The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride
Buttercup: [holding two empty pails] Farmboy, fill these with water...please?
Wesley: As you wish.
Narrator: That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'as
you wish,' what he meant was, 'I love you.' And even more amazing was the
day she realized she truly loved him back.
Narrator: Buttercup's emptiness consumed her. Although the law of the land
gave Humperdinck the right to choose his bride, she did not love him. [The
scene fades to Buttercup riding her horse the next morning.] Despite
Humperdinck's reassurance that she would grow to love him, the only joy she
found was in her daily ride.
Narrator: [reading Vizzini's part] 'Do you know what that sound is highness?
Those are the shrieking eels!'
Kid: Pass that, Grandpa. You read it already.
Grandfather: Oh...oh my goodness, I did. I'm sorry. Beg your pardon. [now
mumbling to himself] alright, alright, lets see...uh...she was in the water, the
eel was going after her, she was frightened, the eel started to charge her and
then...
[The Man in black proceeds up the hill, and is met by a rock crashing against a
boulder right next to him.]
Fezzik: I did that on purpose. I didn't have to miss.
Man in black: I believe you. [pauses] So what happens now?
Fezzik: We face each other as god intended; sportsman-like...no tricks, no
weapons, skill against skill alone.
Man in black: You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my
sword and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?
Fezzik: [holding up a large rock] I could kill you now...
Man in black: Frankly, I think the odds are slightly in your favor at hand
fighting.
Fezzik: It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don't even
exercise.
[The Man in black charges Fezzik, but cannot knock him down]
Man in black: [agitated] Look, are you just fiddling around with me or what?
Fezzik: I just want you to feel you are doing well. I hate for people to die
embarrassed. [Fezzik grasps at him, but misses] You're quick!
Man in black: Good thing too.
Fezzik: [swinging at the man in black] Why are you wearing a mask? Were
you burned by acid or something like that?
Man in black: Oh no, it's just they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone
will be wearing them in the future.
[The Man in black manages to jump onto Fezzik's back, and tries to choke him.
Fezzik pushes his back against a boulder, almost knocking the wind out of the
Man in black]
Fezzik: I just figured out why you would give me so much trouble.
Man in black: Why is that, do you think?
Fezzik: Well, I haven't fought just one person for so long...[struggles more
with the man in black]...I've been specializing in groups, fighting gangs for local
charities...that kind of thing.
Man in black: Why should that make such a [crash! pause] difference?
Fezzik: [slowing down] You see, you use different moves when you're fighting
half a dozen people, then when you only have to worry about one.
[Fezzik falls to the ground, unconscious. The Man in black checks to see if he is
still alive.]
Man in black: I do not envy you the headache you will have when you
awake. But in the meantime, rest well and dream of large women.
Vizzini: I'm afraid so. I can't compete with you physically, and you're no
match for my brains.
Man in black: You're that smart?
Vizzini: Let me put it this way: Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle,
Socrates?
Man in black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons!
Man in black: Really! In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits.
Vizzini: For the princess? [Man in black nods] To the death? [Man in black
nods again] I accept!
Man in black: Good, then pour the wine. [Vizzini pours the wine] Inhale this
but do not touch.
Vizzini: [taking a vial from the man in black] I smell nothing.
Man in black: What you do not smell is Iocaine powder. It is odorless,
tasteless, and dissolves instantly in liquid and is among the more deadly
poisons known to man.
Vizzini: [shrugs with laughter] Hmmm.
Man in black: [turning his back, and adding the poison to one of the goblets]
Alright, where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you
decide and we both drink - and find out who is right, and who is dead.
Vizzini: But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine it from what I know of
you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or
his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet
because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was
given. I am not a great fool so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of
you...But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted
on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in black: You've made your decision then?
Vizzini: [happily] Not remotely! Because Iocaine comes from Australia. As
everyone knows, Australia is entirely peopled with criminals. And criminals are
used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So, I can
clearly not choose the wine in front of you.
Man in black: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Vizzini: Wait 'till I get going!! ...where was I?
Man in black: Australia.
Vizzini: Yes! Australia! And you must have suspected I would have known the
powder's origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in black: You're just stalling now.
Vizzini: You'd like to think that, wouldn't you! You've beaten my giant, which
means you're exceptionally strong...so you could have put the poison in your
own goblet trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose
the wine in front of you. But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means
you must have studied...and in studying you must have learned that man is
mortal so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I
can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!
Man in black: You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't
work.
Vizzini: It has worked! You've given everything away! I know where the
poison is!
Man in black: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose...[pointing behind the man in black] What in the
world can that be?
Man in black: [turning around, while Vizzini switches goblets] What?!
Where?! I don't see anything.
Vizzini: Oh, well, I...I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. [Vizzini
laughs]
Man in black: What's so funny?
Vizzini: I...I'll tell you in a minute. First, lets drink, me from my glass and you
from yours.
[They both drink]
Man in black: You guessed wrong.
Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched
glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha, you fool!! You fell victim to one of
the classic blunders. The most famous is never get involved in a land war in
Asia; and only slightly less well known is this: Never go in against a Sicilian,
when death is on the line!
[Vizzini continues to laugh hysterically. Suddenly, he stops and falls right over.
The Man in black removes the blindfold from the princess.]
Buttercup: Who are you?
Man in black: I'm no one to be trifled with. That is all you'll ever need know.
Buttercup: And to think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned.
Man in black: They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building
up immunity to iocaine powder.
Wesley: Aha! Your pig fianc is too late! A few more steps and we'll be safe in
the fire-swamp.
Buttercup: [worried] We'll never survive.
Wesley: [confident] Nonsense! You're only saying that because no one ever
has.
The Fire-Swamp: The Flame Spurt
[They proceed into the dreary, damp swamp. Cautiously, they move on. The
sounds of many creatures permeate the air.]
Wesley: It's not that bad...[receives a glance from Buttercup] ...well I'm not
saying I'd like to build a summer home here but the trees are actually quite
lovely.
[They continue through an eerie maze of trees. Suddenly, a popping sound is
heard. A flame shoots up from the ground, catching Buttercup's dress on fire.
She screams.]
Wesley: [calmly, smothering the flame] Well now, that was an adventure.
Singed a bit, were you?
Buttercup: [nervously shaking her head no] You?
[Wesley simply shakes his head no, not losing an ounce of confidence. They
continue. Suddenly another popping sound is heard. Wesley calmly lifts
Buttercup out of harms way as a flame rises from the ground.]
Wesley: Well, one thing I will say; the fire swamp certainly does keep you on
your toes.
[Buttercup roams the castle, saddened. Prince Humperdinck and Count Rugen
are planning, and notice Buttercup.]
Humperdinck: She's been like that ever since the fire swamp. It's my father's
failing health that's upsetting her.
Count Rugen: Of course.
Narrator: The King died that very night, and before the following dawn,
Buttercup and Humperdinck were married. And at noon she met her subjects
again, this time as their queen.
Humperdinck: [to anticipating crowd] My father's final words were...
Narrator: It was ten days 'till the wedding. The king still lived, but
Buttercup's nightmares were becoming steadily worse.
Kid: See? Didn't I tell you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck.
Narrator: Yes, you're very smart. Shut up.
[The Thieves' Forest. Yellin and his men are clearing out the forest.]
Yellin: Is everybody out?
Brute: Almost. There's a Spaniard giving us some trouble.
Yellin: Well, you give him some...trouble. Move!
Inigo: [more sober] That's enough! That's enough! Where is this Rugen now,
so I might kill him?
Fezzik: He's with the prince in the castle. But the castle gate is guarded by
thirty men.
Inigo: How many could you handle?
Fezzik: I don't think more than ten.
Inigo: [counting on his fingers] ...Leaving twenty for me. At my best I could
never defeat that many. I need Vizzini to plan. I have no gift for strategy.
Fezzik: But Vizzini is dead.
Inigo: [inspired] No...not Vizzini. I need the Man in black.
Fezzik: What?
Inigo: Look, he bested you at strength, your greatness. He bested me with
steel. He must have out-thought Vizzini, and a man who can do that can plan
my castle onslaught any day! Let's go!
Fezzik: Where?
Inigo: ...Find the Man in black obviously.
Fezzik: But you don't know where he is?
Inigo: Don't bother me with trifles, after twenty years at last my father's soul
will be at peace. There will be blood tonight!
Humperdinck: [furious] I would not say such things if I were you!!! [He
forcefully escorts Buttercup to her chamber, and locks her in.]
Grandfather: You know, you...you've been very sick and you're taking this
story very seriously. I think we'd better stop now.
Kid: No. I...I'm okay. I'm okay. Sit down. I'm alright.
Grandfather: Okay. Alright, now lets see...where were we? Oh, yes, in the Pit
of Despair.