Drama, rated R, Violet Crown Cinema,
“There are two ways out of here,” the warden (Yorick van Wageningen) informs new arrivals to Devil’s Island, the godforsaken penal colony off the coast of French Guiana. “One is through the jungle, where you will starve or be killed by wild animals. The other is through the ocean, where you will drown or be eaten by sharks.” For you in the audience, happily, there is a third way.
Which is not to say that this prison drama is without merit. There are some well-executed scenes, good performances, and fine photography. It’s based on the true story recounted in the memoirs of Henri “Papillon” Charrière, a small-time Parisian safecracker who was framed for murder in 1931 and shipped off to rot in the South American jungle. And it’s the remake of the 1973 classic directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Patton, Planet of the Apes) that boasted a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr. and iconic performances by Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.
The specter of that production hangs heavily over this retread by Danish director Michael Noer, and you can almost see the producers wracking their brains for contemporary actors to suggest the originals. Charlie Hunnam gets the nod as McQueen’s title character. He was last seen in this same part of the world, slogging through the shrubbery in search of The Lost City of Z. He’s buff, he has a cool grin, and he’s a decent actor. For the role of his wispy pal, a counterfeiter named Louis Dega, the call to fill Hoffman’s shoes went out to Rami Malek If you squint, you can conjure a glimpse of the originals here.
The heart of this picture is the buddy story. Papi is big and strong and fearless and can take a punch. Dega is small and weak and needs protection, and can pay for it. He has brought along, wrapped in a sheath and stuck up his rear, a wad of money (presumably in large denominations). Papillon undertakes to look out for him, and in return, Dega will finance his escape.
But the movie overcommits to the brutality of the story and gets mired down in one pulverizing, smash-mouth fight after another, leavening the action with a naked shower scene. For those who want more blood, a few stabbings and disembowelings (and a guillotine) make their way in. There is a respite when Papi does two excruciatingly detailed years in solitary confinement, with only one major beating to relieve the monotony.
The bond between the two main characters is reached for, but it never quite jells. As for how it all turns out, the fact that the film is based on Charrière’s memoirs provides a clue. — Jonathan Richards