A great drama, and an epic adventure. I saw this when it first came out; I remember the leper colony scene, but hardly anything else. Thankfully, I came back to Papillon. McQueen was perfectly cast as the title character; this might be his best performance. The zigzagging between hope and despair, idyllic freedom and abject suffering, with all the shades in between, shows excellent writing, even given the fascinating original story. McQueen's severe and abrupt changes of fortune point out the nuances of human behavior, as well as the role of chance in life.None of this highly complex atmosphere would work without the mixture of sympathy with sadism, hospitality with hostility, exotic, picturesque locales with the numb routine of the prison cell. Not all the guards are brutal, not all the prisoners deserve our sympathy. Likewise, the various 'outsider' cultures are in different worlds from the prison culture, as well as from each other.There are several poignant scenes: the guys in solitaire who introduce themselves as they poke their heads out of their cells, reassuring their neighbor that they 'look well', when they probably both know that the other looks terrible. The friendships broken by death, suddenly or slowly rendered, of an old friend or a new one, happen with pathetic regularity. The capacity to share and to help keeps the prisoners human, even uplifting them.I'm tempted to say that there's an existential thread running through Papillon, given that the book was written in the 30s, at the height of the French existentialist movement. Certainly there's meticulous attention to the existentialist theme of surviving in an absurd world with dignity. Oddly enough, with the crushing level of authority ruling the prisoners, they retain the considerable freedom of their attitude towards their dilemma.Even as pure adventure, Papillon succeeds. The cinematography is beautiful where beauty is present, and horrifying where terror rules. I usually zone-out when a movie runs more than two hours, but in this case I didn't want it to end. McQueen is the quintessential adventurer. He overcomes so many obstacles; but he's not superman, and so he also makes plenty of mistakes. His character's demeanor as a cautious but essentially trusting man serves him well. He survives because he knows that there's no obvious truth, but only situations; and each calls for its own plan. The flashes of humor highlight the discrepancies between what one expects, and what actually happens. No one would expect a prison movie to show inmates chasing butterflies--but there it is, and it certainly fits. McQueen's nonchalance is put to the ultimate test when he accepts the leper's cigar. That he unwittingly fools the leper shows a superb interplay of danger and luck.There's considerable deception going on throughout. A game-like quality coexists with the deadly serious aspects of repeated escape and confinement. That brings up my only issue with Papillon: Dustin Hoffman's performance shows too much posing, and not enough grit.He's got this bemused look that doesn't fit his character. It's as though he's above it all, in on all the machinations of prison life, and even comfortable with it. He does makes a good foil for McQueen's restlessness, but his Zen-like gaze is a bit much.We really don't get into ethics here; clearly neither McQueen's nor Hoffman's characters are violent criminal types. Some of the characters have probably been rail-roaded, but some of them are murderers. In a way, it doesn't matter what the characters have done to land them in Guyana. We're judging them on how they act in these moments. A great movie; intricate, and yet, all of a piece.

"Papillon" is the closest I've seen Steve McQueen attempt to actually act. He was never an actor, he simply stuck to a certain image and that was it. To be fair to him though, he did make some outstanding films. Several of his films were box office successes, including the above. Dustin Hoffman is the actor to watch, he conveys vulnerability as well as intelligence as a fellow inmate. From the first moment of "Papillon," you never forget the harshness and cruelty that the prison staff inflict upon the convicts. The living conditions for the latter are thoroughly deplorable and these are shown via scant lighting and arched camera angles. Steve McQueen is the convict who never confirms to the prison system, his fighting spirit remaining active throughout. This is McQueen's last film of quality and it is a masterpiece.

'Papillon' is an entertaining prison escape drama with a great script and some terrific acting performances. For its time, 'Papillon' is a very well made and brilliantly shot film. It does a great job at blending various themes and elements, from pulsating tension and drama to some amusing moments.Of course, any prison film is certain to draw comparisons with the Shawshank, a film that is and always will be one of the greatest films ever made, and hands down the best in the prison genre. However, 'Papillon' is certainly a film I will remember due to its highly enjoyable plot and equally great cast. Recommended.

I am glad that i read the book first. This movie has not covered most of the major parts of the book. And many changes are made to the original story, i guess to adapt to the cast availability.Of course, I agree , no movie can be better than the book. But overall, as a movie it does justice to the story. The part where the Papillon lives with the Indians could have been made more interesting. It helped me give a life to my imagination. Many scenes that i have imagines while reading the book, i could relate to them after watching the movie. Very good acting by the lead characters. Kriti