Henri Charrière's story of his time from 1933 to 1945 within the penal colony of Cayenne, located in French Guiana in South America, is presented here, encompassing experiences like solitary confinement, attempts to escape, life among the Goajira Indians (situated in northeastern Columbia), and existence on Devil's Island. Steve McQueen portrays Henri, known as Papillon—a nickname derived from a tattoo on his chest—while Dustin Hoffman takes on the role of Louis Dega, his friend. "Papillon," released in 1973, is presented as an authentic depiction of prison life, though it may be more reliable than Charrière’s own recollections, which were recounted to a writer roughly thirty years after the events transpired. It's worth noting that Charrière was known for his storytelling abilities, and questions have been raised about the accuracy of many parts of the original 560-page book. The movie captures the essence of the true story and likely improves upon it in some respects. While film enthusiasts generally applaud the motion picture, others express reservations, suggesting that viewers find themselves hoping for Papillon’s escape simply to bring the film to a close. I think this is largely attributable to the lengthy scenes depicting solitary confinement early on, which effectively convey the harshness of such an existence. In fact, Charrière's account doesn't mention him consuming insects during his time in isolation or being kept in complete darkness. The latter portion of the film thankfully shifts toward a more adventurous tone; therefore, if those difficult scenes of solitary confinement make you consider abandoning the movie, it’s worth persevering. There are parallels to McQueen’s earlier work, “Nevada Smith” (1966), which possesses a stronger narrative. The runtime is 2 hours and 31 minutes, and filming took place in various locations across Spain and Jamaica; for example, the scenes set within the penal colony were shot in Falmouth, Jamaica. Notably, Steve McQueen’s well-known cliff-jumping stunt near the conclusion was filmed at cliffs in Maui, Hawaii. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB