Papillon
1973 · Movie · PG · 151 min · ★ 7.8 · 66% critics
A man befriends a fellow prisoner as they endure brutal days on a dreadful island prison. As their sentence grinds on, the two develop plans that turn survival into a relentless push for escape.
Based on Papillon
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Details
- Years
- 1973
- Release date
- 1973-12-16
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 151 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 66/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.8/10 (2,123 votes)
- Box office
- $53,267,000
- Budget
- $12,000,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy Papillon if you want a grim, story-driven prison escape tale with strong lead performances and intense endurance; Not for you if you dislike bleak confinement stories like Cool Hand Luke or Escape from Alcatraz.
Pros: gritty prison drama; gripping performances; inspiring escape drive | Cons: can feel too long; relentless harshness; pacing complaints
Themes
- prison
- escape
- prison escape
- jungle
- solitary confinement
- based on memoir or autobiography
- remote island
- leper colony
- labor camp
- corrupt official
- french colonialism
- devil's island
- +3 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Original Dramatic Score · 1974 · nominated
Cast & crew
Steve McQueen
as Henri "Papillon" Charriere
Dustin Hoffman
as Louis Dega
Victor Jory
as Indian Chief
Don Gordon
as Julot
Anthony Zerbe
as Toussaint
Robert Deman
as Maturette
Woodrow Parfrey
as Clusiot
Bill Mumy
as Lariot
George Coulouris
as Dr. Chatal
Ratna Assan
as Zoraima
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner