+++ Opinion +++
The story of a falsely imprisoned man who endures great torture offers tremendous cinematic potential across multiple genres. If it were an adrenaline-pumping mix of adventure and action, it probably wouldn’t surprise anyone if it also became a smash hit. Especially from today’s point of view, since balancing acts of thrill and entertainment are increasingly making the cash register ring. A dramatic retelling of such a life as in “Papillon” would at best be expected as a cinema success – or directly as a (mini) series in streaming.
In the 1970s, however, other cinema laws applied. Such change in tastes, cinema habits and consumer behavior is in the nature of things. However, looking back, it is surprising how successful “Papillon” was: The drama with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman reached more people in German cinemas than the original “Star Wars”! It’s a real shame that this historic hit can’t be found on any of the relevant streaming services.
Yet Today, October 17, 2022, “Papillon” will be on TV – from 11:15 p.m. on NDR!
Marseille in the 1930s: Small-time crook Henri Charriere (Steve McQueen), known as “Papillon”, ends up innocently in a penal colony in French Guiana. On the so-called “Devil’s Island” he is supposed to atone for a murder he never committed. The only thing keeping Papillon from despairing completely are his escape plans. He initiates a fellow inmate: counterfeiter Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman). After much trepidation, Papillon’s plan seems to be working like clockwork one day. But then there was a major setback. Can Henri recover from this and gather courage to attempt another escape?
With a sensational 8.5 million tickets sold, the historical drama “Papillon” directed by Franklin J. Schaffner is not only Germany’s biggest cinema success of 1973. Dripping with dust, sweat, dirt, filth and misery, the tale still holds a respectable place in the all-time best-of cinema hits. Specifically, “Papillon” is the 48th most viewed film since 1958 – and thus, among other things, about “ET – The Extra-Terrestrial” (51st place with 8.33 million) and “Star Wars” (53rd place with 8.19 million)!
It is exciting to watch “Papillon” (for the first time or again) just out of curiosity about film history alone – after all, there are only 47 stories that attracted more people to the cinema in Germany. That wants to be appreciated and admired. Especially since “Papillon” confidently ignores most of its adventure and thrill potential. Schaffner and screenwriters Lorenzo Semple Jr. (“Batman Holds the World”) and Dalton Trumbo (“A Heart and a Crown”) focus on the dynamic between Henri and Louis.
This timelessly told friendship full of barbs is ultimately the main reason that “Papillon” is far more than a curiosity of the cinema chart history: McQueen as a determined, devious and energetic guy and Hoffman as his highly intelligent, but also neurotic-passive, almost willless partner are an unequal duo. But not in the buddy action sense. They aren’t a snarling duo who constantly encourage each other to leap over their own shadow.
The film is much more about watching them form blind trust out of a friendship of convenience and develop almost wordless communication. Despite their different life goals and completely opposite mechanisms for dealing with their devastating situation, the two friends keep their heads above water emotionally. It’s a moving complicity that doesn’t detract from the horror that surrounds her.
The FSK rating from the age of 16, which “Papillon” still carries, is by no means a must in view of today’s viewing habits. Still, it’s understandable – not because of any violent spikes that are unacceptable to middle school teenagers. But because Schaffner so effectively transports his audience into a world where physical strength is battered and mental strength is broken by despair. The imagery of “Papillon” makes hope run away like sweat and the long, long stretches without a score provoke a feeling of being lost.
When Jerry Goldsmith’s longingly romantic and exotically arranged impressions emerge, the Caribbean setting and distant memories of Papillon’s homeland merge in them. They make the mental disorientation of the main character clear, but at the same time, in their harmony and melodic tangibility, they act like a lifebelt in a sea of sorrow. The music is therefore a valuable contribution to “Papillon”, after all it prevents us from wishing for a quick coup de grace from an ending. But waiting patiently for this butterfly to finally spread its wings.
