, who starred in the film, said she was surprised to hear that former Pope John Paul II and former President Bill Clinton were big fans of the film.

"The Princess Bride" preview

It's not just popularity that's on the rise. The American Film Institute selected this film as one of the 100 Greatest Love Stories in 2002. In 2006, the Writers Guild of America ranked it 84th among the ``Best Movie Screenplays of All Time,'' and its critical acclaim has continued to rise. So why wasn't the movie such a hit? Director Rob Reiner wrote this in his foreword to Elwes's aforementioned memoir:

"When it came out in theaters, no one knew how to sell this movie. Is it a fairy tale? An adventure drama? A love story? Or a funny satire? All of them are true, and now all of them are true. It's more than a two-minute trailer or a 30-second TV spot.'' (From ``As You Wish: Inconceivable tales from the making of The Princess Bride'')

In fact, 20th Century Fox, having trouble with its promotion policy, partially abandoned the film. No trailers or TV commercials were made, and the poster did not feature any of the main characters, instead featuring a grandfather reading a book to a child. It was also designed so that no one could recognize his face (despite the fact that his grandfather was played by Peter Falk from Columbo ).

"The Princess Bride" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

However, from the title ``The Princess Bride,'' many people will associate it with a ``fairy tale'' for children, and that impression is not wrong. However, as you can see from Reiner's comment above, it is not a work that can be categorized by genre. Although it has a relatively compact running time of 98 minutes, it is a work that is much more layered and profound than it appears, deconstructing the "fairy tale" and approaching it philosophically.