Once Upon a Time…Storybook Love is one of my favourite pieces from Mark Knopfler’s film soundtracks. I featured another favourite soundtrack piece back in 2022 from the movie Local Hero called Going Home, but today we shift our gaze to the beloved fantasy romance The Princess Bride.
We couldn’t get enough of this film when it came out, and then, like a family heirloom, it was passed down to my children. Rob Reiner, who directed the film, had a knack for creating movies filled with endearing and memorable moments, often blending clever comedy with heartfelt storytelling that could be enjoyed by all. Apart from The Princess Bride, Stand by Me, The American President and The Sure Thing come to mind.
Most people who heard the music in the movie, including yours truly, would be forgiven for not recognising that it was composed and performed by one of the world’s great rock guitarists, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.
Who could forget the moment when the first notes of today’s featured piece begin?
The Princess Bride contains so many wonderful rewatchable scenes, and the one that captivated me most was the beginning of the narrated story. I suspect many readers will remember it: the Princess Buttercup (played by Robin Wright) gives her farm boy, Westley (played by Cary Elwes), a series of petty commands, and he dutifully responds each time with the now-iconic phrase, “As you wish.” It is also the moment when this beautiful storybook love theme is introduced.
The scene culminates when Buttercup asks Westley to fetch a pitcher that is right beside her, something she could easily have retrieved herself. As he steps closer and reaches for it, their eyes meet, and she smiles with growing affection and anticipation. And then there is that music. As a teenager, it made the hairs on my arms stand up; it still does all these years later.
When you hear this piece, you can’t help but be impressed by Knopfler’s range and musical sensitivity. To me, it is simply one of the most romantic and sweetest acoustic guitar instrumentals I have ever had the good fortune to hear.
In 1988, Storybook Love – the vocal version written and performed by Willy DeVille and arranged and produced by Mark Knopfler – received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
References:
1. The Princess Bride (soundtrack) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
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