Papillon

Usually, after reading a long book filled with many interesting adventures, watching a two-hour film later winds up being a big disappointment. There is no way a film can give you anywhere near the info you glean from a book, especially one over 500 pages as is the case with "Papillion." Yet, despite most of Henri Charriere's incredible feats of survival, ("Papillion" was Charriere's nickname) this movie is above average and basically does the book justice. The movie runs about two-and-a-half hours and gives enough of a flavor to have the viewer appreciate - at least to some degree - the brutal trials and tribulations Papillion went through in real life.

If you enjoyed this film, the book is a "must-read" for you and very highly-recommend You won't believe all the things Charriere experienced: good and bad. In real life, the man escaped something like eight times and each time went through hell.

Steve McQueen, playing "Papillion," was excellent. He was particularly good at showing the physical effects of years of solitary confinement. By the way, in real life, Charriere was much younger went sent to jail than McQueen was at the time this movie was shot. Papillion should have been played by a younger actor, but who's going to complain when you get an actor of McQueen's caliber?

Dustin Hoffman also was great as Papillion's friend, "Louis Dega," who had a bigger role in the movie than he did in the book. For the most part, Papillion had a number of friends, all helping him over the years. Hoffman also provided some good comic relief to the movie and, heaven knows, it needed it. Take it from someone who has read the book: this is a grim story, worse than what you saw on screen here.

Nevertheless, thanks to the two leading actors and the wonderful work by Director Franklin Schaffner and Cinematograher Fred Koenekamp, this long film entertained. No, it wasn't the caliber of the book, but it's didn't insult it, either, and is definitely worth a look.

Henri 'Papillon' Charriere, was a lifetime inmate under the French government's harsh penal system in French Guiana. In his declining years he wrote his memoirs describing his years of incarceration, his cruel mistreatment and daring, multiple escapes. Weather or not he was the actual character of his own book, is disputed to this day. But the fact that he was an inmate is true enough and fits in with the actual site which came to be known as 'Devil's Island.' Court records indicate that Henri Charriere (Steve McQueen) later called " Papillon " which is french for Butterfly, was indeed a minor burglar and safe cracker. His claim he was innocent of murder, may be true enough, due to an unreliable source accusing him in court, yet producing little supporting evidence. Nevertheless, the infamous thief was given a twenty year sentence, which was extended due to his numerous escapes. During his imprisonment, he becomes lifelong friends with an equally famous treasury forger named Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman). Don Gordon (a real life friend of McQueen) plays Julot, an experienced prisoner with his own intentions of escape. Anthony Zerbe is hideously interesting as Toussaint, a ravaged leper, who aids escaping prisoners. The entire film is one remarkable story and becomes an incredible journey, one which transcends the screen and offers audiences, the raw reality of life under the most severe and brutal penal systems in the world. The infamous 'Devil's Island ' today has become synonymous with a hellish place of unspeakable conditions. A fantastic movie for those in search of true-life Classic. ****

Watching Papillon today it occurred to me that the film it most resembles is Birdman of Alcatraz. Both Steve McQueen and Burt Lancaster were sent to prison for murder convictions although allegedly McQueen was innocent. Both were based on true characters who wrote, in the case of Lancaster ghost wrote, their own memoirs of their time in the joint and the films are based on those books. And certainly both men were rebel spirits.

In Lancaster's case it's an internal rebellion against the rules of the penal system. Of course in the work he did developing those bird remedies, he rehabilitated himself in a way that 'the system' did not understand.

But in the case of Henri Charriere aka Papillon for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, he just wants out of the penal colony at Devil's Island and makes many attempts to get shed of the place. The film is about his many attempts and his refusal to quit no matter what is done to break him. Devil's Island in the Thirties was not any better than it was when Alfred Dreyfus was doing his time in the tropical prison. Still McQueen is resourceful enough as you will see.

McQueen though he's far from French has the rebel persona that really fits this part. Had he been younger and this been a French production I could have seen Jean Gabin in the role. It's one of McQueen's best roles and he holds your interest throughout this nearly three hour film.

Leading an impressive supporting cast is Dustin Hoffman who plays what we would now call a white collar criminal. He becomes a devoted acolyte of McQueen seeing he's going to need friends himself if he's to survive Devil's Island. He also wants to escape in the worst possible way.

Later on we see Hoffman in a different light as if completing the Birdman of Alcatraz analogy, Hoffman's role is similar to that of Telly Savalas who's a tough character when we first meet him in Birdman, but later becomes acclimated to prison life. Hoffman has worked himself into a nice situation relatively speaking on the Island and has resigned himself that this is his home for better or worse. It's a very good performance by Hoffman as his character changes during the film.

I'd really recommend seeing both Birdman of Alcatraz and Papillon back to back. It's a good prison doubleheader for a rainy afternoon.

I saw "Papillon" on its initial release in 1973 and I found on rewatching recently that I had forgotten most of it. I am not sure what that says about the film, but after decades I was only left with the general impression that a prisoner's life on Devil's Island was horrible.

The story is true to some degree. Whatever its authenticity, the film is impressive in its depiction of a horrible reality--for Devil's Island did exist. And it is a filmic testament to the human spirit and its desire for freedom. Much of the credit goes to Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, who played the two leads. If one is measuring McQueen's acting ability, it might be wise to start with his portrayal of the titular Papillon. Hoffman, on the other hand, has many other tours de force to his credit.

Among the canon of prison films, "Papillon" is certainly first rate. Personally, I prefer "Cool Hand Luke" or "Bridge on the River Kwai", but "Papillon" presents a stark captivity with little dialogue, relying on the camera's close investigation of the minutiae of daily existence as reflected in the prisoners' faces and their bearing. Did McQueen or Hoffman deserve the Oscar for Best Actor? They might have split the vote if both were nominated, but each probably deserved a nomination.

This movie is a punch in the stomach, really shocking, the makeup, scenery, clothing, performances especially Steve Mcqueen, are amazing.

I was really intrigued watching the movie and couldn't stop thinking, why do we humans subject ourselves to degrading situations like that? The disproportion of the crime committed to the penalty, subjecting the individual to madness. For anyone like us who has never experienced life in prison, some scenes are sometimes revolting, as much as it is there, something legal in terms of law, I believe that it is not morally acceptable to subject people to such misery and suffering, in my view it would be death is better than literally losing mental control, physical health in every aspect.

Anyway, the film portrays very well what happened on Devil's Island, really shocking, it reminded me a little. Idi i smotri (1985), a film from which I was really uncomfortable with such fidelity to reality.