Directed by Rob Reiner / Screenplay by William Goldman

The career of the much-missed American filmmaker Rob Reiner began with a golden run of pictures conquering a whole succession of genres, including mockumentary (This Is Spinal Tap, 1984), coming-of-age memoir (Stand by Me, 1986), psychological horror (Misery, 1990), and courtroom drama (A Few Good Men, 1992). In the midst of all these, Reiner delved into the fantasy genre to deliver a richly layered fairytale as finely crafted as any of them. Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel, The Princess Bride opens with a grandfather starting to read a book to his reluctant grandson, a framing device which develops into a metafictional trick as the interruptions and objections begin (‘Hold it, hold it! Is this a kissing book?’) - but as the story expands into a swashbuckling adventure of pirates, monsters, treachery and revenge, the boy’s resistance crumbles and he becomes immersed in the tale of Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her farmhand sweetheart Westley (Cary Elwes), who responds to her every request with the loving words ‘As you wish.’ When Buttercup falls into the clutches of the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), there follows a riotously entertaining quest for love and redemption as our heroes become entangled with a Sicilian kidnapper, a Turkish giant, killer eels, Rodents of Unusual Size, and a vengeful Spanish swordsman who gets all the most quotable lines: ‘Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.’ Naturally there’s a happy ending, and the final pay-off couldn’t be sweeter, as the boy requests a repeat reading of the book, and his grandfather echoes Westley’s loving catchphrase: ‘As you wish.’

Framed Dimensions: 330mm x 410mm

Acrylic on 300gsm Arches oil paper
Glazed, mounted and framed

Supplied with signed letter of authenticity from Barnaby.