Review of Papillon (1973) by Jeffrey M — 25 Aug 2012

A great prison escape movie, Papillon features terrific performances, a thorough and smart script, and a gritty and unflinching look at penal colonies. Steve McQeen anchors every scene with his gripping and nuanced portrayal, a character we see grow, but with an uncanny resilience that only McQueen can muster. He is also matched well by Hoffman, who injects his role with humor and despair. The film does an excellent job of going all-in, in that we see every aspect of the colony, and the unrelenting horror. My only real issue with the film is the overly lethargic pace in parts, and perhaps a bit of a lack of focus towards the end, tending to meander too much on certain threads. Overall, a very strong and memorable classic.

4/5 Stars.