Warner Bros. | 1973 | 151 mins. | PG
Based on a best seller by the late Frenchman Henri Charriere, who claimed it was a true story, Papillon offers a lot to like. Compared to today’s blockbusters, with their explosions and CGI trickery, Papillon is the kind of over-the-top, escapist adventure Hollywood used to excel at. The film features solid performances, gorgeous camera work, and some genuinely exciting moments. All of which serves to make its overall mediocrity all the more disappointing.
While Papillon occasionally soars, its 150-minute running time, false endings, and countless repetitions make it hard to stay fully engaged. Papillon is an exhausting film; a prison drama featuring two of the biggest stars of the 1970’s—Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman—I was thrilled when Papillon escaped Devil’s Island (played by McQueen) escaped Devil’s Island. Not because he was free; the film was finally over!
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet of the Apes, Patton) the story begins in France. A group of prisoners are marched onto an ocean liner that will take them to a brutal penal colony in a remote part of South America. Among the prisoners is Charrière (Steve McQueen), nicknamed Papillon (“Butterfly”), an honorable thief and safecracker framed for the murder of a pimp.
Once he gets on the boat, Papillon offers to a wealthy prisoner Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman), from the rest of the population. In exchange, Dega has to underwrite Papillon’s escape once they reach French Guyana. The two men strike a deal—and form and unlikely friendship—Papillon is a man of action, and a strong physical presence, while Dega is a sly intellectual, a small man with coke bottle glasses.
McQueen and Hoffman are clearly comfortable in their roles. McQueen exudes the brutish, cool, machismo that made him famous. He’s always right in the middle of trouble, his face creased in a perpetual squint. Hoffman’s Dega is a fragile man thrust into a very violent world. He spends his time trying to stay out of trouble and keep his glasses intact.
When Papillon is ordered to serve two years in solitary confinement after an escape attempt, Dega sends in two coconuts to supplement his paltry food supply, a serious violation of the rules. When Papillion refuses to finger Dega as his source of food, the guards inflict incredible acts of deprivation and punishment on the prisoner. Yet, even as he wastes away to a mere shell of himself, Papillon steadfastly refuses to name his friend.
The director, along with legendary screenwriters Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr.clearly wanted to present Papillon’s behavior in a heroic manner. While they may have shown flashes of that, the drawn out nature of it all makes him more willful than brave. Even his friendship with Dega is forced; born out of convenience, not any heartfelt connection.
After Papillon’s health is restored and he’s released back into the general population, he plans another escape. Only then, does the film get a real surge of energy. For two-thirds of its running time, Papillon moves at a glacial pace, with only brief bursts of action. When Papillon, Dega, and a third attempt their difficult escape, it’s clear that’s what everything else has been working towards. Shaffner’s directorial style shifts into high gear and McQueen and Hoffman kick things up a notch. It’s impossible to deny that Papillion boasts one of the greatest prison escapes ever committed to film. Papillon and Dega avoid bullets, go through jungles, sail across the ocean, and face encounters with a leper colony, a bounty hunter, an indigenous tribe and the Honduran army.
That would have been the perfect ending. Unfortunately, the film goes on and…on. When Without ruining the conclusion, which does eventually come, Papillon and Dega are separated and then reunited for one last fateful decision. However, by the time that happens, it’s difficult to remember why their lives are intertwined.
Warner has released Papillion on Blu-ray at at 2.40:1. The first 20 minutes or so of the film show some random blurriness, slight noise, heavy grain and possible DNR use. However, the last two hours is something else entirely. Shot after shot looks like it could have been filmed this year! While colors are a somewhat dulled on occasion, the picture shows no wobble, and there is no dirt or debris to be found.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix does the job, but it’s nothing overly exciting. It’s not what you would call enveloping. Dialogue is clear and concise throughout. There’s no static or hiss, no crackles or pop, and no problems with volume levels being inconsistent. Bass levels are solid. The rear speakers don’t get much to do here, except convey the Jerry Goldsmith music.
There are three subtitle options: English (subtitled for the deaf and hard of hearing), Spanish, and French.
We get the following special features:
There are no new goodies here. All of them were previously released on the 1999 DVD.
- The Magnificent Rebel (SD, 12 min) – A 1973 mini-documentary, and behind the scenes feature. This feature is fantastic, a promotional tool for the film, as well as a chronicle of the filming.
- Theatrical Trailer (SD, 4 min) – This…is not your traditional trailer! A fun bit of vintage film history.
- Digibook The Blu-ray comes encased in a hardcover book. Similar to Warner’s other digibook releases, it contains 32 pages with color photographs, information about the film, and cast bio’s.
