Papillon (DVD)

A very good movie!

My all time favorite. Sometimes watching how great acting was makes you truly appreciate the actors. In addition the story is compelling put together so well that it captures you throughout.

There have been many great prison movies over the years that have been made. "Shawshank Redemption" and "Cool Hand Luke" are two that come to mind right off the top of my head. But without a doubt I feel the best of all the prison movies ever made is "Papillon". Based on the autobiography of Henri Charriere, aka Papillon (french for butterfly) for the butterfly tatoo he had on his chest, it stars Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. McQueen had a brillient career with many fine movies to his credits but "Papillon" is I think the best of the best he ever made. This movie also rates among the best films that Dustin Hoffman ever made as well. In a nutshell the movie is about Charriere, a Frenchman, who is a safe cracker who is falsely arrested and convicted of murder. He is sent to serve his sentence at the penal colony in French Guiana. On the boat taking the prisoners to the penal colony Papillon meets Dega played by Hoffman who was convicted of counterfeiting French bonds. Dega is a marked man. The prisoners know he is carrying on him a large amount of cash and they would kill Dega at the first chance they had to get at the money. Papillon works out a deal with Dega to protect him til they get to French Guiana. Once there Dega will under write any attempt Papillon makes to break out of prison. In real life Henri Cherriere attempted 7 or 8 times to escape from the prison. His last attempt at escape was from Devil's Island. He was the first, and I believe the only person, to successfully escape from the island and would go on the live the rest of his life as a free man. The movie due to time constrants only show three of those escape attempts, including the final escape from Devil's Island. What makes this movie the best amoung prison movies is the real life grittiness of prison life. There are points where faint of heart may not be able to watch certain scenes of the movie. But it is the realisticness of prison life there at French Guiana that makes this such a great movie. The harsh starkness of punishment and living conditions the men have to endur leaves you wondering how anyone could survive. Prison life in "Shawshank Redemption" looks delightful in comparison. If I had to come up with a top 5 list of my favorite movies this would be in that list. I highly recommend it.

They don't make NOTHING like this now and deez days!!!

My wife and I will be stopping in French Guiana at Iles du Salut or Salvation Islands during our Viking Cruise. That is why we decided to watch this today already classic prison escape movie. We opted for 1973 version with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, even they also did a remake in 2017. Escape stories always remind me a little bit of my own story of escaping from Czechoslovakia while still under the communist regime. Even I have had relatively decent life comparing to other people, I always thought I was in a prison. I often felt like I could not freely breathe there. I decided to change my life many years ago by risking to be caught and escaped. Later I was actually sentenced for 3 years just for illegally leaving country while already in the safety of my new adapted homeland. I like and compare determinations of protagonists with all risks and ensuing additional punishments who never give up to my own. It was good to see this wonderful movie again after many years. I was just wondering why during the second escape try they were sailing to Honduras, it is too far from French Guiana all way through Caribbean. Henri Charriere talks in the book about Venezuela. The checking on Internet led me to other blunders in the movie. However, instead of listing them I want to tell you, potential viewer, try rather to see a big picture, for example as I described what this wonderful movie reminded me of again.

First, I saw this movie when it first ran with my father. I was quite surprised that he wanted to see it. He also took me to see Bullitt, a McQueen classic, so I suppose he liked McQueen. Or perhaps it was because Dad, who was imprisoned by the Japanese in WWII, understood brutality and the desire for freedom, and wanted to impress this on me. Anyway, that is one of the reasons I like this movie. Certainly, the extreme brutality of the French Guiana prison system does not contribute much to an enjoyable or fun filled viewing experience. Instead it provides the vehicle for great actors to show that the human spirit can be indomitable, especially when love is in the heart. The contrast between Steve McQueen's character, Henri Charriere or Papillon (Butterfly), and Dustin Hoffman's character, Louis Degas, as they survive the extreme rigors is a great part of the art of this movie. For Papillon, it is the love of freedom that drives him, the great reward worth very great risk. The love of true friendship is not far behind and causes considerable conflict in his mind. How many of us would willing choose to honor friendship over torture, half rations, solitary confinement in darkness and our very survival? Do I have a friendship worth eating cockroaches to keep? Although this movie is based upon the real story of Henri Charriere, that really isn't relevant to enjoying the movie. The keys for me are the wonderful performances of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman who are supported by marvelous character acting, fine directing, excellent cinematography, stunning locations, and an engrossing story. That the average viewer rates this as four stars must be due to the brutality, and that solitary confinement is necessarily slow. Perhaps, in this age of vivid cinematic brutality, it is that this movie is remarkably restrained and understated. It is the very understated last seconds of the film that permit me to rise from viewing it with great satisfaction, so don't quit early.

This is the best movie

Il film Papillon, diretto da Franklin J. Schaffner, è un classico del cinema d’avventura e carcerario, basato sull’autobiografia di Henri Charrière. Steve McQueen interpreta il protagonista Henri “Papillon” Charrière, mentre Dustin Hoffman è Louis Dega, un falsario timido e intelligente con cui Papillon stringe un legame profondo. Papillon è un’opera potente e coinvolgente, che unisce spettacolo e introspezione. Un cult imperdibile per gli amanti del cinema classico e delle storie di resilienza.

Todo un clásico hasta que se me hizo tenerla por el precio correcto.

娯楽性ばかりが先行しているハリウッド映画に飽きた人には、是非観て頂きたいです 役者の役者を越える演技と存在感は、凄みさえ感じました あの二人は特別です ハリウッドの黄金期の映画です 音楽効果も良くて、古い作品ですがお薦めします

And very well acted by both Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman and in fact all the cast. It certainly holds your attention throughout its entirety. Its about two prisoners who are sentenced to life imprisonment in the brutal penal system in French Guiana. Henri "Papillon" Charriere and Louis Dega form an unlikely friendship becoming firm friends. Papillon has been falsely imprisoned for murdering a pimp and Louis for forgery and embezzlement. The film follows their adventures in the sadistic jungle labor camp with various attempts at escape, some more successful than others including a prolonged escape to British Honduras in a boat. Louis breaks his ankle and is re-captured when they land on the beach but Papillon escapes again spending a long time with a native tribe as free man. He wakes up one morning to find himself along with the whole tribe mysteriously gone just leaving him with a small sack of pearls. Papillon tries to make his way across the island and finds himself at a convent where he asks the Mother Superior for refuge but she turns him in to the French Authorities. Papillon is sentenced to five years in solitary confinement and when he comes out is apparently a greying old man hardly able to walk. He is moved to Devils Island, where is meets Louis again. He spends his days at the top of a cliff, watching the waves crashing into the rocks below but forms another idea and daring plan for escape. This time he ties coconuts together into a raft and tries to persuade Dega to do the same but is unable to fully persuade him. Papillon hugs Louis goodbye for the last time on the cliff, then jumps himself into the ocean and lies on top of the coconut raft where he is carried out to sea. Apparently he makes it to the main land and spends the last 11 years of the his as a free man - good for him. We do not hear what becomes of Louis Dega. The infamous French penal system is closed down. There are some closing scenes showing the buildings derelict and overgrown with jungle.