Reinterpretations of Popular Movies

Last updated: Saturday, November 11, 2006, 10:37 AM EST

When it comes to movies, it seems that there is often a sort of popular concensus about aspects of them. I don't mean a concensus over whether the movie's good or bad--taste varies, after all--but rather over the superficial meaning of things in the movie. For example, most people can tell whether and ending is supposed to be a sad ending, even if they don't actually feel sad. Most people know if a character's supposed to be sympathetic or not, etc.

Sometimes, however, the people are wrong. Sometimes, the people accept something a certian way, but the details fom the movie indicate that that way is not correct.

So here, I am going to reinterpret some popular movies where I think concensus is a little off.

The Princess Bride

Now, don't get me wrong. Like any card-carrying member of Generation X, I think this is a great movie. It's funny, and has great characters, a great story, great action, and most of all, great lines. It was very well made and well acted, and really did immerse you into a slightly, but not too, fantastic world.

But one little thing about the movie seems to be misunderstood by everyone: the love story aspect. It is not what people make it out to be. I am here to shed light on the truth. Ready?

Buttercup was a thoughtless bitch.

Next time you're watching the movie, try to find one thing, besides giving up the booty, that Buttercup did for Westley. You won't find anything, because she did nothing for him. On the contrary, she betrayed him repeatedly, even after promising not to. And even after she repented (again), she was too naive to do anything for him.

Which raises the question: why did Westley risk his ass go after her? Well, I'd like to think that Westley is just chasing some tail. Even though it's pretty well known that successful pirates have no shortage of whores and groupies at every port, maybe he wanted someone clean for a change. And, let's face it, Buttercup is pretty hot.

Unfortunately, the story doesn't bear this out. Westley is just another tragic case of a man blinded by infatuation. You can see this from his unrealistic expectation that Buttercup would wait for him after he was killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Yeah, he was spared by an extraordinary circumstance, but how was Buttercup or anyone else to know that? In Westley's mind, though, their love was all about "destiny" and such, and therefore she was betraying their destiny by not waiting for him to return from the dead.

Again, don't get me wrong. This was a great movie, but let's keep it in context here. This is not about "true love" so much as "one man's silly infatuation with a woman who did nothing for him".

12 Angry Men

Guilty.

Gone with the Wind

I think this was one of the best movies ever made, and it was also one of the saddest. And I'm not talking superficial tear-jerker sad, I'm talking constricting your windpipes sad.

However, I would like someone to please explain this to me: why are we supposed to sympathize with a selfish, gold-digging, backstabber?

I could maybe understand it if Scarlett somehow grew as a person by the end, but she didn't. All she learned was a simple fact ("Ashley never did love me!"); but even after that, she was still all about her. If I'm making the movie, I'd end in on one of the following notes:

1. The satisfaction of Clark Gable finally giving the bitch what she deserved (i.e., roll the credits right after "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.").
2. The satisfaction of watching Scarlett realize that the land she cruelly guarded means nothing, while all the people she took advantage of to keep that land have abandoned her.

Instead, the movie ends with the land giving her hope--thus justifying her means--yet expects us to sympathize with her. Superb movie; bad ending.