Film Review: Papillon (1973)

The resonance of certain stories often hinges on the cultural and political climate of their time. In the early 1970s, a period marked by widespread disillusionment with institutional authority and a surging anti-establishment ethos, particularly among younger audiences, narratives about defiance against oppressive systems found fertile ground. Papillon, Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1973 period adventure epic, emerged as a potent symbol of this zeitgeist. Despite mixed critical reception, the film became a cultural touchstone, its tale of a prisoner’s relentless struggle to escape one of history’s most brutal penal systems striking a chord with viewers weary of systemic injustice. The era’s distrust of authority and fascination with rebellious individualism likely amplified its commercial success, cementing its place as a memorable chapter in cinema history.

Based on Henri Charrière’s 1969 autobiographical novel, Papillon recounts the true story of a French safecracker convicted of murder and sentenced to life in the infamous French Guiana penal colony. Charrière, played by Steve McQueen, earns his nickname from the butterfly tattoo on his chest—a motif that becomes both a symbol of hope and a target of curiosity. The film opens in the 1930s, as Charrière is transported from France to French Guiana aboard a ship where he meets Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman), a forger who defrauded investors through phoney National Defence bonds. Dega’s wealth makes him a prime target for exploitation, prompting him to strike a pragmatic deal with Charrière: protection in exchange for financial support. Charrière, meanwhile, harbours dreams of escape, though his first attempt ends in betrayal, leaving him to endure two years of solitary confinement on Saint-Joseph Island. His resilience is tested further when authorities force him to choose between survival and loyalty to Dega, who refuses to name his accomplices. After enduring starvation and psychological torment, Charrière emerges broken but undeterred. A second escape attempt, this time with the reluctant Dega and the resourceful André Maturette (Robert Deman), nearly succeeds but ends in recapture in Colombia. Years later, Charrière is transferred to Devil’s Island, a prison where sharks and treacherous currents deter escape. Yet, his defiance never wavers, culminating in a final, perilous bid for freedom.

Papillon epitomises the kind of ambitious, star-driven epic that Hollywood seemed to abandon in subsequent decades. Produced by Schaffner and French collaborator Robert Dorfmann after a fierce bidding war for the rights to Charrière’s memoir, the film boasted a lavish budget, much of it allocated to reconstructing the penal colony’s grim reality. Filming took place in Spain and Jamaica, with meticulous attention to detail in depicting the harsh landscapes and oppressive structures of French Guiana. The production’s scale and commitment to authenticity—complete with period-accurate costumes, sets, and even staged guillotine executions—underscored its aim to immerse audiences in the protagonist’s ordeal.

At its core, Papillon is a showcase for Steve McQueen, whose career was then at its zenith. Known for action roles in films like Bullitt and The Great Escape, McQueen here proves his versatility. While he shines in the film’s adrenaline-fuelled escape sequences—particularly a daring leap from a cliff—his most compelling work comes in quieter, introspective moments. The scenes of Charrière’s solitary confinement, where McQueen conveys physical emaciation and psychological unraveling with minimal dialogue, reveal an actor capable of profound emotional depth. These performances hint at an untapped dramatic potential, a “what if” scenario cut short by McQueen’s untimely death in 1980.

Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Louis Dega provides a counterpoint to McQueen’s intensity. Dega begins as a self-serving opportunist, his cynicism and greed contrasting with Charrière’s moral ambiguity. Hoffman’s dry wit and sharp-eyed pragmatism make Dega’s evolution—from transactional partner to reluctant ally and, finally, loyal friend—believable and poignant. Their relationship, underscored by mutual respect forged through shared peril, culminates in one of the film’s most affecting scenes: a tearful farewell on Devil’s Island, where Dega, realizing escape is futile, urges Charrière to abandon him. The chemistry between McQueen and Hoffman—two actors of vastly different styles—adds emotional heft to the narrative, elevating it beyond a mere adventure story.

The film’s supporting cast adds layers of nuance. Anthony Zerbe’s disfigured leper colony leader, with his haunting presence, and Victor Jory’s enigmatic native chief, intrigued by Charrière’s tattoo, contribute to the film’s mythic undertones. Gregory Sierra’s fleeting role as a Colombian outlaw who aids Charrière’s escape injects fleeting moments of camaraderie. Behind the camera, Schaffner’s direction balances grandeur with intimacy, aided by Jerry Goldsmith’s understated score. The music, sparse in its early scenes, swells only when necessary, amplifying pivotal moments like Charrière’s solitary confinement and the climactic escape.

Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, a Hollywood blacklist survivor, infused the film with personal resonance. His cameo as a French prison official delivering a speech to inmates mirrors his own experiences of institutional persecution. The script’s condemnation of the penal colony’s brutality and corruption extends beyond its setting, subtly critiquing systemic injustice in broader societal contexts. A late reference to Captain Alfred Dreyfus—a French Jewish officer falsely convicted of treason—draws parallels between historical miscarriages of justice and the film’s themes of innocence and perseverance. Trumbo’s work elevates Papillon from an adventure yarn into a meditation on institutional tyranny.

Papillon reflects the relaxed censorship standards of the early 1970s, featuring graphic violence—a prisoner’s decapitation by guillotine—and unflinching depictions of homosexuality among inmates. Scenes like Charrière and Dega, while on jungle work detail, being ordered to handle a wounded crocodile, which blends visceral horror with dark comedy, exemplify the film’s willingness to confront discomfort while leavening tension with black humour. However, the narrative’s pacing occasionally falters, particularly in the lengthy interlude on a tropical island where Charrière romances a native topless woman (Ratna Assan). Though rooted in Charrière’s embellished memoir, this segment feels overly indebted to Hollywood tropes of “exotic” escapism. Such moments remind viewers that the film, while grounded in historical events, is ultimately a work of fiction.

Nearly half a century later, Papillon’s iconic status was reaffirmed by a 2017 remake starring Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek. However, the newer version’s relative obscurity underscores the original’s enduring appeal. Schaffner’s film remains a testament to a bygone era of Hollywood spectacle and moral urgency—an era when studios invested in ambitious, star-driven projects that blended entertainment with thematic depth. Its success, despite initial critical ambivalence, speaks to the power of stories that resonate with societal anxieties. In an age of fragmented attention spans and franchise-driven blockbusters, Papillon stands as a relic of cinema’s capacity to blend grandeur with humanism, offering a visceral reminder of what it means to fight against impossible odds.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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