X
- 1973
- PG
- Allied Artists Pictures
- 2 h 31 m
- 1973
- PG
- Allied Artists Pictures
- 2 h 31 m
Summary 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.
Directed By: Franklin J. Schaffner
- 1973
- PG
- Allied Artists Pictures
- 2 h 31 m
- 1973
- PG
- Allied Artists Pictures
- 2 h 31 m
Papillon
58
7.9
Where to Watch
Summary 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.
Directed By: Franklin J. Schaffner
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
58
30% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
70% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
58
30% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
70% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Papillon was produced with consummate technical skill and offers brilliant acting by McQueen and Hoffman.
Shaffner has really made an exhilarating movie out of the most dangerously depressing material. [10 Jan 1974, p.56]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 37 User Ratings
7.9
86% Positive
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
14% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 37 User Ratings
7.9
86% Positive
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
14% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Thats a long adventure here in this movie, but the journey of Papillon and Dega is interesting. Both actors are also top.
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Audiences whose expectations do not exceed their grasp will find it a much more comfortable vehicle for escape than any that McQueen & Co. discover on location.
A methodical, pointlessly grueling movie.
With Schaffner unable to find the necessary perspective to prevent the film from becoming unevenly episodic, it ends up looking as if it were tacked together by at least three different directors.
An expensive, exhaustive, 150-mintue odyssey that doesn’t so much conclude as cross the finish line and collapse. It has been outfitted with expensive stars and a glossy production, but it doesn’t really make us care.
No sense of complicity between filmmaker and spectator, no depth, no ambiguity, no production value spared, plenty of running time and pomposity, and a desperate sense of trying to do everything and please everybody.
Much better sounding on paper than it is to sit down and actually watch, "Papillon" honestly wears that fact proudly, as its insistence to test the viewer's patience is kind of the point of the whole film. This is a glum, grueling and at times infuriating look into a harrowing way of life. Putting yourself in the place of anyone in this film is a kind of moral conundrum you never want to spend more than a few minutes feeling your way through. Steve McQueen -- as per usual -- is as watchable as they come, but what really surprised me was just how much he has to exhibit in this. McQueen, is and always will be, the epitome of cool, but "Papillon" shows you facets of his acting tool belt that you don't see as much of in other films. Seeing him as desperate and even as deranged as his character becomes at points in this film is really both humbling and impressive at once. He was most assuredly robbed of an Academy Award nomination here. As for the rest of the film, it gets the job done, sometimes fluctuating between being an arduous and meaningful watch. The ending, though, helps render the journey worthy of a viewing. It is a tad too long for my tastes, however.
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This has some of the worst sound mixing I have ever heard, dialogue is almost impossible to hear over the sound effects in some of the early scenes. I found this pretty scattered overall.
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Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Screen, Germany
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
