Papillon (1973)

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (screenplay) and
Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 diciembre 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biografía | Crime | Drama

Frase comercial:

The greatest adventure of escape ever filmed!

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Spirit | Jail | Poignant | Corrupt Prison Officials | Counterfeit

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Unflinching look at brutal penal colony...gripping but exhausting...

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	Henri 'Papillon' Charriere
Dustin Hoffman	...	Louis Dega
Victor Jory	...	Indian Chief
Don Gordon	...	Julot
Anthony Zerbe	...	Toussaint
Robert Deman	...	Maturette
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Clusiot
Bill Mumy	...	Lariot
George Coulouris	...	Dr. Chatal
Ratna Assan	...	Zoraima
William Smithers	...	Warden Barrot
Val Avery	...	Pascal
Gregory Sierra	...	Antonio
Vic Tayback	...	Sergeant (as Victor Tayback)
Mills Watson	...	Guard

Duración:

150 min

País:

USA | France

Idioma:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sonido:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Clasificación:

Australia:M | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | South Korea:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Brazil:12 | Canada:14A (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-18 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1974) | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) (cut) | West Germany:16 | UK:15 (video rating) (2000) | USA:PG (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Jamaica

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Trivialidades:

Although billed as a true story, the French in French Guiana claim that much of the story of Henri Charrière (Papillon) is fabricated. Papillon was documented to have been incarcerated in Saint Laurent and may have escaped from there, but he never served any time on the Devil's Islands (now known as Iles du Salut or Salvation Islands). The book and movie both present Devil's Island as having rocky cliffs, when in fact, though the entire island is rocky, it gently slopes into the surrounding sea.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: A harness is clearly visible on Papillon's midsection as he helps Dega over the wall.

Quotes:

Dega: A temptation resisted is a true measure of character.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Last Shot (2004)

Unflinching look at brutal penal colony...gripping but exhausting...

Brutal treatment in a penal colony has been explored on the screen before in such earlier films as I WAS A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG, but never has there been a more graphic expose of the sort of conditions prisoners faced under the worst sort of environment.

At times the film is extremely harrowing to watch, and at other times the story tends to drag a little. But there can be no doubt that STEVE McQUEEN and DUSTIN Hoffman create believable and sympathetic (yet quirky) characterizations and do some of the finest acting of their careers. Their roles are physically demanding and always played with total conviction.

Not for the squeamish, but extremely well acted by the entire cast, great location photography and a nice background score by Jerry Goldsmith. The first half of the story is much more compelling than what happens in the final years and the last half-hour of the film is a bit sluggish in pacing. But overall, a memorable escape film that ranks with the best of other escape stories.

My first viewing of the film years ago made an indelible impression on me, but I must confess that later viewings convinced me that it is not exactly flawless in that the pacing is sometimes much too slow and the ending is somewhat unsatisfying.