A man known as Papillon (Steve McQueen) is wrongly convicted of murder and sent to a French prison colony in South America, before forging an unlikely friendship with another inmate, Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman). The pair begin to plot their escape while simultaneously battling barbaric conditions, harsh punishments and plenty of betrayal along the way. Papillon is rightfully regarded as one of the finer releases of the 1970’s. It’s worth noting that the movie is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Writers: Dalton Trumbo, Lorenzo Semple Jr, Henri Charriere
Starring: Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and based on the memoirs of Henri Charriere, Papillon was originally released in December 1973, spawning a well-received remake in 2017 that starred both Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek – a movie reviewed previously on the website – Papillon (2017). A strength of Papillon would have to be the cinematography on display, which manages to give the movie a beautifully bold and memorable look. The filmmakers used a range of easy on the eye locations, with many of the opening scenes shot in Spain, while Jamaica and the French town of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni were also utilised.

Another standout aspect of the picture would be the emotional weight the flick carries. Papillon doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal reality of its story, and as a viewer, you can’t help but feel the harshness of what the characters are forced to endure. The desperation, the struggles, and the fight for freedom they happen to go through, all hit hard, pulling you into the characters themselves, making you emotionally involved in their journey.

With that being said, there were some negatives within Papillon. The first half of the film manages to shine, packed with engaging, fresh, and interesting moments that immediately draw you in and keep your attention. As the story progresses into the second half, however, the momentum starts to fade, with several scenes feeling noticeably slower in pace and stretched longer than necessary. The mammoth runtime of one-hundred and sixty-one minutes ultimately works against the film, leaving it feeling a little heavier and more drawn out than it perhaps needed to be.

In terms of the cast, Steve McQueen stars as the lead man, Henri ‘Papillon’ Charriere, commanding a large majority of screentime, while Dustin Hoffman adopts the role of Louis Dega, lending plenty of support. The two characters together give the film some of its strongest moments, with the pair sharing great chemistry.

All in all, Papillon is a tough, survival-based prison drama that isn’t perfect, but still manages to boast many positives, as well as a large amount of emotional weight. The first half is fast, entertaining and equally as gripping, while the second half tapers somewhat, yet the story is strong enough to make you determined to see how things play out. Even decades on, Papillon is widely regarded as one of the best movies released in the 1970’s, and as previously noted, Papillon (2017), the modern-day remake, has also been reviewed on the website. It’s worth noting that Papillon is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

“Hey you bastards, I’m still here!”

Papillon – Papillon