"Papillon" (pronounced "pap-e-yawn") is one of the most underrated films of the 1970s. Most critics attacked it on it's released, accusing it of being extremely overlong. That is unfortunate, because that is it's only major fault. Despite the rather silly casting of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman as French criminals, they work surprisingly well together. Franklin J. Schaffner's direction is inspiring, as is most of the work he did while at the top of his game. He creates one of my favorite shots in film history (the short blow-dart sequence), and captures the isolation of McQueen perfectly.<br /><br />As for length issues, the native villager sequence runs too long (though the nudity will no doubt entertain some), and trimming of some earlier scenes may have helped. Still, "Papillon" remains one of the most gruelling and well-made prison dramas of all time.<br /><br />7.7 out of 10