Storyline
A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.
Directors
Cast
Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Zerbe, Woodrow Parfrey, George Coulouris, Don Gordon, Victor Jory, Mills Watson, Val Avery, John Quade, Len Lesser, Liam Dunn, Steve McQueen, Richard Angarola, Vic Tayback, Gregory Sierra, E.J. André, Bill Mumy, Ron Soble, Fred Sadoff, William Smithers, Robert Deman, Ratna Assan, Barbara Morrison, Don Hanmer, Jack Denbo, Allen Jaffe
Trailer
Reviews
80
A big, brave, stouthearted, sometimes romantic, sometimes silly melodrama with the kind of visual sweep you don't often find in movies anymore.
80
Papillon was produced with consummate technical skill and offers brilliant acting by McQueen and Hoffman.
70
Village Voice
Shaffner has really made an exhilarating movie out of the most dangerously depressing material. [10 Jan 1974, p.56]
60
Empire
One of the greatest behind-bars movies ever, the result finds director Franklin J. Schaffner making the most of both his sun-drenched locations and his leading man, who squintily acts even co-star Dustin Hoffman well off the screen.
60
Audiences whose expectations do not exceed their grasp will find it a much more comfortable vehicle for escape than any that McQueen & Co. discover on location.
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