The Princess Bride

And with that he whirls, turns on The Machine, grabs the lever and –
 

CUT TO:

COUNT RUGEN

Calling out –
 

RUGEN

Not to fifty!!!

But it's too late as we –
 

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PRINCE HUMPERDINCK

Shoving the lever all the way up and...
 

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WESTLEY'S FACE

And there has never been such pain. The pain grows and grows and with it now, something else has started
 

THE DEATH SCREAM. As The Death Scream starts to rise –

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OUTSIDE THE PIT OF DESPAIR

As the SOUND moves along, LOUDER AND LOUDER, and –
 

CUT TO:

YELLIN AND HIS SIXTY BRUTES

And they bear it, and a few of the Brutes turn to each other in fear, and as the scream builds –
 

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BUTTERCUP IN HER ROOM

She hears the SOUND, doesn't know what it is, but her arms involuntarily go around her body to try to control the trembling, and the scream, still builds and –

CUT TO:

ESTABLISHING SHOT ACROSS THE RIVER.

There are many PEOPLE – it is the day of the country's 500th Anniversary – but all the People stop as the sound hits them. A few CHILDREN pale, bolt toward their PARENTS and –

CUT TO:

INIGO AND FEZZIK

Trying to make their way through the jammed marketplace, which suddenly quiets as the fading sound comes through.

INIGO

(instantly)

Fezzik, Fezzik, listen, do you hear? – That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when Rugen slaughtered my father. The Man in Black makes it now.

FEZZIK

The Man in Black?

INIGO

His true love is marrying another tonight, so who else has cause for Ultimate Suffering?

(trying to push through)

Excuse me –

It's too crowded.

INIGO

Pardon me, it's important –

No one budges and the sound is fading faster.

INIGO

Fezzik, please –

Fezzik, gigantic and roaring.

FEZZIK

Everybody... MOVE!!

And the Crowd begins to fall away, and he and Inigo start to track the FADING SOUND.

INIGO

Thank you.

CUT TO:

A GROVE OF TREES NEAR THE PIT OF DESPAIR

The Albino appears wheeling a barrow.

INIGO'S SWORD pushes at his chest.

INIGO

Where is the Man in Black?

The Albino shakes his head, says nothing.

INIGO

You get there from this grove, yes?

(silence)

And Fezzik crunches the Albino on the top of the head as if he had a hammer and was driving in a nail. The Albino drops without a sound.

FEZZIK

(upset)

I'm sorry, Inigo. I didn't mean to jog him so hard. Inigo?

CUT TO:

INIGO

He kneels, the sword held tight between his hands. Eyes closed, he faces the grove of trees, starts to talk, his voice low and strange.

INIGO

Father, I have failed you for twenty years. Now our misery can end. Somewhere... somewhere close by is a man who can help us. I cannot find him alone. I need you. I need you to guide my sword. Please.

And now he rises, eyes still closed.

INIGO

Guide my sword.

CUT TO:

THE GROVE OF TREES

As Inigo, eyes shut tight, walks forward, the great sword held in his hands.

Fezzik, frightened, follows close behind.

CUT TO:

THE SECRET KNOT

That reveals the staircase.

CUT TO:

INIGO

Walking blind through the grove of trees. He moves to the Secret Knot, hesitates, then moves past it.

Then Inigo stops. For a long moment he stands frozen. Suddenly he whirls, eyes still closed, and the sword strikes home dead center into a knot and –

Nothing. He has failed.

In utter despair he collapses against the tree. Against a knot in the tree. Against THE KNOT in the tree. It slides away, revealing the staircase. Fezzik and Inigo look at each other, then start down.

CUT TO:

WESTLEY

Dead by The Machine. Fezzik leans over him, listening for a heartbeat. Then he looks at Inigo, shakes his head.

FEZZIK

He's dead.

Inigo is in despair. For a moment, he just sags.

INIGO

(barely able to speak)

It just is not fair.

THE KID (O.S.)

Grandpa, Grandpa – wait –

CUT TO:

THE KID'S ROOM

He is terribly excited and looks stronger than we've yet seen him.

THE KID

Wait – what did Fezzik mean, "He's dead?" I mean he didn't mean dead.

(Grandfather says nothing, just sits there)

Westley's only faking, right?

GRANDFATHER

You want me to read this or not?

CUT TO:

CLOSEUP – THE KID

THE KID

Who gets Humperdinck?

GRANDFATHER

I don't understand.

THE KID

Who kills Prince Humperdinck? At the end, somebody's got to do it. Is it Inigo? Who?

GRANDFATHER

Nobody. Nobody kills him. He lives.

THE KID

You mean he wins? Jesus, Grandpa! What did you read me this thing for?

And he desperately fights for control.

GRANDFATHER

You know, you've been very sick and you're taking this story very seriously. I think we better stop now.

(starts to get up)

THE KID

(shaking his head)

No! I'm okay. I'm okay.

(gestures toward the chair)

Sit down. All right?

GRANDFATHER

Okay.

(sitting and opening the book again)

All right, now, let's see. Where were we? Oh yes. In the Pit of Despair.

CUT TO:

INIGO

In despair.

(We're back in the Pit, the same shot as before). For a moment, he just sags.

INIGO

Well, we Montoyas have never taken defeat easily. Come along, Fezzik. Bring the body.

FEZZIK

The body?

INIGO

(not stopping)

Have you any money?

FEZZIK

I have a little.

INIGO

I just hope it's enough to buy a miracle, that's all.

As Fezzik takes the corpse, follows Inigo up the stairs –
 

CUT TO:

A HOVEL – DUSK

Inigo, Fezzik, Westley approach the door. They knock. From inside the hovel a little man's voice is heard. If Mel Brooks' 2000 Year Old Man was really old, he'd resemble this guy.

LITTLE OLD GUY (O.S.)

Go away!

Inigo pounds again.

MIRACLE MAX

(opening a small window in the door)

What? What?

INIGO

Are you the Miracle Max who worked for the King all those years?

MIRACLE MAX

The King's stinking son fired me. And thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it? We're closed!

He shuts the window. They rap on the door.