Film genres have formulas and rules, but how well do High Fantasy films follow their formula?
The Princess Bride (1987) is the .greatest movie ever made. And a High Fantasy low-magic child-friendly film.
RULE #1 - The Secondary World.
"A book?" ~ The Grandson.
"That's right. When I was your age, television was called books. And this is a special book. It was the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father. And today I'm gonna read it to you." ~ Grandpa.
"That's right. When I was your age, television was called books. And this is a special book. It was the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father. And today I'm gonna read it to you." ~ Grandpa.
1a. Type: Represented as a story book.
1b. Faux-medieval - Faux-medieval.
1c. Panoramic landscapes - Yes.
1d. Impossible buildings and landmarks - Impossible/magic landscapes.
1e. Archaic spelling/strange names - A little.
1f. Hyper-real - Yes.
RULE #2 - There may be sex and nudity.
"They're kissing again. Do we have to read the kissing parts?" ~ The Grandson.
"Some day you may not mind so much." ~ Grandpa.
"Some day you may not mind so much." ~ Grandpa.
2a. Nudity
i. Female Nudity - None.
ii. Male Nudity - None.
2b. Sex
3a. The Hero - Wesley.
3j. King - The King.
3k. The Hag - Miracle Max.
i. Death - No sex.
ii. Random Sex - No sex.
ii. Relationship Sex - No sex.
iii. Rape - None.
RULE #3 - Characters.
"My brains, his steel, and your strength against sixty men, and you think a little head-jiggle is supposed to make me happy?" ~ Westley.
3b. The Hero's Parents - Not mentioned.
3c - 3i. The Party of Adventurers
3c. The Mentor - Mentioned (The Dread Pirate Roberts.)
3d. The Heroine - Buttercup. (Only a princess by upcoming marriage).
3d. The Heroine - Buttercup. (Only a princess by upcoming marriage).
3e. A Warrior - Fessik and Inigo.
3f. A Warrior Woman - None.
3g. A User of Magic - Miracle Max, not a member of the party.
3g. A User of Magic - Miracle Max, not a member of the party.
3h. A Thief - None.
3i. A pet or other animal - None.
3j. King - The King.
3k. The Hag - Miracle Max.
3l. The Dark Lord - Prince Humpadick
3m. An evil female
3m. An evil female
i. Female Henchman - None.
ii. Member of Harem - None.
iii. Dark Lord's Daughter - None.
3n. Male Henchmen - Count Rugan.
3o. Minions - Vizzini.
3o. Minions - Vizzini.
4a. Homogeneous Races - Humans only.
4a. Homogeneous Races - Humans only.
i. Good/Evil - N/A.
ii. Magic - N/A.
iii. Habitat - N/A.
4b. Races.
i. Humans - Everyone.
4d. Societies - Only Florin shown.
4e. Homogeneous Culture - Only Florin shown.
4f. Rival cultures - Giulder is mentioned as their great rival.
ii. Magic - N/A.
iii. Habitat - N/A.
i. Humans - Everyone.
RULE #5 - Magic & Monsters
"You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles." ~ Miracle Max.
5a. Magical Past - Not referenced.
5b. Low Magic Present - Yes, most of the magic can be past off as weird technology.
5g. Spells & Powers
i. Healing - Miracle Max creates a miracle pill to revive Wesley.
ii. Remote Viewing - No.
iii. Obfuscation - No.
iv. Shape changing - No.
v. Necromancy - Explicitly not (Wesley is only mostly dead.)
5k. Items of Magic - Holocaust cloak.
5l. Artifacts of Great Power - No.
5m. Religion - There's a priest.
5n. Mythical creatures
i. Dragon - N/A.
ii. Unicorns - N/A.
iii. Griffins, Rocs, Sphinx - N/A.
iv. Giant Things - ROUSs (Rodents of Unusual Size). Screaming Eels.
v. Supernatural Creatures - N/A.
vi. Raised creatures - N/A.
vii. Nameless Beast - N/A.
5a. Magical Past - Not referenced.
5b. Low Magic Present - Yes, most of the magic can be past off as weird technology.
5g. Spells & Powers
i. Healing - Miracle Max creates a miracle pill to revive Wesley.
ii. Remote Viewing - No.
iii. Obfuscation - No.
iv. Shape changing - No.
v. Necromancy - Explicitly not (Wesley is only mostly dead.)
5k. Items of Magic - Holocaust cloak.
5l. Artifacts of Great Power - No.
5l. Artifacts of Great Power - No.
i. Dragon - N/A.
ii. Unicorns - N/A.
iii. Griffins, Rocs, Sphinx - N/A.
iv. Giant Things - ROUSs (Rodents of Unusual Size). Screaming Eels.
v. Supernatural Creatures - N/A.
vi. Raised creatures - N/A.
vii. Nameless Beast - N/A.
RULE #6 - The Quest
"I was eleven years old. And when I was strong enough, I dedicated my life to the study of fencing. So the next time we meet, I will not fail. I will go up to the six-fingered man and say, 'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'" ~ Inigo Montoya.
6a. The Artifact - No artifact.
6b. Destroy the Dark Lord - An evil princess, but no powers, and he doesn't get killed.
6c. Save the Heroine - Yes. Twice.
6d. Unite the races/Raise an army - Doesn't happen.
6e. Prophecy - No prophecy.
6f. Other events:
i. Win a Contest - No contest.ii. Stop an Execution - There's an unofficial execution and it isn't stopped, the victim is just fixed.iii. Stop a Wedding - Major plot point, although it isn't stopped, it just fails to meet the requirements of a legal wedding.
6g. The Hero's Journey - See below.
RULE #7 - The Hero's Journey: Departure
"And remember this, never forget this: when I found you, you were so slobbering drunk, you couldn't buy brandy! And YOU: friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed, in Greenland?" ~ Vizzini.
7a. Secret Origin
i. The Chosen One - No.
ii. Orphaned - Wesley's parents aren't mentioned. Inigo's father is murdered (years earlier). though.
iii. Revenge - Wesley has a pirate ship with that name. Inigo does have that quest, though.
7b. Ordinary World
i. From Earth - Is Earth.
ii. Peaceful Lands - Seems so.
7c. Initial Tests - None.
7d. The Call to Adventure - Leaves to make fortune.
7e. Refusal of the Call - No.
7f. Supernatural Aid
i. Meeting with the Mentor - Off camera.
ii. A supernatural guide - No.
iii. May be given a magic item or artifact - No.
iv. The Party will begin to form - Eventually.
7g. Crossing the Threshold - Yes.
7h. Belly of the Whale - Off camera.
7a. Secret Origin
i. The Chosen One - No.
ii. Orphaned - Wesley's parents aren't mentioned. Inigo's father is murdered (years earlier). though.
iii. Revenge - Wesley has a pirate ship with that name. Inigo does have that quest, though.
7b. Ordinary World
i. From Earth - Is Earth.
ii. Peaceful Lands - Seems so.
7c. Initial Tests - None.
7d. The Call to Adventure - Leaves to make fortune.
7e. Refusal of the Call - No.
7f. Supernatural Aid
i. Meeting with the Mentor - Off camera.
ii. A supernatural guide - No.
iii. May be given a magic item or artifact - No.
iv. The Party will begin to form - Eventually.
7g. Crossing the Threshold - Yes.
7h. Belly of the Whale - Off camera.
RULE #8 - The Hero's Journey: Initiation
"Why won't my arms move?" ~ Westley.
"You've been mostly-dead all day." ~ Fessik.
"You've been mostly-dead all day." ~ Fessik.
8a. The Road of Trials - Scales the Cliffs of Insanity, faces Inigo, Fessik & Vizzini, then the dangerous of the Fire Swamp.
8b. The Vision Quest - No.
8c. The Meeting with the Goddess - Buttercup. They'd already met.
8d. Lure away from Journey - Wanted to run off with Buttercup. Events stopped him.
8e. A Greater Power - No.
8f. The Ordeal - Apotheosis/Death - Count Rugen's machine.
8g. The Ordeal - Descent into the underworld - The Pit of Despair.
8h. The Ultimate Boon - No.
8a. The Road of Trials - Scales the Cliffs of Insanity, faces Inigo, Fessik & Vizzini, then the dangerous of the Fire Swamp.
8b. The Vision Quest - No.
8c. The Meeting with the Goddess - Buttercup. They'd already met.
8d. Lure away from Journey - Wanted to run off with Buttercup. Events stopped him.
8e. A Greater Power - No.
8f. The Ordeal - Apotheosis/Death - Count Rugen's machine.
8g. The Ordeal - Descent into the underworld - The Pit of Despair.
8h. The Ultimate Boon - No.
9a. Refusal of the Return - Difficulty reviving.
9b. The Magic Flight - Escape on horses.
9c. Rescue from Without - Inigo and Fessik do most of the work storming the castles.
9d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold - Maybe.
9e. Master of Two Worlds - Maybe.
9f. Freedom to Live - It seems.
9a. Refusal of the Return - Difficulty reviving.
9b. The Magic Flight - Escape on horses.
9c. Rescue from Without - Inigo and Fessik do most of the work storming the castles.
9d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold - Maybe.
9e. Master of Two Worlds - Maybe.
9f. Freedom to Live - It seems.
9b. The Magic Flight - Escape on horses.
9c. Rescue from Without - Inigo and Fessik do most of the work storming the castles.
9d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold - Maybe.
9e. Master of Two Worlds - Maybe.
9f. Freedom to Live - It seems.
RULE #10 - Sequels/Remakes/Adaptations
"Grandpa, maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow." ~ The Grandson.
"As you wish" ~ Grandpa.
"Grandpa, maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow." ~ The Grandson.
"As you wish" ~ Grandpa.
"As you wish" ~ Grandpa.
10a. Adaptation - Based on William Goldman's book: The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure.
10b. Sequels - No sequel.
10c. Remakes - No remake.
10a. Adaptation - Based on William Goldman's book: The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure.
10b. Sequels - No sequel.
10c. Remakes - No remake.
10b. Sequels - No sequel.
10c. Remakes - No remake.
RESULTS
"Never happened." ~ Westley.
"But it did I was there; this old man said 'man and wife.'" ~ Buttercup.
"Did you say 'I do?'" ~ Westley.
"Um, no... we sort of skipped that part." ~ Buttercup.
"Then you're not married. You didn't say it; you didn't do it." ~ Westley.
"But it did I was there; this old man said 'man and wife.'" ~ Buttercup.
"Did you say 'I do?'" ~ Westley.
"Um, no... we sort of skipped that part." ~ Buttercup.
"Then you're not married. You didn't say it; you didn't do it." ~ Westley.
- Rules that are followed in this film: 1, 2, 7, 8, 10.
- Rules that are partially followed, or not clear, in this film: 3, 4, 5, 6, 9.
No comments:
Post a Comment