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Papillon (1973)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
16 December 1973 (USA)
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Tagline:
The greatest adventure of escape ever filmed! more
Plot:
A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Escape
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French
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South America
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French Guiana
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Tattoo
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Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 2 wins
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Obituary: Us character actor John Quade dead at 71
(From Monsters and Critics. 14 August 2009, 10:15 AM, PDT)
Sony 'Experiments' with Paul Scheuring's Remake
(From ioncinema. 5 August 2009)
(From Monsters and Critics. 14 August 2009, 10:15 AM, PDT)
Sony 'Experiments' with Paul Scheuring's Remake
(From ioncinema. 5 August 2009)
User Comments:
Unflinching look at brutal penal colony...gripping but exhausting...
more (114 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Steve McQueen | ... | Henri 'Papillon' Charriere |
 | Dustin Hoffman | ... | Louis Dega |
 | Victor Jory | ... | Indian Chief |
| Don Gordon | ... | Julot |
| Anthony Zerbe | ... | Toussaint |
| Robert Deman | ... | Maturette |
 | Woodrow Parfrey | ... | Clusiot |
| Bill Mumy | ... | Lariot |
| George Coulouris | ... | Dr. Chatal |
| Ratna Assan | ... | Zoraima |
 | William Smithers | ... | Warden Barrot |
 | Val Avery | ... | Pascal |
| Gregory Sierra | ... | Antonio |
| Vic Tayback | ... | Sergeant (as Victor Tayback) |
 | Mills Watson | ... | Guard |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
150 min
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) |
Mono (35 mm optical prints)
Certification:
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Canada:AA (Ontario) |
Iceland:16 |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) |
Canada:PA (Manitoba) |
Australia:M |
South Korea:18 |
Canada:14A (video rating) |
Brazil:12 |
Argentina:13 |
Finland:K-18 |
Ireland:18 |
Netherlands:12 |
Norway:15 |
Norway:16 (1974) |
Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) |
Singapore:PG |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 (video rating) (1986) |
UK:AA (original rating) (cut) |
West Germany:16 |
UK:15 (video rating) (2000) |
USA:PG (re-rating on appeal) |
USA:R (original rating)
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Although billed as a true story, the French in French Guiana claim that much of the story of Henri Charrière (Papillon) is fabricated. Papillon was documented to have been incarcerated in Saint Laurent and may have escaped from there, but he never served any time on the Devil's Islands (now known as Iles du Salut or Salvation Islands). The book and movie both present Devil's Island as having rocky cliffs, when in fact, though the entire island is rocky, it gently slopes into the surrounding sea.
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Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: In the last scene as Papillon jumps from the cliff after he throws the bag of coconuts, you can see in the upper left quarter of the frame what seems to be a camera helicopter shooting from another angle.
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Quotes:
Warden Barrot:
Put all hope out of your mind. And masturbate as little as possible, it drains the strength!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Six: The Mark Unleashed (2004)
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FAQ
Is the movie loyal to the original book?more
more (114 total)
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Brutal treatment in a penal colony has been explored on the screen before in such earlier films as I WAS A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG, but never has there been a more graphic expose of the sort of conditions prisoners faced under the worst sort of environment.
At times the film is extremely harrowing to watch, and at other times the story tends to drag a little. But there can be no doubt that STEVE McQUEEN and DUSTIN Hoffman create believable and sympathetic (yet quirky) characterizations and do some of the finest acting of their careers. Their roles are physically demanding and always played with total conviction.
Not for the squeamish, but extremely well acted by the entire cast, great location photography and a nice background score by Jerry Goldsmith. The first half of the story is much more compelling than what happens in the final years and the last half-hour of the film is a bit sluggish in pacing. But overall, a memorable escape film that ranks with the best of other escape stories.
My first viewing of the film years ago made an indelible impression on me, but I must confess that later viewings convinced me that it is not exactly flawless in that the pacing is sometimes much too slow and the ending is somewhat unsatisfying.