Papillon (1973)

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.

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (screenplay), Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay)

Stars:

Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Jory

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

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

Storyline

A semi-fictional account of Henri Charrière's time in the penal system in French Guyana - some of it spent on infamous Devil's Island - is presented. It's the early 1930s. Charrière - nicknamed Papillon because of his butterfly tattoo - and Louis Dega are two among many who have been convicted in the French judicial system, they now being transferred to French Guyana where they will serve their time, never to return to France even if they are ever released. A safe-cracker by criminal profession, Papillon is serving a life sentence for murdering a pimp, a crime for which he adamantly states he was framed. Dega is a wealthy counterfeiter, who expects his well-to-do wife eventually to get him released. At Papillon's initiative, the duo enters into a business arrangement: Papillon will provide protection for Dega, who, in turn, will finance Papillon's escape attempt. As the two men spend more time together than either had expected, their burgeoning friendship ends up being an important ...

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Plot Keywords:

homosexual interest | prison warden | hopelessness | shot to death | manhunter | 

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Taglines:

"Welcome, to the prison colony of French Guiana, whose prisoners you are and from which there is no escape."

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve McQueen insisted on performing the stunt where he jumps off a cliff. McQueen once said that it was "one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life".

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Goofs

It is highly implausible (and never explained) why the escaped trio would need to sail their boat all the way to Honduras, a country in Central America and several thousand miles away from French-Guiana. Why not sail along the coast due south to Brazil or north-west to Venezuela? In fact, in the autobiographic novel on which the movie is loosely based, Papillon (Henri Charriere) eventually escapes to Venezuela.

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Quotes

Dega: A temptation resisted is a true measure of character.

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Alternate Versions

Some American prints of this film run 132 minutes, instead of 150.

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Connections

Referenced in A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011)

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Soundtracks

Ballet Music from Faust
(uncredited)
Music by Charles Gounod

User Reviews

" How did you know I had dry leprosy? . . . . I didn't"

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. ****

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

France USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 December 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Papillon

Filming Locations:

IES San Fernando, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$53,267,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$53,267,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Corona, General Production Company, Solar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

151 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) Mono (optical prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1