I love this movie - first saw it in the 80s. However, I recently saw it on TV and the part where Westley raises his hand to hit Buttercup jarred me. I didn't remember that part from before, but it bothered me. I suppose it was balanced when Buttercup pushed Westley down the hill, but Westley's initial action felt out of place. Anybody else bothered by that?
Otherwise, great movie!
Yeah, it's terrible. It turns out women everywhere throughout time, even in fiction and fantasy, face fear, violence, and limited control over their own lives.
"Why is it that every time I need to get somewhere I get waylaid by jackassery?"
I think you are reading too much into it.
He couldn't call her a 'man', and 'human' sounds weird.
Using word 'one' would make it sound anachronistic.
I think you are reading too much into it.But he could have said "person".
He couldn't call her a 'man', and 'human' sounds weird.
Nope. Didn't feel out of place for me. All of that was part of his Pirate Roberts act. He kind of didn't want her to know that he's Westley. That was one of a few reasons why he was so nasty to her in the beginning. He also thought she lied to him and quickly forgot him, which maybe caused him to overreact in that scene as well. All in all I thought the raised backhand and the misogynistic line were part of his hardass pirate captain persona rather than his true feelings.
shareI think people also forget this is a medieval setting. Misogyny was the thing. I have never felt it to be out of place or out of character. I think it's being read into far too much.
sharesexist
shareCalm down there floydk37 seriously.
You tree huggin liberal commies have to hate on everything even when it is a fantasy movie!
PC police!!! PC police!!!! Run for the hills!
In the book, he actually strikes her, and when she opens her to mouth to protest, he raises his hand to strike her a second time at which point she simply stops talking.
shareWow, I never knew that because I didn't read the book, MtnMan 13. So I am grateful they didn't go that far!
I know it is just a movie but the Westley/Buttercup relationship was supposed to be a romantic one. I understand that at that point he was acting like a callous pirate. However, it was challenging for me to see Westley the same way after that because of the threat of violence.
Anyway, it's still a great movie otherwise. My favorite characters are not Westley and Buttercup anyway, but Fezzik and Inigo!
The movie plays things a lot straighter than the book. In the book, the characters come across as rather shallow and full of themselves since it was a parody of fairytales rather than being a fairytale in its own right, which is how the movie portrays it.
As for Westley, slapping Buttercup wasn't the worst thing he did. On the contrary, he committed mass murder under the guise of the Dread Pirate Roberts. This is somewhat glossed over in the book and movie, but the implication is definitely there.
That raised hand don't bothered me much - because whole scene is blatantly sexist and wrongful. I mean, at that moment we all know this is Westley, and this his first worlds for his long-lost love, and what we hear? "How dare you not grief anymore for your dead beloved, how dare you marry other man?" Five years he knew she would consider him dead and five years he doesn't care for her feelings, for her grief, he doesn't try to let her know he's still alive. No, he was simply enjoyed his pirate life. But when she became bride of a prince, he returned home at once and speak mean to his beloved. This not true love at all, not any love - this is only jealousy. Westley acted like owner who feels that his property is under the threat.
I hate this movie and this is most hateful moment.
It is a little weird. I think if he had said when someone lies it wouldn't have lost any meaning but been a little less strange.
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Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that I'll be over here looking through your stuff.