Papillon Page #3

Synopsis: A semi-fictional account of Henri Charrière's time in the penal system in French Guyana - some of it spent on infamous Devil's Island - is presented. It's the early 1930s. Charrière - nicknamed Papillon because of his butterfly tattoo - and Louis Dega are two among many who have been convicted in the French judicial system, they now being transferred to French Guyana where they will serve their time, never to return to France even if they are ever released. A safe-cracker by criminal profession, Papillon is serving a life sentence for murdering a pimp, a crime for which he adamantly states he was framed. Dega is a wealthy counterfeiter, who expects his well-to-do wife eventually to get him released. On Papillon's initiative, Papillon and Dega enter into a business arrangement: Papillon will provide protection for Dega, while Dega will finance Papillon's escape attempt. As Papillon and Degas' time together lasts longer than either expects, their burgeoning friendship ends up being an im
Production: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
8.0
Rotten Tomatoes:
82%
R
Year:
1973
151 min
2,848 Views


into edible ones.

We process dangerous men

into harmless ones.

This we accomplish by breaking you.

Breaking you physically, spiritually,

and here.

Strange things happen to the head here.

Put all hope out of your mind...

...and masturbate as little as possible.

It drains the strength.

That's all, take him away.

One, two...

...three, four, five.

One, two, three, four, five.

Oh, Jesus!

No. You'll eat everything they give you.

I'm going to be fine.

I'm going to be fine.

I'm going to be fine.

One, two, three, four, five.

I'm Jo-Jo.

Papillon.

How do I look?

I feel pretty good...

...but I need somebody

to tell me how I look.

Fine. You look fine.

"Chew the coconut well...

"...then swallow the pulp.

"One each day, for strength.

"My thoughts are with you.

"Squinter."

Dega. I'll be a son of a b*tch! Dega.

I'm still here, you bastards!

Prisoner, show yourself.

You've been receiving coconuts.

Unless you tell us who sent them,

your rations will be cut in half.

Well, how can I tell you...

...who sent me stuff I didn't get?

What stuff?

Well, I don't know.

You...

...you said coconut.

I want that name and I want it now.

Put him on half rations

and screen his cell for six months.

Darkness does wonders for a bad memory.

You know the charge.

I'm innocent.

I didn't kill that pimp.

You couldn't get anything on me

and you framed me.

That is quite true.

But your real crime has nothing to do

with a pimp's death.

Well then?

What is it?

Yours is the most terrible crime

a human being can commit.

I accuse you...

...of a wasted life.

Guilty.

The penalty for that is death.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

They know.

How did you hear?

Trusty works on the launch

between here and Saint Joseph.

That's all that he said?

Then it's only a matter of time.

You think so?

He's on half rations now.

He can't exist on that.

Forced to choose between starvation

and telling, what would you do?

We're not talking about me.

What would you do?

I'd tell. I'd have to.

You get weak, you get delirious,

you lose control...

...and you talk.

Then you won't blame him, huh?

Blame is for God and small children.

Look at me! I eat bugs!

I don't...l don't have enough sense

to get out of the rain.

Prisoner, show yourself.

Give me the name

and you're back on full rations.

Just one name.

Well, I don't get that hungry.

You'll starve. You should see yourself.

I was born skinny.

Then you'll die.

One, two....

I'm Papillon.

Francisco.

How do I look?

Do I look okay?

You look swell.

That's 30 days more...

...pimp killer!

I want to see the warden.

I want to talk to him.

I have something I want to tell him.

Who gave you the food?

I....

Jesus, Warden...

...l had it.

I had the name, honest to God....

I must be light--

I must be lightheaded or...

...something because...

...I'm trying.

I'm trying.

I can...l can't remember.

Honest to God, I can't.

I can't, I can't remember.

It's not there, Mr. Prosecutor.

I don't know, it's not, it's not there.

No.

It's gone.

He's dying.

You're dead.

Your term is completed.

One, two, three, four...

...five...

...six.

Oh, you son of a b*tch.

Welcome to the Penal Colony...

...of French Guiana...

...whose prisoners you are...

...and from which there is no escape.

First attempts at escape...

...add two years in solitary

to existing sentences.

Second attempts, add five more.

Of course, more serious offenses...

...are dealt with in this fashion.

Hello, Papi!

Don't take advantage. I'm in handcuffs.

Make the best of what we offer you...

...and you will suffer less than you deserve.

Dismissed.

Move! In the bunkhouse!

I have hot soup, with real meat in it.

Dega sent it to you.

My name is Maturette.

How are you?

Pretty good.

You'd be in much better health, you know,

if you'd given them my name.

I almost did.

Someone once said

that temptation resisted...

...is the true measure of character.

How'd you get out of Kilo 40?

It was the rankest sort of corruption.

Suffice it to say the warden

now has a new house...

...and I've become his chief clerk.

Papi, look....

My wife and lawyer...

...have convinced certain members

in the Ministry of Justice...

...that my sentence was a bit harsh.

Some months back I asked them...

...to look into your case...

...and they've made some headway.

One of the principle witnesses

against you...

...may be willing to change his story...

...for a price.

If this happened, when would it be?

You could be out in perhaps three years.

-Too long.

-No, it isn't.

And with a good job,

the time will pass very quickly.

Listen, my friend.

You owe me nothing.

Tell me what you want.

A boat.

I should have known.

Papi, don't you remember me?

Clusiot.

Yeah.

What happened to your eyes?

I put some ground-up castor beans in 'em,

so I'd look sick enough to get in here.

Why?

I'm going with you.

What?

Yeah. Listen....

Dega's got you on the x-ray list

for tomorrow.

The x-ray doctor, he's a convict.

Some kind of Hindu or something.

He's got somebody on the outside

who can sell you a boat...

...if the price is right.

When do we run, Papi?

Soon. I'll talk to that doctor tomorrow.

The last boat I obtained was

for a sex murderer.

They shot him to pieces

six miles down the river, poor man.

But the boat stood up very well.

You have the heart of an ox.

What kind of a boat?

Fourteen feet, complete with compass,

sails, tools, clothes.

The generator begins. Science takes over!

You know, x-rays are quite worthless.

They always have been.

Lie down, please, on the back.

How much would it cost?

Fr 3,000 in advance, which you pay to me...

...and I pay to Pascal,

who provides everything.

Draw a deep breath, please,

and hold completely still.

Another Fr 3,000 you must pay directly

to Pascal when he delivers the boat.

Exhale, please, and turn over.

If I decide to make a deal,

how do we handle it?

Have no fear. Ways will be found.

Trust me for everything.

The last time I did that

cost me two years in solitary.

So, you have been cheated, eh?

Well, happily for you,

money doesn't tempt me.

I'm after bigger game.

Draw a deep breath.

You see...

...l killed my whole family.

All of them. My wife and four little ones.

Exhale, if you haven't already.

You double-cross me, I'll kill ya.

Of course...

...l would consider that a favor.

A very great favor.

One of these nights I might ask you

to take that Turnkey into the toilet.

Show him a good time.

When you come out you'll get Fr 1,000.

Why?

That's my business. Your business is

to make him happy for ten minutes.

Fr 1,000.

He's filthy.

All right, Fr 2,000.

Does that make him any cleaner?

You think I'm a whore, don't you?

Easy.

Well, you're wrong.

Next.

I'll do what you ask, on one condition:

You keep your money

and you take me with you.

No.

I'm the only one

who can get you out of here.

-You're--

-I know.

I'm a queer, a fairy, a pouf, huh?

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Dalton Trumbo

James Dalton Trumbo (December 9, 1905 – September 10, 1976) was an American screenwriter and novelist who scripted many award-winning films including Roman Holiday, Exodus, Spartacus, and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. One of the Hollywood Ten, he refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 during the committee's investigation of communist influences in the motion picture industry. He, along with the other members of the Hollywood Ten and hundreds of other industry professionals, was subsequently blacklisted by that industry. His talents as one of the top screenwriters allowed him to continue working clandestinely, producing work under other authors' names or pseudonyms. His uncredited work won two Academy Awards: for Roman Holiday (1953), which was given to a front writer, and for The Brave One (1956) which was awarded to a pseudonym of Trumbo's. When he was given public screen credit for both Exodus and Spartacus in 1960, this marked the beginning of the end of the Hollywood Blacklist for Trumbo and other screenwriters. He finally was given full credit by the Writers' Guild for all his achievements, the work of which encompassed six decades of screenwriting. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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