A 1973 prison movie with brilliant actors Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman trying to escape – what could be better, right?! “Papillon”, that’s what – “Papillon” could have been better. Don’t get me wrong, I love 1970’s cinema – but seriously Schaffner, you lost me at Honduras. Okay, actually, I loved everything up until Honduras – and pretty much everything after Honduras. But it felt like a different director, writer, and production team went to work on the Honduras section. I think it was the dream-like scene with the natives that really threw me.
Aside from Honduras, there were so many unanswered questions about the characters, Papillon in particular, that left me feeling uninterested at a certain point. I realize that the style of many a 1970’s movie is to completely skip details like, “how’d you get that pretty butterfly tattoo?” or “what’s your life up until now been like?” or “how did you feel once you were finally free?” For the anti-structural films I think this is the cat’s meow – however, when there is such an intense, compelling, character-driven story, you need certain details folks!
With all that said, there is quite a bit I enjoyed about “Papillon”. First off, the actors are two of my top favorites. If it were up to me, Dustin Hoffman would be in every movie ever made. And Steve McQueen, though without a car in this flick, is still a bad ass even when in solitary confinement. They play so well off each other that even till the end I was hooked on their performances (except, of course, in Honduras, when there was less acting and more butterfly painting). But seriously, the ending scenes – when they were both old and crazy – where Hoffman began yelling at fantom intruders, and McQueen was crushed to see the coconuts get smashed…and especially when they hugged….oh man, so powerful! It was worth staying up till 1am to see the ending.
The quote that most sticks out to me is when Dega was visiting Papillon in the hospital and said to him, “a temptation resisted is a true measure of character.” Think about it.
Another thing that is great about “Papillon” is the realism. Filmed in Jamaica and Spain, the location minutia really captured my attention. The crocodile scene was great – a dangerous animal mixed with subtle humor always makes for a fun scene. Perhaps my favorite scenic shot, though, was when the prisoners were walking through a swamp and there were a couple of crabs standing up and snapping at them. One of the reasons I heart 1970’s cinema is because there were less tight-asses running around and more creative freedom. Take for example, “Apocalypse Now”, shot in the late 1970’s – boating around the Philippines and slaughtering water buffalo (along with a lot of money for explosives and sets) really helped to create a realistic feel. (Note, I do not advocate animal cruelty).
Anyhoo, before I step off my soap box I would just like to say that I very much appreciated the film’s theme…the endless quest for freedom.
You made it, Papillon, you made it.
Leigh Myles's Blog 