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Papillon

Play trailer Poster for Papillon PG Released Dec 16, 1973 2h 30m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
73% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Convicted murderer Henri Charriere (Steve McQueen), known as "Papillon" for his butterfly chest tattoo, is transported to French Guiana to serve his sentence in a work camp. Determined to escape, Papillon forms an unlikely relationship with the frail but notorious forger Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman), who reluctantly joins in the attempt. Despite the harshness of solitary confinement, brutal conditions and constant threats of betrayal, Papillon leads a desperate escape off the island.
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Papillon

Critics Reviews

View All (33) Critics Reviews
Paul D. Zimmerman Newsweek It is a tournament of brutality unrelieved by imagination. Feb 10, 2022 Full Review Judith Crist New York Magazine/Vulture It drags on for two-and-a-half hours... to show us that the talents of even Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen can be buried under endless restatement of the obvious and that the best of adventure stories can be attenuated into boredom. Jun 29, 2020 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) The narrative is epic and life-spanning...The locations are stunning...and the surreal touches...add to the sense of a highly original art-movie spectacular. Rated: 4/5 Sep 14, 2018 Full Review George Anderson Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steve McQueen gives his most ambitious performance and Dustin Hoffman is fine as always. Sep 24, 2024 Full Review Russell Davies Observer (UK) [Papillon] offers the audience-ensuring presence of Steve McQueen in the title role. His Bullitt-head is unlikely to keep them swooning for two-and-a-half hours, however. Not these two-and-a-half hours, anyway. Sep 27, 2023 Full Review Michael Billington Birmingham Post I must say it left me depressed. The reason is, I think, the film's masochistic delight in pain, degradation and humiliation. Sep 27, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Shaun R Very good. Captures the pain, struggles, filth and mental devastation better than most films. A film that doesn’t get the recognition nowadays. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/17/24 Full Review Audience Member IHR EXISTIERT FÜR UNS NICHT MEHR Papillon wird für den Mord an einem Zuhälter nach Französisch-Guiana in ein Arbeitslager gebracht. Für ihn zählt nur ein Gedanke, Flucht und um die zu bewerkstelligen braucht er viel Geld und Freunde. Doch Krankheiten, Verräter und die Natur selbst stellen sich ihm immer wieder in den Weg. Papillon von 1973 geht ca. 151 Minuten und ist ab 16 Jahren freigegeben. Wir haben hier ein Drama mit Steve McQueen in der Hauptrolle als titelgebenden Protagonisten. Dieses Werk strotzt vor fantastischen Orten, schön inszenierten Bildern und vor Charakteren die sich schnell einprägen. Grob runtergerissen geht es immer wieder darum das Papillon flieht und geschnappt wird. Das ganze passiert 3-4x, natürlich passiert die Flucht immer auf eine andere Weise, aber das er geschnappt wird hat oft einen einfachen Grund, Verrat. Ob es nun zwielichtige Händler oder die liebe Nonne ist, man kann niemanden vertrauen. Die Handlung lässt sich zu dem viel Zeit uns in langen Bildern die Einsamkeit, Verzweiflung aber auch Hoffnung und den Fall von Papillon einzufangen. Die erste Stunde verging fast im Flug, doch die nächste zog sich leider. McQueen ist zwar ein echtes Brett wenn man ihn in seinen Wahn in Einzelhaft sieht, aber im ganzen dauert einfach alles zu lang. Das Finale zeigt uns Papillon wie er ungebrochen seinen Freiheitsdrang nach geht und dafür einen letzten Versuch unternimmt der ihn umbringen könnte, aber welchen Unterschied würde das schon machen? Am Ende bleibt ein Streifen das in seinem Gesamtpaket fesselt und beeindruckt, die Charaktere sind nachvollziehbar und die Locations hervorragend. Leider ist er viel zu lang geworden, was den Fluss des Erzählens für mich hemmte. Von mir bekommt der Film 7/10 Punkten. Wer Menschen unwürdiges tut, wird Menschen unwürdig behandelt. So einfach ist es manchmal. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/03/24 Full Review Vrstar V When I was 15 I read the book at home and was totally taken by it, then my mom got also interested in the book and read it as well. Shortly after finishing the book, the movie was released in the cinema and I was seeing it on the big screen together with my mum and it was as breathtaking and good as the book! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/27/24 Full Review Kipher K Watch this movie a few times; the more one does, the more enjoyable it may become. At first, I was confused and not too interested. There is no reason a movie needs to connect with us for the first or even second time. I've given plenty of movies a second or third go. There is a lot going on throughout this movie, but the actors are so good that focusing in on them rather than all the background was helpful the more I watched this movie. Then, as I understood the characters more, the stoylines (all of them) clicked. 1973 Papillon, a good year. Like a good wine, it can require understanding the elements going on! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/05/24 Full Review Tim M Papillon's stark depiction of horrendous prison conditions gets an uplift from the excellent Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, even if some of its dramatic choices aren't always up to snuff. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/12/24 Full Review Paul M How can it be anything other than 5*s, burned into memory from childhood, a fantastic film Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Papillon

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Movie Info

Synopsis Convicted murderer Henri Charriere (Steve McQueen), known as "Papillon" for his butterfly chest tattoo, is transported to French Guiana to serve his sentence in a work camp. Determined to escape, Papillon forms an unlikely relationship with the frail but notorious forger Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman), who reluctantly joins in the attempt. Despite the harshness of solitary confinement, brutal conditions and constant threats of betrayal, Papillon leads a desperate escape off the island.
Director
Franklin J. Schaffner
Producer
Robert Dorfmann, Franklin J. Schaffner
Screenwriter
Henri Charrière, Dalton Trumbo, Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, CBS/Fox
Production Co
Solar Productions, Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
Rating
PG
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 16, 1973, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 1, 2011
Runtime
2h 30m
Sound Mix
Magnetic Stereo 6 Track
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