Cary Elwes (l) played a farm boy Westley in the movie "The Princess Bride" in 1987. The right is his recent photo.(File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Plot synopsis of "The Princess Bride"

    The main narrative of the movie is framed by a scene between a grandson (Fred Savage) and a grandfather (Peter Falk). The grandson is home ill, and the grandfather has come to read him a story. The plot of the movie is the enactment of the story as it is being read.

    Buttercup (Robin Wright) was raised on a farm in the fictional country of Florin. She delights in verbally abusing the farm boy Westley (Cary Elwes) by demanding that he perform chores for her. Westley's only answer is "As you wish." After they realize they love each other, Westley leaves the farm to seek his fortune so they can marry. He promises to return, but Buttercup later receives word that his ship was attacked at sea by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who is notorious for taking no prisoners. Five years later, Buttercup is forced to become engaged to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), heir to the throne of Florin. Heartbroken by the loss of her true love, Buttercup accepts her fate.

    Before the wedding, Buttercup is kidnapped by a trio of outlaws: the short Sicilian criminal genius Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), the expert Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), and the enormous and mighty Turk Fezzik (André the Giant). A masked man in black follows them across the sea and up the Cliffs of Insanity, so Vizzini orders Inigo to stop him. Inigo arranges a fair fight, letting him rest before the duel, during which Inigo reveals that he is seeking revenge on a six-fingered man who killed his father. The Man in Black wins their duel, but leaves the Spaniard alive. Vizzini, stunned, leaves Fezzik behind with orders to kill the Man in Black. Fezzik, also honorable, throws a rock as a warning, and challenges the Man in Black to a wrestling match. The Man in Black chokes Fezzik until he blacks out from lack of oxygen, again leaving his opponent alive.

    The Man in Black catches up with Vizzini, who holds Buttercup hostage and proposes a battle of wits. The Man in Black produces a vial of "iocane powder" (an undetectable poison) and takes two goblets of wine behind his back to poison one of them, then instructs Vizzini to choose a goblet. Vizzini uses his logic to deduce which cup is poisoned, drinks from one and dies. The Man in Black then reveals to Buttercup that he had poisoned both, but he was not affected because he had "spent the last few years building an immunity to iocane powder."

    With Prince Humperdinck's rescue party in hot pursuit, the Man in Black flees with Buttercup, and upon further questioning reveals to her that he is the Dread Pirate Roberts, Westley's murderer. Enraged, she shoves him down a gorge, yelling "You can die too for all I care!" only to hear him call "As you wish!" back. She realizes he is the former farmboy Westley, who reveals that the Dread Pirate Roberts did attack his ship, but kept Westley alive after hearing the depths of his love for Buttercup. Westley signed on as his apprentice, learning to sail, fence, and fight. Eventually, Roberts secretly passed the name and the ship on to Westley.

    Westley and Buttercup travel through the Fire Swamp to evade Humperdinck's party but are captured by Humperdinck and his menacing six-fingered vizier Count Tyrone Rugen (Christopher Guest). Buttercup negotiates for Westley's release and is returned to the palace to await her wedding. Rugen has no intention of releasing Westley but takes him to the Pit of Despair, where he is tortured.

    Buttercup expresses her unhappiness to Humperdinck, who proposes a deal: he will send out four ships to locate Westley, but if they fail, Buttercup will marry him. Humperdinck secretly reveals that he arranged Buttercup's kidnapping in order to start a war with neighboring country Guilder, but decides it will be better propaganda if she is strangled on her wedding night.

    On the day of the wedding, Inigo and Fezzik meet up again by chance and Inigo learns of the existence of Count Rugen. Inigo decides he must kill Rugen, so they seek out the Man in Black, hoping his brains will help them overcome the guards. Buttercup learns that Humperdinck never sent the ships, and taunts him with her enduring love for Westley. Enraged, he tortures Westley to death. Westley's screams draw Inigo and Fezzik to the scene, and upon finding Westley's dead body, they enlist the help of Miracle Max (Billy Crystal). Max is initially reluctant to help but changes his mind to spite Humperdinck. He pronounces Westley to be merely "mostly dead" and resurrects him.

    Westley then devises a successful plan to invade the castle during the wedding. Upon hearing the fighting, Humperdinck finishes the ceremony abruptly. Buttercup decides to kill herself as soon as she reaches the honeymoon suite. Inigo pursues Rugen through the castle and finally kills him. Westley manages to reach Buttercup before she kills herself and then bluffs his way out of a swordfight with Humperdinck; instead of killing him, Westley decides to leave him alone with his cowardice. The party rides off into the sunset on white horses conveniently brought by Fezzik.

    (Agencies)