Review of Papillon (1973) by Blake P — 26 Jan 2013

A classic most likely due to thrilling escape sequences, beautiful tropical atmosphere, terrific use of slow motion, and Steve McQueen's second to last big Hollywood production, "Papillon" is a good, if not overrated prison drama that puts "King of Cool" McQueen against type. While the film isn't necessarily 100% entertaining like many of the prolific star's other films, "Papillon" has some great moments, most of which are memorable.

Henri Charriere, aka Papillon (McQueen), is a Frenchman sent to prison after being framed for a murder he didn't commit. Automatically, prison life is awful-- the guards are brutal, and the inmates are treated unfairly. After all, it's 1931, in France. Papillon, sick of how he's being treated, teams up with fellow convict Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman) and others, to escape. If they fail, consequences include being put into solitary confinement for five years.

The biggest problem with "Papillon" is its run-time. Clocking at nearly three hours, with the real excitement happening around the 90-minute mark, it grows tiring. Some films become better with a slow burn-- but because "Papillon" is never as exciting as one would expect, overall the film remains a disappointment. McQueen and Hoffman evidently are supposed to be a brotherly-like team, but somehow neither are very developed individually or built as a team, so even when the great escape itself happens, we don't really care.

That isn't to suggest that "Papillon" isn't a bad film. It may not be up to par with many other films in the genre, but McQueen gives his all-time career performance, against type; and Hoffman, playing a character that could have easily been put into the comedic relief or caricature category, is subdued and honest. What's so odd about the film is that it's basically a boring one, built around two excellent performances, and a rousing score that just doesn't fit.

"Papillon" is decent, but is not nearly the film it's hyped up to be. Those expecting an exciting slam-bang McQueen action picture will be disappointed-- but more serious viewers, who enjoy character studies and stark drama, will eventually be rewarded.