Papillon (1973)

Directed by

Franklin J. Schaffner

Genre

drama film, biographical film, prison film

Country

France, United States

Runtime

2h 30m

Rated

PG

Rating

7.8 of 10 from 2,139 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A French convict named Papillon is sent to a brutal prison colony in South America. He repeatedly tries to escape with the help of a fellow prisoner, a wealthy forger. The story follows their friendship and struggle for freedom over many years.

bleaktensegrimslow-burnhopefulvisceraldeterminedclaustrophobicsurvivalist

What happens

Papillon is a 1973 historical adventure drama prison film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr. was based on the 1969 autobiography by the French convict Henri Charrière. The film stars Steve McQueen as Charrière ("Papillon") and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega. Because it was filmed at remote locations, the film was expensive for the time ($12 million), but it earned more than twice that in its first year of release. The film's title is French for "Butterfly", referring to Charrière's tattoo and nickname. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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