Papillon
1973 Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
Synopsis
Not just a Great Escape. It was the Greatest.
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.
Cast
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Confession 1: This was the first time I watched it.
Confession 2: I'm too stunned by it to say anything coherent other than that it is a powerhouse in each single aspect of filmmaking.
Boy, did I love this one!
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Based on the “true” account of Henri Charriere's numerous attempts of breaking out of a penal colony in Fr. Guiana where he was met with inhumane treatment and the constant threat of death from either starvation or exhaustion, Schaffner's Papillon unites the endlessly cool Steve McQueen with then new-comer Dustin Hoffman. Although it could have easily been made into a sort of bromance type comedy everything is played straight-faced and the entire first half is grim, perfectly capturing the dreadful horror of inescapable work camps. This hell-hole truly deserves the title Devil's Island, be it the physical torture of the labour camp or the terrifying silence of solitary confinement.
McQueen is mostly known for playing a suave hero and while…
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Steve McQueen, what a performance! He gives it everything. Come the end of the movie he is beaten down, old, dirty but not broken. You feel his will to survive every step of the way. Dustin Hoffman is awesome as Dega and the rest of the cast is perfect as well.
The cinematography is just astounding. This film reaffirms my belief that the 70's was the best decade for movies. The jungle, the water, everything looks mad-good.
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By just looking at the cover I was expecting a traditional prison/escape movie. I had high expectations with the two lead actors and the praise this movie gets but it took about 5 seconds to catch me completely off guard. This is a lot more than a typical prison film.
I think the film takes places in the 30's or 40's, with McQueen and Hoffman being sent to jail(takes places in France, and the opening scenes are fantastic). They are being sent to a prison camp on one of France's island colonies.
The film is about two things. The first, and what stands out to me most in these types of films, is the way that men treat each other.…
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Based on the “true” account of Henri Charriere's numerous attempts of breaking out of a penal colony in Fr. Guiana where he was met with inhumane treatment and the constant threat of death from either starvation or exhaustion, Schaffner's Papillon unites the endlessly cool Steve McQueen with then new-comer Dustin Hoffman. Although it could have easily been made into a sort of bromance type comedy everything is played straight-faced and the entire first half is grim, perfectly capturing the dreadful horror of inescapable work camps. This hell-hole truly deserves the title Devil's Island, be it the physical torture of the labour camp or the terrifying silence of solitary confinement.
McQueen is mostly known for playing a suave hero and while…
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A journey of friendship, hope and trust. Beyond a prison break movie. Great characters accompanied by a fun, extensive and lengthy story.
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Love. That. Movie. I loved that it took it’s time, while not wasting any on wrong sentiment. A great movie about deep friendship when everyone just cares about themselves, strong mindedness and mental toughness.
The only thing in the negative column would be the hideous makeup in various places, which took me a few times out of the movie.
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One of the better prison dramas because it is based on fact.One of the few films Steve McQueen in not uber cool.
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A gritty film largely about the tenacity of the human spirit that if it has a failing, it's that it's two stars seem to be inhabiting different films. I'm not the biggest Dustin Hoffman fan. He can be quite impressive, but he's a fussy, somewhat mannered actor that can mistake props for character. In "Papillon", his Coke bottle glasses seem to set the entire tone for his character, which doesn't sit very comfortable next to McQueen's naturalistic approach. Still ... an excellent film.
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A fascinating
prison film – I wonder why
No one speaks the French ? -
An entertaining adventure, but Papillon is hardly a film for the ages. From his shoddy ability to show the passage of time to a couple wretched dream sequences, Schaffner makes questionable choices that keep his film from feeling accomplished. Above all, the runtime's insanely bloated. I'm sure the film could go without any number of things like a montage of Steve McQueen cavorting with an island girl.
The fact that this is regarded as McQueen's best performance suggests what an oxymoron that is. He and Dustin Hoffman are believable buddies, but neither is strong here. Lovely, varied photographed and Jerry Goldsmith's score are the strongest assets. I'm frankly surprised Goldsmith managed an Oscar nomination, even though his score is magical, since it's not in use for the vast majority of the film.
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An ostensibly true film about a jail break from a brutal French/Guyana island prison. Steve McQueen is Papillon, a man who may or may not be a murderer, but is willing to throw his life away trying to run for freedom. Dustin Hoffman is imprisoned for counterfeiting and becomes his friend/financier/co-escapee. A few things about this film stand out - the cinematography is gorgeous, for one. The islands, the jungles, the boats, even the cruel solitary cell they put Papillon in are very interesting to look at. I liked that there was a gay character who was not mincing in any way, and was rather intimidating in his own way, so the film tended away from stereotypes. But the most…
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The true life story about this movie is fascinating. The movie itself is way too long and boring a majority of the time.