According to Vito Russo, in his book The Celluloid Closet, society has been fairly obsessed with maintaining the male role onscreen. Films about war or men together were constantly under scrutiny to avoid risking the male standard. To avoid the confusion that the male might prefer each other’s company, there was often a task, a woman or something in which the men or the male lead could do to prove his masculinity (i.e. heterosexuality).
On the surface, The Princess Bride (1987) directed by Rob Reiner might not seem a good example of the “buddy” film. However, upon closer inspection, the film has all of the necessary elements of a great buddy film and uses comedy to great effect, with a lead that is less than typically masculine. There are multiple sets of “buddies” in the film. There is the Grandfather/Grandson set, the Prince Humperdinck/Count Tyrone Rugen set and the three main characters of Westley, Inigo Montoya and Fezzik.
One aspect of the buddy film is the absence of a female character and the first set played by Peter Falk and Fred Savage illustrate this well. Falk interrupts Savage’s game playing to read him a “romance” novel, editing out the heterosexual love scenes and expressing concern when the grandson might be too involved. The book selection alone adds a level of suspect in this relationship, though it seems in line with the mentor/student role rather than a sexual role. The mother, who has a single line at the beginning of the film, is never seen again—she is merely the character that opens the door and brings the buddies together, then leaves.
Another aspect of a buddy film is that there are a group of men going off to war or attempting to conquer something. The lead character, Westley, played by Cary Elves is a simple farm hand and heads off to “prove” himself worthy of Buttercup, played by Robin Wright Penn. When it is assumed that he has been killed by pirates, she is forcibly engaged to the hyper-masculine Prince Humperdinck. The Prince and Count Tyrone Rugen use Buttercup as a pawn in their efforts to start a war. The fact that he would have his fiancé killed illustrates another Russo idea that male bonding is associated with violence. The Prince has his bride abducted in order for him to hunt down the enemy’s who abducted her which will allow him to “prove” his manhood.
Russo comments that heterosexual romance was a standard plot ingredient but there was a sense of fear when the women were too expendable. The buddy set of the Prince and the Count plays on this fear well. They are the villains and do despicable things to the other characters to prove their power. However, on the side of love, their actions provide the plot element that brings the three other buddies together.
Westley has not been killed by pirates and return to begin his quest to save the abducted Buttercup. Along the way, he conquers the Spaniard (Inigo Montayo) with in a sword fight, Fezzik (Andre the Giant) with brains, and a battle of wits with Vizzini, who loses and dies. Each of the scenes have close physical contact between the men but because the actions are associated with a fight, it is deemed acceptable and, excepting Vizzini who died, the conquered men become his close friends who are willing to put their lives on the line.
The Princess Bride is a great example of a buddy film pulsing under the overt plot of a romance film. This film has three sets of buddies who display different aspects of the “Buddy Films” described by Vito Russo. I feel that the comedic dialogue did indeed allow for more bonding to take place in that it seemed to move the overt plot forward. However, I find it ironic that a movie built around the lines “As You Wish” (i.e. I Love You) is more of a buddy film than it is the expected romance film.
