Movie spotlight
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.
Wrongfully convicted of murder, French safecracker Henri "Papillon" Charrière is sentenced to life imprisonment at the notorious Devil's Island penal colony. Despite the brutal conditions and relentless attempts to escape, Papillon's indomitable spirit and his unlikely friendship with counterfeiter Louis Dega fuel his unwavering determination to achieve freedom. The film chronicles his numerous daring escape attempts over a span of 14 years.
Papillon was a box office success and generally received positive reviews, with particular praise for the performances of its lead actors and its epic scope. While some critics found its narrative somewhat conventional, many lauded its intense portrayal of survival and the human spirit against overwhelming odds.
Praised for Steve McQueen's charismatic performance and the film's grand, adventurous scope.
The brutal depiction of prison life and the theme of unwavering hope resonated with audiences.
Some critics noted a familiar adventure-story structure beneath the grit.
Google audience: Audiences lauded the compelling performances of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, the film's epic scope, and its inspiring story of survival and friendship. Many found it a gripping and memorable adventure.
Nominated for one Academy Award (Best Cinematography) and one Golden Globe Award (Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Steve McQueen).
Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman reportedly underwent significant physical transformations and endured harsh conditions during filming to authentically portray their characters' suffering and resilience.
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**A classic film with a remarkable story and great actors.** This is a work that almost everyone remembers if the theme is films about the prison environment. It's a classic that takes us to a universe of pain, suffering, deprivation and...
Steve McQueen is superb as unlucky safe-cracker Henri "Papillon" Charrière, an innocent man convicted of murder and sentenced to imprisonment in the French penal colony at French Guiana. Once there, he learns quickly to appreciate the sheer...
_**The living hell of a penal colony in equatorial South America during the 30s**_ Henri Charrière’s account of his experiences from 1933-1945 involving the penal colony of Cayenne in French Guiana, South America, are chronicled, includi...
Although present for much of the filming, author Henri Charriere didn't live to see the release of PAPILLON (1973), which was based on his allegedly autobiographical novel. The veracity of what he recounts has been questioned virtually sinc...
Grim and authentic telling of Henri "Papillon" Charrière's time at Devil's Island. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet Of The Apes/Patton), Papillon is adapted for the screen by Dalton Trumbo & Lorenzo Semple Jr. from notorious Fre...
Grim and authentic telling of Henri "Papillon" Charrière's time at Devil's Island. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet Of The Apes/Patton), Papillon is adapted for the screen by Dalton Trumbo & Lorenzo Semple Jr. from notorious Fr...