Papillon

1973

Action / Biography / Crime / Drama

109
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 73% · 33 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 90% · 25K ratings
IMDb Rating 8.0/10 10 145402 145.4K

prison escape prison escape jungle solitary confinement based on memoir or autobiography

Director

Franklin J. Schaffner Photo
Franklin J. Schaffner

Top cast

Victor Jory Photo
Victor Jory as Indian Chief
Fred Sadoff Photo
Fred Sadoff as Deputy Warden
Dustin Hoffman Photo
Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega
Steve McQueen Photo
Steve McQueen as Henri 'Papillon' Charriere
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 2160p.BLU.x265
1.35 GB
1280*534
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles nl  
23.976 fps
2 hr 30 min
Seeds 17
2.16 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles nl  
23.976 fps
2 hr 31 min
Seeds 67
6.75 GB
3840*2160
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles nl  
23.976 fps
2 hr 30 min
Seeds 17

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 9 / 10

island of madness

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.
Reviewed by atlasmb 8 / 10

A Stark Depiction of Captivity, Mostly True

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.
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