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IMDb > Papillon (1973)
Papillon
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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   24,660 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay) and
Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Papillon on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 December 1973 (USA) more
Tagline:
The greatest adventure of escape ever filmed! more
Plot:
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Unforgettable, fantastic film, one of my top personal favorites more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Steve McQueen ... Henri 'Papillon' Charriere

Dustin Hoffman ... Louis Dega
Victor Jory ... Indian Chief
Don Gordon ... Julot
Anthony Zerbe ... Toussaint
Robert Deman ... Maturette

Woodrow Parfrey ... Clusiot
Bill Mumy ... Lariot
George Coulouris ... Dr. Chatal
Ratna Assan ... Zoraima

William Smithers ... Warden Barrot

Val Avery ... Pascal
Gregory Sierra ... Antonio
Vic Tayback ... Sergeant (as Victor Tayback)

Mills Watson ... Guard
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Additional Details

Runtime:
150 min
Country:
USA | France
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)
Certification:
Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Australia:M | South Korea:18 | Canada:14A (video rating) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-18 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1974) | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) (cut) | West Germany:16 | UK:15 (video rating) (2000) | USA:PG (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Jamaica more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Although billed as a true story, the French in French Guiana claim that much of the story of Henri Charrière (Papillon) is fabricated. Papillon was documented to have been incarcerated in Saint Laurent and may have escaped from there, but he never served any time on the Devil's Islands (now known as Iles du Salut or Salvation Islands). The book and movie both present Devil's Island as having rocky cliffs, when in fact, though the entire island is rocky, it gently slopes into the surrounding sea. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Papillon is in his first solitary confinement a vampire bat bites him and drinks his blood. The wound is two fang-like holes where the blood comes out. A vampire bat doesn't have fangs for teeth. Using their sharp teeth, the bats make tiny cuts in the skin. The bats' saliva contains a chemical that keeps the blood from clotting. The bats then lap up the blood that oozes from the wound. more
Quotes:
Dega: Well, it now seems quite possible that until we get to a decent jail with bribeable guards, I may stand in some need of... rather close physical protection.
Papillon: That depends on how long you want to live.
Dega: For a long time.
Papillon: Then you got a problem.
Dega: Well, I presume that you have some, uh, goals, some particular need that outrates all the others. I mean, if so... may I aslk what it is?
Papillon: Money!
Dega: For what?
Papillon: Escape.
Dega: Very good. You keep me alive until we land in Guyana, and I'll underwrite any escape you care to arrange.
Papillon: Escape for me, not for us!
[...]
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Van Helsing (2004) more

FAQ

Is the movie loyal to the original book?
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50 out of 67 people found the following comment useful:-
Unforgettable, fantastic film, one of my top personal favorites, 25 July 2004
10/10

Papillon is one of my all-time favorites films. Steve McQueen is fantastic in the lead role. Dustin Hoffman is at his finest as Louie Dega. Very memorable, unforgettable performances, shocking action scenes and psychological thrills and twists. I cannot write enough good things about this film. After years of looking, I recently found this film on DVD and added it to my collection. This is the kind of movie that you can watch again and again and continue to see things you've never noticed before. This film never gets old and you never grow tired of watching Papillon. Some of the cast includes Vic Tayback also known as Mel from the hit TV series "Alice." He is convincing as a mean, surly prison guard. Also, Billy Tumy known for his role in "Lost in Space" as Will Robinson, plays a young, doomed inmate. There are other character actors included in the cast that you will more than likely recognize throughout the film. I give this film the strongest and highest of recommendations.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Papillon (1973)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Tropical paradise ZolaTheGola
and the moral of the story is... flatlinebeforedeath
Dega's line about blame???? evenrane
The Dive at the End ron1970
Name of the actor + character (of gay convict) interlingua_usa
your favorite quotes from the book or the movie? shutterbug_iconium
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