Rating: 
Summary: One of McQueen's finest
Review: Papillon is a great movie based on fact that contains many scenes that will stick with you for a long time. Henri Charierre is a safecracker framed for the murder of a pimp and sent to French Guiana, the prison system in South and Central America. Along the way, Papillon meets counterfeiter Louis Dega played to perfection by Dustin Hoffman. The two men struggle to survive amidst the horrible conditions in the prisons. However, the only thing that keeps Papillon alive is the thought of escape and freedom. This is a very bleak movie, at times you might not even recognize McQueen with all the makeup, but the ending does offer hope. The scenes of Papi's solitary confinement and the hallucinations he has while there are very effective and not easily forgotten. Also, the film decides to show prison life as it is. This is not a whitewashed version of it, but instead a fairly graphic depiction of the horrors of the French prison system. Nonetheless, this is still an excellent movie that will keep you interested throughout. Papillon is up there with The Sand Pebbles as Steve McQueen's finest performances. His role as Henri "Papillon" Charierre is fully believable as he attempts over and over again to escape to freedom. Dustin Hoffman is just as good as Louis Dega, the prisoner who hires McQueen to protect him. The two become friends as they try to adjust to their new lives. The friendship between the two men is very good and some of the better parts of the movie involve their relationship. Don Gordon plays Julot, a veteran prisoner who tries to help them adjust. Robert Deman and Woodrow Parfrey are also very good as Maturette and Clusiot, two fellow prisoners who attempt escape with Papillon. I have to add about Jerry Goldsmith's very good score that perfectly fits the film. The DVD offers a widescreen presentation that looks great, a documentary made during filming that contains interviews with cast, crew, and even Henri Charierre, and also the theatrical trailer. This is a very dark movie, but it is still a great character study that never really slows down. McQueen fans will love this classic!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Prison escape Film
Review: Franklin J. Schaffner felt that the obligation of motion pictures is to entertain, it's as basic as that, and that is exactly what Papillon does. It is also a movie that really triggers your emotions from start to finish. I feel this is one of Steve McQueen's best acting roles. It was probably the most physically demanding and emotionally challenging role of his career. Dustin Hoffman is simply magnificent as Louis Dega, a role that demonstrates how versatile the actor really can be. It eventually earned him a best supporting actor nomination. Unfortunately, McQueen was overlooked by the Academy that year. Another example of their stupidity!! The film is emotionally draining, but I find myself watching this film time and time again because of its portrayal of one man's quest to gain his freedom no matter what it takes. Freedom always comes at a price. It is not something that is handed to us or exists freely. It must be earned and that is exactly what his character does by the time the credits role on this film. The viewer will not believe what the character of Papillon had to endure to gain his freedom. The trials he goes through are unforgettable and often left me wondering if I would persevere if I had to undergo the trials he faced. For me, Steve McQueen is one of those actors who really has a great on screen presence. I will almost always watch a movie just because he appears in it, good or bad. Papillon is no exception. Although Papillon is a character driven film, the movie must be viewed for more than just the characters. It also has wonderful cinematography, direction and a memorable, and at times haunting, musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. It is right up there with the best of the prison escape films. Henri Charrière, the real life Papillon and author of the novel, talked about society and his real life experiences in this way: "Society does not want free men. They talk freedom, democracy, anything you want, but they do not want free men. Society wants conditioned men, men who march in step." It's up to the viewer to agree or disagree with that statement while viewing the film. I highly recommend you watch this film today!
Rating:
Summary: Compelling in every respect
Review: Steve McQueen stars as "Papillion" a French safe-cracker whose butterfly tattoo earned him the title nickname. Framed up on a murder charge he is packed off to the infamous Devils Island prisoner colony. On the ship over he meets Dustin Hoffman, a notorious counterfitter with the means (money) to stay alive but not the muscle to back him up, that is where McQueen comes in. Papillion however has a single-minded outlook on life - freedom. He quickly devises escape plans by any means possible. The settings are exotic, the stories of friendship heart-rendering, the brutality of the prison shocking, the stories of escape, attempt, capture, escape, defiance and the soaring human spirit timeless. Simply a classic of cinema that will stand the test of time, could have been made yesterday and been a blockbuster smash.
Rating:
Summary: Papillon
Review: The prison escape genre has produced some truly powerful films. One of the finest is 1973's Papillon. As graphic and brutal as an early 70's film can be, this is the true tale of Henri "Papillon" Charriere, a Frenchman who's murder conviction means a life sentence in Guyana, South America: a snake-heavy, malaria-ridden tropical hellhole. However, Papillon was wrongly convicted and is determined to escape. Brought to the screen with a superb cast, the film moves and inspires without being melodramatic. Papillon is a role almost tailor-made for Steve McQueen: hardened, yet likeable, determined to survive. On his side is Dustin Hoffman in the role of the counterfeiter Louis Dega, a part that once again proved the actor's versatility and profound talent. This is also the last good movie from [director] Franklin Schaffner who made a big name for himself with Planet of the Apes and Patton. Perhaps the films standout element is its example of how willpower and relentless inventiveness can successfully move mountains. The DVD is fairly clean for the most part. The disc contains a featurette called The Magnificent Rebel that introduces viewers to the real Henri Charriere. It is a harsh reminder that the story of Papillon as we see it in the movie is based on real events, and at the same time is a reminder that this remarkable individual has indeed been able to outlive all the odds and injustice he faced.
Rating:
Summary: A Man's Fight for Freedom
Review: There is a version with a documentary of the making of the movie. If you can see that version, I highly recommend it. The writer of the novel, and the person on whom the story is based, walks through the set and is telling someone what it was like in the real prison. The movie itself is Steve McQueen. Dustin Hoffman turns in a great performance as the counterfeiter, but you can't escape feeling awed by the character played by Steve McQueen. Not matter what hardship or pressure is put on him, they can not break him. You will find yourself wishes he would give up to stop the torture but are proud when he refuses to break. The film does not cover whether Papillon was innocent or guilty. He states two or three times that he is innocent, but they never really discuss it. The focus is on his struggle for escape. The idea that he might be guilty nags at you making you wonder whether you should cheer for his escape or not. This is a great movie and I would highly recommend seeing it.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling in every respect
Review: Steve McQueen stars as "Papillion" a French safe-cracker whose butterfly tattoo earned him the title nickname. Framed up on a murder charge he is packed off to the infamous Devils Island prisoner colony. On the ship over he meets Dustin Hoffman, a notorious counterfitter with the means (money) to stay alive but not the muscle to back him up, that is where McQueen comes in. Papillion however has a single-minded outlook on life - freedom. He quickly devises escape plans by any means possible. The settings are exotic, the stories of friendship heart-rendering, the brutality of the prison shocking, the stories of escape, attempt, capture, escape, defiance and the soaring human spirit timeless. Simply a classic of cinema that will stand the test of time, could have been made yesterday and been a blockbuster smash.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greats!!
Review: I dont normally take the time to write these reviews... but this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The struggle these guys have to go through is monumental. This is a must see. I have watched this many times and it never gets old!
Rating: 
Summary: A great escape
Review: A movie that made a big impression on me in my early teens, "Papillon" holds up surprisingly well on DVD. The picture and sound quality are more vivid than they ever were on VHS tape (although the vividness also has its drawbacks--a brief "storm at sea" scene during one of the escape sequences looks much more artificial than it did on the big screen 30 years ago), and the star turns of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman are as vivid as they first seemed. The movie's depiction of life and death in France's South American prison camps looks as harrowing and grim as it did when the movie was in theatres. Yet even as a teenager I had a couple of qualms about the movie--namely, that it didn't follow the book closely enough (and would have been better characterized if it did), and how did Hoffman's character magically regenerate a limb that developed gangrene and apparently had to be amputated? Over the years, despite my nostalgic soft spot for this flick, I've also come to wonder whether a younger actor would have been more appropriate for the role than the 40-ish McQueen (Henri Charriere, on whose memoirs the movie was based, described himself as a young-looking 25 when he was shipped off to the French prison camps), and whether a more gritty approach wouldn't have been more appropriate. The movie is pretty violent for a PG rating (it would probably be PG-13 today), but even with slashings, shootings, stabbings and an execution by guillotine (in close-up, no less), it's somewhat prettified by those grand, leisurely camera moves that were favored by director Franklin J. Schaffner. On the other hand, I've also got something of a soft spot for those grand, leisurely camera moves, which now seem like relics of an age in which filmmakers didn't assume their audiences suffered from attention-deficit disorder. In passing, a TV documentary from a few years ago about the French penal colonies (it may have aired on the Discovery Channel or the History Channel) questioned whether Charriere's description of his years as a prisoner was factual. Apparently, none of the former prisoners or guards interviewed could remember a guy named Papillon who managed to escape from Devil's Island. So maybe any questions about the movie's accuracy are moot.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Incredible!!
Review: This is one of the best movies that I have ever seen. Dustin Hoffman's Best, in my opinion. An absolute classic, which should be part of any collection.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Movie!!!
Review: Steve McQueen has given one of the "performances of his life" in this movie about a man who is incarcerated on "Devil's Island," the place where "no one gets out alive." Along with Dustin Hoffman, who is more apt to "accept mediocrity" and takes his fate quietly, the film is a tribute to the power of persistence, conviction, and never giving up. McQueen and Hoffman do make an attempt at escape, and are punished for it, and the film follows McQueen as he continues to plot and figure out a way to leave the island. Of course we see how he is punished cruelly and the effects this has on his health and the aging process is phenomenal. At the end, of course, we see him get his reward, and it's an upbeat ending, although Hoffman settles for less, and it was no surpise that Devil's Island ultimately became just another part of the history books in criminal justice. The inhumane treatment was horrendous. For a great adventure, this is it!!!
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