- Actors: Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Jory, Don Gordon, Anthony Zerbe
- Directors: Franklin J. Schaffner
- Writers: Dalton Trumbo, Henri Charrière, Lorenzo Semple Jr.
- Producers: Franklin J. Schaffner, Emanuel L. Wolf, Robert Dorfmann, Robert O. Kaplan
- Language English
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Cinema Club
- VHS Release Date: 1 July 2002
- Run Time: 151 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004RRI3
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,135 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Franklin J Schaffner's Papillon is quite possibly the definitive prison escape drama. Not as thrilling as The Great Escape, nor as emotionally cathartic as The Shawshank Redemption, its unflinching emphasis on the barbarism of "civilised" societies is nevertheless unparalleled. Significantly, the only characters to display any real kindness in this film are the social outcasts: the lepers and native Indians; everyone else has been corrupted and debased by the true villain, the penal system itself. Based on Henri Charrière' s heavily fictionalised "autobiography", the film's timeless themes of man's insatiable desire for freedom and the indomitability of the human spirit are thankfully not dependent for their impact on the source material's veracity. Dalton Trumbo's liberal-minded screenplay echoes the themes of his earlier script for Spartacus, and Schaffner's innate gift for epic cinema (this was made just two years after his great war biography Patton) is fully equal to the task of realising it on screen. The director's painterly eye for widescreen composition and his careful pacing impart a gravitas to proceedings even during the film's most squalid depictions of brutality, of which there are many emphasising the cheapness of human life among the convicts and their equally criminal prison guards in the penal colony of French Guiana. Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman form a remarkable screen pairing, with Hoffman outstanding as the pusillanimous Dega. McQueen magnificently overcomes his tough-guy persona in the extraordinary solitary confinement sequences as he is gradually reduced to a shambling, cockroach-eating wreck. Longtime collaborator Jerry Goldsmith, who had previously scored Schaffner's Planet of the Apes and Patton, attained yet another career high with his music.
On the DVD: The anamorphic widescreen print of the original Panavision 2. 35:1 ratio looks fine without being as stunning as some more modern prints; the Dolby 5.1 audio does however do great service to Jerry Goldsmith's score, which can also be selected separately from the Audio Setup menu as an isolated track (note that there's no music at all in the first 20 minutes of the film). The 12-minute "Magnificent Rebel" featurette was made at the time of the film's release , and includes some fascinating footage of Henri Charrière touring the prison se t, reminiscing about his experiences and pontificating ("Society does not want free men, society wants conditioned men"). --Mark Walker
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
This warner bros US import is region free and plays perfectely on my UK sony player.
This disc is a must have if you are a Steve Mcqueen or Dustin Hoffman fan.
The film itself is a classic and if you're reading this review i'm sure you're interested in the Blu Ray quality the 1080P transfer has plenty film grain some parts of the film look soft especially the opening credits but once the film gets started the picture is very good and miles better than the sd version. The Blu Ray is also a digibook which is great.
The special features on the disc are poor which is unfortunate but if you are a fan of this movie it is worth importing this disc.
This disc is a must have if you are a Steve Mcqueen or Dustin Hoffman fan.
The film itself is a classic and if you're reading this review i'm sure you're interested in the Blu Ray quality the 1080P transfer has plenty film grain some parts of the film look soft especially the opening credits but once the film gets started the picture is very good and miles better than the sd version. The Blu Ray is also a digibook which is great.
The special features on the disc are poor which is unfortunate but if you are a fan of this movie it is worth importing this disc.
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A pretty stark depiction of the human spirit and how quickly normal people can become dehumanised by their conditions, but balanced out by the characters played by McQueen and Hoffman (together with the chaacters that come into the story and help them out). It's not always the actions of the prisoners that are brutal either, the establishment - both guards and civilians - are also portrayed in a damming light. Brilliant acting from McQueen and Hoffman as they are able to pick up their characters and bring out their differing but complimentary personalities perfectly.
I'd agree with the comment that you wouldn't watch it much more often than once every five years as it's a long film and quite heavy going; but when you do you'll be drawn into it without fail.
Cinematically it's also very impressive with brilliant use of locations and atmospheric sound, including effective use of silence when some films may have shied away and felt that they needed music.
I'd agree with the comment that you wouldn't watch it much more often than once every five years as it's a long film and quite heavy going; but when you do you'll be drawn into it without fail.
Cinematically it's also very impressive with brilliant use of locations and atmospheric sound, including effective use of silence when some films may have shied away and felt that they needed music.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
this movie is the best prison escape film ever made not only that you have two of the greatest actors of all time mcqueen and hoffman and if thats not good enough in my opinion these are the roles that are their best.this is the story of two men serving time in a brutal french penal colony and their attemts at escape,it is based on a true story and shows the inhumane treatment of the prisoners.if you want an all action film this is not for you but if you like a film with a proper story ,engaging characters and real depth you cant do better.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The best way to watch Papillon, a crackin' Blu ray
This Blu ray of Papillon is quite tremendous. It is reported that the first 22 to 25 minutes is a bit soft in picture quality, but improves to a much higher degree from that point... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Mr. A. C. Cummins
PAPILLON
I have never seen Steve McQueen in a poor entertaining film. PAPILLON is a true story and of course the paperback novel has more in it of a mans stuggle to get back to civilisation... Read more
Published 26 days ago by wusman12
a good film but does not do the book justice...
I read a few reviews of this before buying it and people were saying that it was quite accurate to the book, but I have to disagree. Read more
Published 4 months ago by D3RF
Loved it!
I have been aware of Papillon for many years but only got round to watching the movie recently. While watching this glorious looking print I was reminded of how films used to... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. G. Robinson
They dont make them like this anymore
For anyone who has seen it then you will know how good this film is even though its old. Theres no high tech gadgetry, no special effects, no car chases or explosions that you get... Read more
Published 6 months ago by cazzy
COOL AS A CUCUMBER
I am currently reading a biography of Steve Mcqueen,incredibly Papillon is the first Mcqueen movie i have seen. Read more
Published 11 months ago by mister joe
fantastic film
this is an absolute classic, a film that everybody should see at least once. having read the book some years ago i can say this is as close to the book as any film i have seen
Published 12 months ago by lee smith
Excellent Film
Henri Charriere's 'autobiographical' book Papillion has been widely discredited by many critics. Bagne administrative accounts confirm that Charierre was indeed an inmate of the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Ian Mayes
Grim and authentic telling of Henri "Papillon" Charrière's time...
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet Of The Apes/Patton), Papillon is adapted for the screen by Dalton Trumbo & Lorenzo Semple Jr. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Spike Owen
GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME
THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ALL TIME DVD I HAD SEEN.I CONTACTED AMAZON.COM.U.K.& REALLY GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR SENDING THE DVD IMMEDIATELY. Read more
Published 16 months ago by RAVI FROM NEWDELHI
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