Review of Papillon (1973) by Compi24 — 15 Apr 2020

Much better sounding on paper than it is to sit down and actually watch, "Papillon" honestly wears that fact proudly, as its insistence to test the viewer's patience is kind of the point of the whole film.

This is a glum, grueling and at times infuriating look into a harrowing way of life. Putting yourself in the place of anyone in this film is a kind of moral conundrum you never want to spend more than a few minutes feeling your way through.

Steve McQueen -- as per usual -- is as watchable as they come, but what really surprised me was just how much he has to exhibit in this. McQueen, is and always will be, the epitome of cool, but "Papillon" shows you facets of his acting tool belt that you don't see as much of in other films.

Seeing him as desperate and even as deranged as his character becomes at points in this film is really both humbling and impressive at once. He was most assuredly robbed of an Academy Award nomination here.

As for the rest of the film, it gets the job done, sometimes fluctuating between being an arduous and meaningful watch. The ending, though, helps render the journey worthy of a viewing. It is a tad too long for my tastes, however.