Papillon (1973) - full transcript
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 important factor altering their original plans, needed as they work with and against others who are trying to achieve their own goals, sometime conflicting with Papillon and Dega's.
{\move(10,10,190,230,100,400)\fad(0,1000)\fscx25\fscy25\t(0,6000,\fscx125\fscy125)\c&H000000&\3c&H00FFFF&}anoXmous
- All present and accounted for, sir.
- Thank you, captain.
As of this moment...
...you are the property of
the Penal Administration of French Guiana.
After serving your full terms in prison...
...those of you with sentences...
...of eight years or more...
...will remain in Guiana...
...as workers and colonists...
...for a period equal
to that of your original sentences.
As for France...
...the nation has disposed of you.
France has rid herself of you altogether.
Forget France and put your clothes on.
Papillon. Papi.
You'll be back, Papillon.
Don't worry, you'll be back.
No, you won't.
You, that way.
Down there. You too. You too.
Next. Next, over here. Come along.
Come on. Come in here. Yeah.
You too. You too.
Over there. Over there.
Come along, up there. Hurry up.
You too. You too. Down.
Down. In there. In there.
Come along, now. Down.
Come on down. Down there.
Come on, up there.
In there. In there.
We're really something, aren't we?
The only animals in the world
that shove things up their ass for survival.
First time I shoved one up my gut...
...it infected me so bad
the camp doctor had to cut it out.
He doesn't have any ether...
...so he knocks me out with rum.
- Then you know what he did?
- He stole it.
The butterfly.
You're Papillon, aren't you?
Yeah.
The bastards gave you life.
Right to the end of the line, they think.
May not be as long as you think.
Forty percent of us will die
the first year out.
They gave him life too.
Kid's only 18.
Look at him. No wonder he dreams.
He'll never make it.
But a man like you could make it,
if you have enough money.
How long were you there?
Nine years of work camp,
nine years a colonist.
You were outside the walls.
Why didn't you run?
There's no place to run to.
You're in the middle of a swamp,
1000 miles from no place.
Now, if you got a lot of money,
that's a different thing.
I mean, you take somebody
like Dega there. Back there.
Louis Dega.
The best counterfeiter in France.
National Defense Bonds.
- Series of 1928.
- Right.
Now, if you've got money like he has,
there's a chance to buy your way out.
That is unless somebody cuts
his guts open first to get at all that cash.
Everybody up! Let's go!
Everybody up!
Come on, everybody up!
Let's go! Let's go!
Mind if I sit down here?
If you wish.
You're Dega, aren't you? Louis Dega?
Sorry to see you here.
I presume most of us have earned
our passage.
You're Papillon. You got life for killing
a pimp. Then you had the bad taste...
...to tell the prosecutor
you were going to kill him too.
- I was framed for that murder. I'm innocent.
- No one is innocent.
I'm no pimp killer, for chrissake.
I'm a safecracker.
That's a profession of which
I thoroughly disapprove.
I put almost everything I had
into National Defense Bonds.
Series of 1928.
1928?
Your instincts were sound.
How much did you lose?
I wouldn't put my money on those bonds,
not any more than you would.
Oh. I'm relieved to hear that.
But if that's true,
then why are we having this little chat?
Every convict on this ship knows
who you are.
Any of them would slit you open to
reach inside and get what you're carrying.
So?
You need protection.
From you?
You remember what the chicken said
to the weasel?
If he was a healthy weasel, the chicken
didn't get a chance to say anything.
Think about that.
Hose down!
Come on, off your asses! Hose down!
Come on, you got a fever.
Come on. Do what I tell you.
Come on.
Julot.
Got a question.
If I wanted to get a boat when I got there,
small boat, maybe 15-footer...
- ...how much would it cost?
- Thirty-five hundred.
Forty-five maybe. It all depends.
What if I could
pick up the money to buy one?
I guess you'd have yourself a boat.
You know the country.
You and I could make it out of there. Huh?
The answer is no.
Nothing against you, but the answer is no.
If I gotta go to solitary for some
half-assed escape that didn't work...
...I want the mistake to be mine,
not anybody else's. You understand?
The answer is no.
- How'd it feel, kid? Come on, spit it. Spit.
- Good.
Come on, kid. Spit it up.
All right. Come on, move it.
Move it a little. Move it a little. Let's go.
Let's move.
What do you want?
Almost unbearable, isn't it?
- What?
- Heat.
Oh, it's not too bad.
Of course, you're closer to it than I am.
Oh, yes, yes.
You're referring to last night, aren't you?
Well, aren't you?
May I tell you something?
At first glance,
I'm afraid that I regarded you with rather...
...a large degree of, uh,
unworthy suspicion.
- Am I clear?
- No.
Well, it now seems quite possible that,
until we get to a decent jail...
...with bribable guards,
I may stand in some need of...
...rather close physical protection.
That depends on how long
you wanna live.
Oh, a long time.
Well, then you got a problem.
Well, I presume that you have some, uh,
goal, some particular need that...
...outweighs all others.
I mean, if so, uh, may I ask what it is?
- Money.
- For what?
Escape.
Very good.
You keep me alive
until we land in Guiana...
...and I'll underwrite any escape
you care to arrange.
Escape for me, not for us.
Oh, of course. I, uh...
Ha, ha. I have no intention
of even attempting an escape. Ever.
Done.
Thank you.
Leave him alone, or I'll cut your head off.
Hide this.
Over there is St. Joseph's.
The other island is Royale.
The one on the right is Devil's.
Julot, why is it so hard
to escape from there?
A man could almost swim
to the mainland.
No, there must be a better way
than swimming.
No, no, swimming's not the way.
The current is so strong, it'll push you
right back where you started from.
You know, when you're on those islands,
you're there for keeps.
Where do we go?
We go up the Maroni River.
Then we dock at Saint-Laurent.
That's where they decide
whether to send you to the work camps...
...or to the islands.
Left. Left. Left.
Left, right, left.
Left. Left.
Left, right, left.
Column, halt.
Left.
See those two on the dock with the guns?
Right over there.
They served their time,
and now they're colonists.
- They've turned man hunter.
- Man hunter?
Yeah, you escape, they hunt.
For money, I presume. A reward.
- Jesus.
- All right. Get ready to move.
Line up to disembark.
I'm gonna have an accident going down
that gangplank, and it's gotta look good...
- ...so lend me your shiv.
- What the hell for?
Because I'm a two-time loser.
No matter what happens, I'll be sent
to the islands on the next transport.
I've gotta get into that hospital to give me
time to think. Now give me that shiv.
You're crazy, Julot.
- Single file. March.
- Single file down the gangplank.
Hold it. Hold it.
Let's go.
Single file.
Move. Move. Let's go.
Bring a stretcher.
Single file, single file.
- Move him out.
- Take him away.
- Move it.
- All right, move. Move.
- All right, let's go.
- Move it.
Come on, move them. Let's go. Let's go.
Come on. Come on.
- Get up. Come on.
- Get up there. Off your ass.
- Come on.
- Line them up. Right there.
Come on.
Get in the rank.
Come up over here.
Come on.
Hurry it up.
Column, march.
Keep moving. Keep moving.
Prisoner, pick him up quickly.
Attention!
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.
Make the best of what we offer you,
and you will suffer less than you deserve.
Dismissed.
Into the bunkhouse.
One, two, three, four.
Go on! Go on! Get a move on!
Mr. Dega?
Oh, yes, indeed.
I know all about you, Mr. Dega.
Very intelligent man.
Thank you. I, uh-- I seem to be known
in all the wrong places.
Well, I have a friend who is a guard.
For very--
Yes, go ahead.
For very little money, he can arrange
for certain people to stay here...
...instead of being sent to a work camp
or one of the islands.
Can he get us a job here
so we can walk around the place?
Perhaps a selection from which
we may choose?
Oh, yes. That is, my friend can.
You take our money,
and you put your life on the line.
Mm. Of course.
How much will it cost?
Well, my friend has a very large family.
Many little children, you understand?
And his sergeant has a mother,
heart trouble.
He was asking you how much,
not how many.
If you don't mind, I'll do the negotiating.
How much?
For you, 500. For him, 1500.
He made trouble.
Yes, indeed, he did. Nevertheless,
I'll give you 1250 for the both of us.
Now, you take it or leave it as you wish.
Try again.
Very well. I want two pairs
of comfortable shoes for the both of us...
...and you, you get the 2000.
Don't you have to go to the toilet?
Oh, yes, of course.
Would you excuse me a moment?
You don't need to, Mr. Dega.
Unless, of course, you want to.
I can pick it up in the morning.
Get moving, white men!
Let's go! Right now! Okay! Let's go!
Come on, move it!
On your feet!
- Come on, get up.
- Move it! Come on!
Come on!
Attention! Present arms!
No! No!
"Deliver your servant, O Lord,
from all the dangers of hell...
- ...from constraining punishments...
- No!
Amen."
May the angels take him...
Mr. Dega, did you get the money?
Move it! Move it! Move it!
Get going! Move it!
Fischer, what the hell's wrong?
Some son of a bitch broke out
of the hospital compound.
Julot.
All right, break it up. We'll get him.
Next.
You're fine. Next.
Must be better than I feel.
You're in wonderful shape.
Hey, how do you fail
an examination like this?
Next.
7551.
- Dega?
- Yes, sir, Louis Dega.
- It was suggested that I speak to you, sir--
- I have it right here.
We'll just keep you on here
in the cleaning squad.
Thank you, sir. There's also my friend.
- You're Louis Dega?
- I am, sir. And this is my friend, Papillon.
We have a great deal in common, Mr. Dega.
I'm extremely glad to see you.
Why, thank you, sir.
Of course, if the circumstances were--
My family lost everything they had
in counterfeit National Defense Bonds.
Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that, sir.
Uh, even so, buying them was a tribute
to their patriotism, wouldn't you say?
- And you're Mr. Dega's friend, huh?
- Well, we--
There's one thing about Saint-Laurent
you'll like:
We never separate old friends.
Kilo 40. Both of them. Today's transport.
What is Kilo 40?
Ready, heave!
Ready, pull!
Ready, heave!
Ready, pull! Move!
Heave!
Don't touch him.
You'll wind up worse off than he is.
Move! Get moving!
Ready, aim...
Duck!
Pull!
Get up, you lazy bastards!
You get that croc
and you bring him along!
You, pick another man
and grab that croc.
Move! Come on, move!
Move! Move!
Son of a bitch isn't dead,
they just irritated him.
- Get his tail.
- You get his tail.
- Where's his tail?
- Go there.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah.
- So am I.
- Go ahead.
Okay.
Ready?
- Is that the tail?
- No.
Oh. I'd better go over to this side.
You get the head.
- The head?
- Yeah.
You try the tail.
Okay, now you try the head.
Grab him!
He's dead.
Still talking.
He's dead.
He's dead?
Move forward.
Come on.
Come on, come on. Hands up.
Next. Next.
Two. Three. Four.
- Next.
- Bring it around here.
Just lay the croc right there.
- Just drop it. All right, search them.
- Hold it.
- Move out.
- Move.
He's pretty big.
This skin's worth some money.
Move it!
What the hell are you looking at?
You're Louis Dega.
- Yes, sir.
- I'm Clusiot.
How come you ended up
in a place like this?
Favoritism.
Friend's kind of quiet, isn't he?
He's dead.
He jammed a piece of wood down
his throat and choked himself to death.
Three-way split.
Fair, isn't it?
Quinine.
Worst country in the world for malaria.
Here, take them.
Go ahead. I've got some left.
Well, if I'm gonna get my sleep...
...I'll have to take this poor bastard
with me.
- Decent man.
- Mm.
Dega.
The man hunters.
The ones we saw down at the dock.
Son of a bitches.
- Butterflies?
- Yeah, that's right.
Some guy named Richter.
He works every camp on the river,
buying the damn things.
We catch them, he buys them,
the guards get the big payoff.
It's called the Blue Morphus butterfly.
Its wings are used, uh, for dye
in making American currency.
How often does he come up here?
- A couple times a month.
- Boat?
No other way.
- Why?
- Thinking.
I handle a boat pretty good myself,
you know.
Yeah?
You're supposed to catch them,
you clumsy bastard.
- Where do you send these bugs, sir?
- United States.
How much you charge
to send this one as far as Panama?
Guard, come here a minute.
Don't turn me in, for chrissake.
I got 1000 for you.
- I didn't hear you.
- I said I got 2000, on me, right now.
What's the trouble?
This man just brought me
the finest Morphus I've ever seen.
- Why don't you get him a net?
- Right away, sir.
I want a seaworthy boat, new sail.
Cost you 4000, my friend.
Half now, half on delivery.
- When will that be?
- One week from tonight.
- Where will the boat be?
- Half a mile downriver.
About 300 yards this side of the river...
...there's a big tree. You can't miss it.
I'll be there.
You bring me the rest of the money.
I'll take you to your boat.
You're a goddamn burglar...
...and that proves it.
Are you asleep?
No.
I've been thinking. ...
When you decide to go...
...I'd very much appreciate
going with you.
What?
- Can you handle a boat?
- No.
Well, can you even see a boat
without your glasses?
I can help.
Jesus Christ. You were the one
that didn't wanna escape.
I didn't.
Now I have no choice.
If I stay here in this place...
...I'll die.
Well, it's your money.
You two, got a job for you.
You load a stiff into the boat.
You load him right now.
Julot.
Pick him up.
Dega!
Don't puke here!
Hey, sarge!
Sarge!
He didn't mean it, sir. He's sick.
I'll take care of him.
Stop that, you pig!
He didn't-- He didn't mean it.
I'll take care of him, sir.
Stop, you bastard!
Do you realize that the first man
who carved a wheel out of stone...
...used it as an ornament?
I've always admired him for that.
There's one search party that gave up.
Instead of trying to make
the orifice fit the lens...
...I made the lens fit the orifice.
What do you think?
Did he make it or didn't he?
Oh, I'd say his chances are very poor,
wouldn't you?
Jesus. Is that all you've got to say?
What do you expect me to say?
That man risked his life to save mine.
For me, that's a new experience.
These may work better than I had hoped.
I told you you couldn't miss it.
The only trouble is, you're a week early.
It's up to you.
You're worth just as much dead
as you are alive.
The rule here is total silence.
We make no pretense
of rehabilitation here.
We're not priests, we're processors.
A meatpacker processes live animals
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.
Oh, Jesus.
No. You'll eat everything they give you.
I'm gonna 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 bitch. Dega.
Mm.
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-- 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.
They know.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Hey.
That's right, Cliff.
Switch it to diamonds.
How did you hear?
Trustee. 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.
I eat bugs.
I don't... I don't have enough sense
to get out of the rain. Ha, ha.
Prisoner, show yourself.
Give me the name,
and you're back on full rations.
Just one name.
I don't-- 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 wanna see the warden.
I wanna talk to him.
I have something I wanna tell him.
Who gave you the food?
I...
Jesus, warden...
...I had it.
I had the name, honest to God. I...
I must be light--
I must be lightheaded or something,
because I...
I'm trying.
I... I can't remember.
Honest to God, I can't. I can't.
I can't remember.
It's not there, Mr. Prosecutor.
I know. It's not-- It's not there.
No.
He's dying.
You're dead.
Your term is completed.
One, two, three, four...
...five...
...six.
Oh, you son of a bitch.
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.
Into the bunkhouse! One, two...
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.
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 principal 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?
- Yeah.
- Clusiot.
- Yeah.
What happened to your eyes?
I put some ground-up castor beans in them
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. Ha.
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.
Ah, the generator begins.
Science takes over. Ha, ha.
You know, x-rays are quite worthless.
They always have been.
Lie down, please, on the back.
How much would it cost?
Three thousand 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 3000 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.
Last time I did that
cost me two years in solitary.
Aha. So you have been cheated, eh?
Ha, ha. Well, happily for you,
money doesn't tempt me.
I'm after bigger game.
Draw a deep breath.
You see...
...I 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 you.
Of course.
I 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 1000.
Why?
That's my business. Your business is
to make him happy for 10 minutes.
One thousand.
He's filthy.
All right, 2000.
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 a f--
- I know.
I'm a queer. I'm a fairy. I'm a poof.
But there's one thing you forgot.
You may have been framed,
as you say you were...
...but I wasn't.
Between the two of us...
...I'm the one who's killed a man,
not you.
Okay.
It's tonight during the concert.
I'll be there. I have to.
I'm, uh, serving refreshments.
I think you ought to go with us.
- You ought to.
- Thank you.
But my wife is arranging for my release.
The letter from her is overdue.
Listen to me.
If your wife was here and you were in Paris
with all of that money...
...how much would you pay
to get her back?
Everything I have.
And how much would she pay
to get you back?
That's why you should run.
Now, Louis, while you've got a chance.
But I have a chance without running.
Me, they can kill.
You, they own.
Goodbye.
Good luck.
Clusiot.
Halt!
Dega, you bastard.
- Guard!
- Shit.
Guard!
Pull.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.
Let's go.
- Where's Clusiot?
- Guard got him.
Let's go.
Here. Here.
- Where's the other one?
- Right here. Right here.
Just a little twist.
Come on, come on.
There's your boat over there.
Three thousand.
Check her out, see if everything's okay.
Come on, come on. I'm in a hurry.
Let's go. Let's go.
I wouldn't use those guns if you don't
want the man hunters down on you.
I put two gallons of rum aboard.
Send me a postcard
when you get to Honduras.
Let's have a drink of that rum.
What the...?
Well, this...
...goddamn boat's no good.
Look at it. I'll kill that bastard.
- Son of a bitch is made out of kindling.
- So is my leg.
I didn't twist my ankle, I fractured it.
You broke your leg?
Well, why didn't you say something?
I had the unworthy suspicion
you might leave me behind.
- You're goddamn right.
- It's broken, all right.
We've got to set this. I need your help.
- I presume it'll be somewhat painful?
- You bet it will.
I ask you to remember that
that's my money that's sinking.
I'm here out of an act
of unnatural heroism...
...which prevented a guard
from shooting you.
He probably would've
missed me anyway.
- Now relax.
- What?
- Relax.
- You're at the wrong end.
It'll only last a couple of minutes.
- Jesus.
- Hold him above the knee.
Ready?
That finishes it.
How'd you do that?
- We've all got our sensitive spots.
- What happened?
He found a sensitive spot
you didn't know you had.
Move, and you're dead.
Turn around.
Throw that gun out in front of you.
You know, I get 200 for one of these.
I wouldn't wanna lose it.
Turn around.
You and two others broke out
of Saint-Laurent last night, didn't you?
- That's right.
- And the others are at the boat?
- That's right.
- And the boat's no good.
Not worth a damn.
Been expecting you.
Come on.
Don't shoot. It's okay.
Caught these two man
hunters asleep just before sunup.
They've been hanging around
for two days waiting on you.
You know, each time he sells that boat,
it's in worse shape than the last time.
You like this?
Oh, very much.
I did too, at the time, but I was drunk.
Ha, ha.
Here, take this.
Cut yourself some bamboo
from around here.
Lash it together with sailcloth.
I'll be back around sunset.
I'll tow you upriver to Pigeon Island.
You can get a boat there
if you got enough money.
If you haven't got enough money,
they'll probably kill you.
Doesn't matter much to them either way.
They're all lepers.
You noisy son of a bitch.
Do dogs carry leprosy?
Well...
...the hell with it.
- You better take the--
- Shh.
I don't wanna fight these people.
Just wanna try and talk them
out of a boat.
Who are you?
Escaped prisoner, Papillon.
Where are the other two?
They're down on the beach.
One's got a broken ankle.
Come in.
You have two rifles.
- That's right.
- And you want a boat.
- That's right.
- But you're short of money.
That's right too.
Why don't you have the courtesy
to look at me when you speak?
We do a lot of smuggling here.
We raid the mainland. We steal boats.
When an outsider comes in...
...we generally kill him,
as a security measure.
That makes sense.
Well...
...a man of Christian understanding.
Do you like cigars?
When I can get them.
Try this one.
How did you know I have dry leprosy,
that it isn't contagious?
I didn't.
Normal weather, you should sight
Honduras in three and a half...
...maybe four weeks.
When you get there, you'll need
some money. We passed the hat.
Take it. It's disinfected.
If you're gonna catch leprosy, it's better
to catch it from money than from people.
Take it.
All we use it for is gambling...
...bringing in women lepers from Albina.
We've always got enough for that.
Hurry up. Get onboard.
You'll miss the tide.
Goodbye.
Honduras.
My leg! Get it off my leg!
It's on my leg!
Goddamn it!
All right, come on. Come on, one more.
- I'm already so drunk I can't think.
- Yeah.
That's what I want.
I want you to put this
between your teeth.
It's gonna hurt you, Louis.
If you wanna yell, you yell.
I certainly will.
- I fooled you.
- What?
I fooled you, didn't I?
Goddamn it, we... We made it.
Huh?
Huh?
What was your crime?
Murder.
But I wasn't guilty.
I've never killed anybody in my life.
If you did regain your freedom,
what would you do with it?
I haven't had much time
to think about that.
If you are a thief or a murderer,
by morning...
...you might have stolen
everything we have.
These are mine. They were a gift.
You keep them until I leave.
Are you awake?
Yes, ma'am.
If you are sinful, you have made amends
by feeding half the poor in Santa Marta.
If you are truly not sinful,
you have nothing to fear.
God will watch over you.
Your five years in solitary confinement
are at an end.
You've paid part of your debt to France.
Papi.
We're free.
That's the only way off Devil's Island.
We try to take things easy here.
The sharks and the tide
do the real guard work...
...so it's live and let live...
...unless you make trouble.
That one's empty.
You might as well take it.
But watch yourself
around the other huts.
Somebody might take you for a poacher
and kill you.
How dare you sit there?
This bench belongs to Captain Dreyfus.
Who are you to sit on that bench?
Nobody.
That's right. Ha, ha. Nobody.
Do you know who I am?
Dega?
Dega.
Dega?
Louis.
I wish you hadn't come here.
Are you fond of crayfish?
Good.
You really think so?
It's the best I've had in years.
Did you hear about my wife?
She married my attorney,
or else he married her...
...although, actually,
it doesn't really matter.
I mean, it all works out to the same thing,
don't you think?
Well, I have not heard from her
in about...
It is nice here, isn't it?
You've made it nice, Louis.
Really nice.
Funny...
...you and me ending up here.
We're the only ones left.
- Do you ever wonder about it?
- No.
I do.
Get away!
Get away! Get away!
That's enough!
They come and steal from my garden.
Who does?
- Maybe I better go.
- Yes.
I know your house.
There's no ghost in it.
My thoughts are with you.
Jesus.
Louis. Louis.
Come look. Remember those seeds
that Sergeant Santini gave me last month?
- They've come up. We'll have carrots.
- Louis.
It said six weeks on the packet,
but it's only taken four.
If I could find a way to get off this island,
would you like to come with me?
Oh, yes, of course.
Get away. Freddie, you know better
than that. Get away.
- I got no money. They took it all.
- Forget about that.
- You can't buy your way out of here.
- Then how?
I don't know yet.
Then we don't have to discuss it.
Tell me, do you like tomatoes?
I have some extra seeds.
You might like to start your own garden.
You see? It's a horseshoe.
When the waves break,
they have no place else to go...
...except go back out again.
Well, you can't launch a boat from here.
In fact, there's no place on the entire island
where you can launch a boat.
Bags of coconuts tied together,
just throw them over...
...float out on a wave.
Then what happens?
The mainland's only 24 miles.
You just drift with the current.
Only two days.
- You're certain?
- Yeah.
Seems so..... Ha, ha, so desperate.
Yeah.
You think it will work?
Does it matter?
Get. Get. Now, that's not yours.
Now, you get away.
I'm not going to tell you again.
Here you are, Freddie.
Freddie's not feeling well today...
...and you should appreciate that fact.
Here we are.
Okay, little one. All right.
Freddie.
Freddie, that's not for you.
That's Adam's.
Come here, Adam.
- Let's take a walk.
- Certainly.
Isn't that a little small?
- It's just to try it with.
- Certainly.
You know, I've been thinking
of building a porch.
There's not a home on the entire island
with a porch.
Not even Sergeant Santini has a porch.
- What do you think, huh?
- Come on.
It was the wrong wave.
Oh, yeah.
They come in a series of seven.
And the seventh wave is big enough...
...to take us both out
beyond the point of return.
- Are you certain?
- Yeah.
Excellent.
Oh, if we're going,
I better pick those carrots.
Fourth wave.
Ready?
I must tell you something.
Louis, you don't have to say anything.
I meant to.
I'm sorry.
I know.
You'll be killed.
You know that?
Maybe.
Please don't do it.
Hey, you bastards, I'm still here.
Papillon made it to freedom...
...and for the remaining years of his life,
he lived a free man.
This, the infamous penal system
in French Guiana...
...did not survive him.
- All present and accounted for, sir.
- Thank you, captain.
As of this moment...
...you are the property of
the Penal Administration of French Guiana.
After serving your full terms in prison...
...those of you with sentences...
...of eight years or more...
...will remain in Guiana...
...as workers and colonists...
...for a period equal
to that of your original sentences.
As for France...
...the nation has disposed of you.
France has rid herself of you altogether.
Forget France and put your clothes on.
Papillon. Papi.
You'll be back, Papillon.
Don't worry, you'll be back.
No, you won't.
You, that way.
Down there. You too. You too.
Next. Next, over here. Come along.
Come on. Come in here. Yeah.
You too. You too.
Over there. Over there.
Come along, up there. Hurry up.
You too. You too. Down.
Down. In there. In there.
Come along, now. Down.
Come on down. Down there.
Come on, up there.
In there. In there.
We're really something, aren't we?
The only animals in the world
that shove things up their ass for survival.
First time I shoved one up my gut...
...it infected me so bad
the camp doctor had to cut it out.
He doesn't have any ether...
...so he knocks me out with rum.
- Then you know what he did?
- He stole it.
The butterfly.
You're Papillon, aren't you?
Yeah.
The bastards gave you life.
Right to the end of the line, they think.
May not be as long as you think.
Forty percent of us will die
the first year out.
They gave him life too.
Kid's only 18.
Look at him. No wonder he dreams.
He'll never make it.
But a man like you could make it,
if you have enough money.
How long were you there?
Nine years of work camp,
nine years a colonist.
You were outside the walls.
Why didn't you run?
There's no place to run to.
You're in the middle of a swamp,
1000 miles from no place.
Now, if you got a lot of money,
that's a different thing.
I mean, you take somebody
like Dega there. Back there.
Louis Dega.
The best counterfeiter in France.
National Defense Bonds.
- Series of 1928.
- Right.
Now, if you've got money like he has,
there's a chance to buy your way out.
That is unless somebody cuts
his guts open first to get at all that cash.
Everybody up! Let's go!
Everybody up!
Come on, everybody up!
Let's go! Let's go!
Mind if I sit down here?
If you wish.
You're Dega, aren't you? Louis Dega?
Sorry to see you here.
I presume most of us have earned
our passage.
You're Papillon. You got life for killing
a pimp. Then you had the bad taste...
...to tell the prosecutor
you were going to kill him too.
- I was framed for that murder. I'm innocent.
- No one is innocent.
I'm no pimp killer, for chrissake.
I'm a safecracker.
That's a profession of which
I thoroughly disapprove.
I put almost everything I had
into National Defense Bonds.
Series of 1928.
1928?
Your instincts were sound.
How much did you lose?
I wouldn't put my money on those bonds,
not any more than you would.
Oh. I'm relieved to hear that.
But if that's true,
then why are we having this little chat?
Every convict on this ship knows
who you are.
Any of them would slit you open to
reach inside and get what you're carrying.
So?
You need protection.
From you?
You remember what the chicken said
to the weasel?
If he was a healthy weasel, the chicken
didn't get a chance to say anything.
Think about that.
Hose down!
Come on, off your asses! Hose down!
Come on, you got a fever.
Come on. Do what I tell you.
Come on.
Julot.
Got a question.
If I wanted to get a boat when I got there,
small boat, maybe 15-footer...
- ...how much would it cost?
- Thirty-five hundred.
Forty-five maybe. It all depends.
What if I could
pick up the money to buy one?
I guess you'd have yourself a boat.
You know the country.
You and I could make it out of there. Huh?
The answer is no.
Nothing against you, but the answer is no.
If I gotta go to solitary for some
half-assed escape that didn't work...
...I want the mistake to be mine,
not anybody else's. You understand?
The answer is no.
- How'd it feel, kid? Come on, spit it. Spit.
- Good.
Come on, kid. Spit it up.
All right. Come on, move it.
Move it a little. Move it a little. Let's go.
Let's move.
What do you want?
Almost unbearable, isn't it?
- What?
- Heat.
Oh, it's not too bad.
Of course, you're closer to it than I am.
Oh, yes, yes.
You're referring to last night, aren't you?
Well, aren't you?
May I tell you something?
At first glance,
I'm afraid that I regarded you with rather...
...a large degree of, uh,
unworthy suspicion.
- Am I clear?
- No.
Well, it now seems quite possible that,
until we get to a decent jail...
...with bribable guards,
I may stand in some need of...
...rather close physical protection.
That depends on how long
you wanna live.
Oh, a long time.
Well, then you got a problem.
Well, I presume that you have some, uh,
goal, some particular need that...
...outweighs all others.
I mean, if so, uh, may I ask what it is?
- Money.
- For what?
Escape.
Very good.
You keep me alive
until we land in Guiana...
...and I'll underwrite any escape
you care to arrange.
Escape for me, not for us.
Oh, of course. I, uh...
Ha, ha. I have no intention
of even attempting an escape. Ever.
Done.
Thank you.
Leave him alone, or I'll cut your head off.
Hide this.
Over there is St. Joseph's.
The other island is Royale.
The one on the right is Devil's.
Julot, why is it so hard
to escape from there?
A man could almost swim
to the mainland.
No, there must be a better way
than swimming.
No, no, swimming's not the way.
The current is so strong, it'll push you
right back where you started from.
You know, when you're on those islands,
you're there for keeps.
Where do we go?
We go up the Maroni River.
Then we dock at Saint-Laurent.
That's where they decide
whether to send you to the work camps...
...or to the islands.
Left. Left. Left.
Left, right, left.
Left. Left.
Left, right, left.
Column, halt.
Left.
See those two on the dock with the guns?
Right over there.
They served their time,
and now they're colonists.
- They've turned man hunter.
- Man hunter?
Yeah, you escape, they hunt.
For money, I presume. A reward.
- Jesus.
- All right. Get ready to move.
Line up to disembark.
I'm gonna have an accident going down
that gangplank, and it's gotta look good...
- ...so lend me your shiv.
- What the hell for?
Because I'm a two-time loser.
No matter what happens, I'll be sent
to the islands on the next transport.
I've gotta get into that hospital to give me
time to think. Now give me that shiv.
You're crazy, Julot.
- Single file. March.
- Single file down the gangplank.
Hold it. Hold it.
Let's go.
Single file.
Move. Move. Let's go.
Bring a stretcher.
Single file, single file.
- Move him out.
- Take him away.
- Move it.
- All right, move. Move.
- All right, let's go.
- Move it.
Come on, move them. Let's go. Let's go.
Come on. Come on.
- Get up. Come on.
- Get up there. Off your ass.
- Come on.
- Line them up. Right there.
Come on.
Get in the rank.
Come up over here.
Come on.
Hurry it up.
Column, march.
Keep moving. Keep moving.
Prisoner, pick him up quickly.
Attention!
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.
Make the best of what we offer you,
and you will suffer less than you deserve.
Dismissed.
Into the bunkhouse.
One, two, three, four.
Go on! Go on! Get a move on!
Mr. Dega?
Oh, yes, indeed.
I know all about you, Mr. Dega.
Very intelligent man.
Thank you. I, uh-- I seem to be known
in all the wrong places.
Well, I have a friend who is a guard.
For very--
Yes, go ahead.
For very little money, he can arrange
for certain people to stay here...
...instead of being sent to a work camp
or one of the islands.
Can he get us a job here
so we can walk around the place?
Perhaps a selection from which
we may choose?
Oh, yes. That is, my friend can.
You take our money,
and you put your life on the line.
Mm. Of course.
How much will it cost?
Well, my friend has a very large family.
Many little children, you understand?
And his sergeant has a mother,
heart trouble.
He was asking you how much,
not how many.
If you don't mind, I'll do the negotiating.
How much?
For you, 500. For him, 1500.
He made trouble.
Yes, indeed, he did. Nevertheless,
I'll give you 1250 for the both of us.
Now, you take it or leave it as you wish.
Try again.
Very well. I want two pairs
of comfortable shoes for the both of us...
...and you, you get the 2000.
Don't you have to go to the toilet?
Oh, yes, of course.
Would you excuse me a moment?
You don't need to, Mr. Dega.
Unless, of course, you want to.
I can pick it up in the morning.
Get moving, white men!
Let's go! Right now! Okay! Let's go!
Come on, move it!
On your feet!
- Come on, get up.
- Move it! Come on!
Come on!
Attention! Present arms!
No! No!
"Deliver your servant, O Lord,
from all the dangers of hell...
- ...from constraining punishments...
- No!
Amen."
May the angels take him...
Mr. Dega, did you get the money?
Move it! Move it! Move it!
Get going! Move it!
Fischer, what the hell's wrong?
Some son of a bitch broke out
of the hospital compound.
Julot.
All right, break it up. We'll get him.
Next.
You're fine. Next.
Must be better than I feel.
You're in wonderful shape.
Hey, how do you fail
an examination like this?
Next.
7551.
- Dega?
- Yes, sir, Louis Dega.
- It was suggested that I speak to you, sir--
- I have it right here.
We'll just keep you on here
in the cleaning squad.
Thank you, sir. There's also my friend.
- You're Louis Dega?
- I am, sir. And this is my friend, Papillon.
We have a great deal in common, Mr. Dega.
I'm extremely glad to see you.
Why, thank you, sir.
Of course, if the circumstances were--
My family lost everything they had
in counterfeit National Defense Bonds.
Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that, sir.
Uh, even so, buying them was a tribute
to their patriotism, wouldn't you say?
- And you're Mr. Dega's friend, huh?
- Well, we--
There's one thing about Saint-Laurent
you'll like:
We never separate old friends.
Kilo 40. Both of them. Today's transport.
What is Kilo 40?
Ready, heave!
Ready, pull!
Ready, heave!
Ready, pull! Move!
Heave!
Don't touch him.
You'll wind up worse off than he is.
Move! Get moving!
Ready, aim...
Duck!
Pull!
Get up, you lazy bastards!
You get that croc
and you bring him along!
You, pick another man
and grab that croc.
Move! Come on, move!
Move! Move!
Son of a bitch isn't dead,
they just irritated him.
- Get his tail.
- You get his tail.
- Where's his tail?
- Go there.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah.
- So am I.
- Go ahead.
Okay.
Ready?
- Is that the tail?
- No.
Oh. I'd better go over to this side.
You get the head.
- The head?
- Yeah.
You try the tail.
Okay, now you try the head.
Grab him!
He's dead.
Still talking.
He's dead.
He's dead?
Move forward.
Come on.
Come on, come on. Hands up.
Next. Next.
Two. Three. Four.
- Next.
- Bring it around here.
Just lay the croc right there.
- Just drop it. All right, search them.
- Hold it.
- Move out.
- Move.
He's pretty big.
This skin's worth some money.
Move it!
What the hell are you looking at?
You're Louis Dega.
- Yes, sir.
- I'm Clusiot.
How come you ended up
in a place like this?
Favoritism.
Friend's kind of quiet, isn't he?
He's dead.
He jammed a piece of wood down
his throat and choked himself to death.
Three-way split.
Fair, isn't it?
Quinine.
Worst country in the world for malaria.
Here, take them.
Go ahead. I've got some left.
Well, if I'm gonna get my sleep...
...I'll have to take this poor bastard
with me.
- Decent man.
- Mm.
Dega.
The man hunters.
The ones we saw down at the dock.
Son of a bitches.
- Butterflies?
- Yeah, that's right.
Some guy named Richter.
He works every camp on the river,
buying the damn things.
We catch them, he buys them,
the guards get the big payoff.
It's called the Blue Morphus butterfly.
Its wings are used, uh, for dye
in making American currency.
How often does he come up here?
- A couple times a month.
- Boat?
No other way.
- Why?
- Thinking.
I handle a boat pretty good myself,
you know.
Yeah?
You're supposed to catch them,
you clumsy bastard.
- Where do you send these bugs, sir?
- United States.
How much you charge
to send this one as far as Panama?
Guard, come here a minute.
Don't turn me in, for chrissake.
I got 1000 for you.
- I didn't hear you.
- I said I got 2000, on me, right now.
What's the trouble?
This man just brought me
the finest Morphus I've ever seen.
- Why don't you get him a net?
- Right away, sir.
I want a seaworthy boat, new sail.
Cost you 4000, my friend.
Half now, half on delivery.
- When will that be?
- One week from tonight.
- Where will the boat be?
- Half a mile downriver.
About 300 yards this side of the river...
...there's a big tree. You can't miss it.
I'll be there.
You bring me the rest of the money.
I'll take you to your boat.
You're a goddamn burglar...
...and that proves it.
Are you asleep?
No.
I've been thinking. ...
When you decide to go...
...I'd very much appreciate
going with you.
What?
- Can you handle a boat?
- No.
Well, can you even see a boat
without your glasses?
I can help.
Jesus Christ. You were the one
that didn't wanna escape.
I didn't.
Now I have no choice.
If I stay here in this place...
...I'll die.
Well, it's your money.
You two, got a job for you.
You load a stiff into the boat.
You load him right now.
Julot.
Pick him up.
Dega!
Don't puke here!
Hey, sarge!
Sarge!
He didn't mean it, sir. He's sick.
I'll take care of him.
Stop that, you pig!
He didn't-- He didn't mean it.
I'll take care of him, sir.
Stop, you bastard!
Do you realize that the first man
who carved a wheel out of stone...
...used it as an ornament?
I've always admired him for that.
There's one search party that gave up.
Instead of trying to make
the orifice fit the lens...
...I made the lens fit the orifice.
What do you think?
Did he make it or didn't he?
Oh, I'd say his chances are very poor,
wouldn't you?
Jesus. Is that all you've got to say?
What do you expect me to say?
That man risked his life to save mine.
For me, that's a new experience.
These may work better than I had hoped.
I told you you couldn't miss it.
The only trouble is, you're a week early.
It's up to you.
You're worth just as much dead
as you are alive.
The rule here is total silence.
We make no pretense
of rehabilitation here.
We're not priests, we're processors.
A meatpacker processes live animals
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.
Oh, Jesus.
No. You'll eat everything they give you.
I'm gonna 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 bitch. Dega.
Mm.
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-- 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.
They know.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Hey.
That's right, Cliff.
Switch it to diamonds.
How did you hear?
Trustee. 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.
I eat bugs.
I don't... I don't have enough sense
to get out of the rain. Ha, ha.
Prisoner, show yourself.
Give me the name,
and you're back on full rations.
Just one name.
I don't-- 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 wanna see the warden.
I wanna talk to him.
I have something I wanna tell him.
Who gave you the food?
I...
Jesus, warden...
...I had it.
I had the name, honest to God. I...
I must be light--
I must be lightheaded or something,
because I...
I'm trying.
I... I can't remember.
Honest to God, I can't. I can't.
I can't remember.
It's not there, Mr. Prosecutor.
I know. It's not-- It's not there.
No.
He's dying.
You're dead.
Your term is completed.
One, two, three, four...
...five...
...six.
Oh, you son of a bitch.
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.
Into the bunkhouse! One, two...
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.
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 principal 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?
- Yeah.
- Clusiot.
- Yeah.
What happened to your eyes?
I put some ground-up castor beans in them
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. Ha.
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.
Ah, the generator begins.
Science takes over. Ha, ha.
You know, x-rays are quite worthless.
They always have been.
Lie down, please, on the back.
How much would it cost?
Three thousand 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 3000 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.
Last time I did that
cost me two years in solitary.
Aha. So you have been cheated, eh?
Ha, ha. Well, happily for you,
money doesn't tempt me.
I'm after bigger game.
Draw a deep breath.
You see...
...I 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 you.
Of course.
I 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 1000.
Why?
That's my business. Your business is
to make him happy for 10 minutes.
One thousand.
He's filthy.
All right, 2000.
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 a f--
- I know.
I'm a queer. I'm a fairy. I'm a poof.
But there's one thing you forgot.
You may have been framed,
as you say you were...
...but I wasn't.
Between the two of us...
...I'm the one who's killed a man,
not you.
Okay.
It's tonight during the concert.
I'll be there. I have to.
I'm, uh, serving refreshments.
I think you ought to go with us.
- You ought to.
- Thank you.
But my wife is arranging for my release.
The letter from her is overdue.
Listen to me.
If your wife was here and you were in Paris
with all of that money...
...how much would you pay
to get her back?
Everything I have.
And how much would she pay
to get you back?
That's why you should run.
Now, Louis, while you've got a chance.
But I have a chance without running.
Me, they can kill.
You, they own.
Goodbye.
Good luck.
Clusiot.
Halt!
Dega, you bastard.
- Guard!
- Shit.
Guard!
Pull.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.
Let's go.
- Where's Clusiot?
- Guard got him.
Let's go.
Here. Here.
- Where's the other one?
- Right here. Right here.
Just a little twist.
Come on, come on.
There's your boat over there.
Three thousand.
Check her out, see if everything's okay.
Come on, come on. I'm in a hurry.
Let's go. Let's go.
I wouldn't use those guns if you don't
want the man hunters down on you.
I put two gallons of rum aboard.
Send me a postcard
when you get to Honduras.
Let's have a drink of that rum.
What the...?
Well, this...
...goddamn boat's no good.
Look at it. I'll kill that bastard.
- Son of a bitch is made out of kindling.
- So is my leg.
I didn't twist my ankle, I fractured it.
You broke your leg?
Well, why didn't you say something?
I had the unworthy suspicion
you might leave me behind.
- You're goddamn right.
- It's broken, all right.
We've got to set this. I need your help.
- I presume it'll be somewhat painful?
- You bet it will.
I ask you to remember that
that's my money that's sinking.
I'm here out of an act
of unnatural heroism...
...which prevented a guard
from shooting you.
He probably would've
missed me anyway.
- Now relax.
- What?
- Relax.
- You're at the wrong end.
It'll only last a couple of minutes.
- Jesus.
- Hold him above the knee.
Ready?
That finishes it.
How'd you do that?
- We've all got our sensitive spots.
- What happened?
He found a sensitive spot
you didn't know you had.
Move, and you're dead.
Turn around.
Throw that gun out in front of you.
You know, I get 200 for one of these.
I wouldn't wanna lose it.
Turn around.
You and two others broke out
of Saint-Laurent last night, didn't you?
- That's right.
- And the others are at the boat?
- That's right.
- And the boat's no good.
Not worth a damn.
Been expecting you.
Come on.
Don't shoot. It's okay.
Caught these two man
hunters asleep just before sunup.
They've been hanging around
for two days waiting on you.
You know, each time he sells that boat,
it's in worse shape than the last time.
You like this?
Oh, very much.
I did too, at the time, but I was drunk.
Ha, ha.
Here, take this.
Cut yourself some bamboo
from around here.
Lash it together with sailcloth.
I'll be back around sunset.
I'll tow you upriver to Pigeon Island.
You can get a boat there
if you got enough money.
If you haven't got enough money,
they'll probably kill you.
Doesn't matter much to them either way.
They're all lepers.
You noisy son of a bitch.
Do dogs carry leprosy?
Well...
...the hell with it.
- You better take the--
- Shh.
I don't wanna fight these people.
Just wanna try and talk them
out of a boat.
Who are you?
Escaped prisoner, Papillon.
Where are the other two?
They're down on the beach.
One's got a broken ankle.
Come in.
You have two rifles.
- That's right.
- And you want a boat.
- That's right.
- But you're short of money.
That's right too.
Why don't you have the courtesy
to look at me when you speak?
We do a lot of smuggling here.
We raid the mainland. We steal boats.
When an outsider comes in...
...we generally kill him,
as a security measure.
That makes sense.
Well...
...a man of Christian understanding.
Do you like cigars?
When I can get them.
Try this one.
How did you know I have dry leprosy,
that it isn't contagious?
I didn't.
Normal weather, you should sight
Honduras in three and a half...
...maybe four weeks.
When you get there, you'll need
some money. We passed the hat.
Take it. It's disinfected.
If you're gonna catch leprosy, it's better
to catch it from money than from people.
Take it.
All we use it for is gambling...
...bringing in women lepers from Albina.
We've always got enough for that.
Hurry up. Get onboard.
You'll miss the tide.
Goodbye.
Honduras.
My leg! Get it off my leg!
It's on my leg!
Goddamn it!
All right, come on. Come on, one more.
- I'm already so drunk I can't think.
- Yeah.
That's what I want.
I want you to put this
between your teeth.
It's gonna hurt you, Louis.
If you wanna yell, you yell.
I certainly will.
- I fooled you.
- What?
I fooled you, didn't I?
Goddamn it, we... We made it.
Huh?
Huh?
What was your crime?
Murder.
But I wasn't guilty.
I've never killed anybody in my life.
If you did regain your freedom,
what would you do with it?
I haven't had much time
to think about that.
If you are a thief or a murderer,
by morning...
...you might have stolen
everything we have.
These are mine. They were a gift.
You keep them until I leave.
Are you awake?
Yes, ma'am.
If you are sinful, you have made amends
by feeding half the poor in Santa Marta.
If you are truly not sinful,
you have nothing to fear.
God will watch over you.
Your five years in solitary confinement
are at an end.
You've paid part of your debt to France.
Papi.
We're free.
That's the only way off Devil's Island.
We try to take things easy here.
The sharks and the tide
do the real guard work...
...so it's live and let live...
...unless you make trouble.
That one's empty.
You might as well take it.
But watch yourself
around the other huts.
Somebody might take you for a poacher
and kill you.
How dare you sit there?
This bench belongs to Captain Dreyfus.
Who are you to sit on that bench?
Nobody.
That's right. Ha, ha. Nobody.
Do you know who I am?
Dega?
Dega.
Dega?
Louis.
I wish you hadn't come here.
Are you fond of crayfish?
Good.
You really think so?
It's the best I've had in years.
Did you hear about my wife?
She married my attorney,
or else he married her...
...although, actually,
it doesn't really matter.
I mean, it all works out to the same thing,
don't you think?
Well, I have not heard from her
in about...
It is nice here, isn't it?
You've made it nice, Louis.
Really nice.
Funny...
...you and me ending up here.
We're the only ones left.
- Do you ever wonder about it?
- No.
I do.
Get away!
Get away! Get away!
That's enough!
They come and steal from my garden.
Who does?
- Maybe I better go.
- Yes.
I know your house.
There's no ghost in it.
My thoughts are with you.
Jesus.
Louis. Louis.
Come look. Remember those seeds
that Sergeant Santini gave me last month?
- They've come up. We'll have carrots.
- Louis.
It said six weeks on the packet,
but it's only taken four.
If I could find a way to get off this island,
would you like to come with me?
Oh, yes, of course.
Get away. Freddie, you know better
than that. Get away.
- I got no money. They took it all.
- Forget about that.
- You can't buy your way out of here.
- Then how?
I don't know yet.
Then we don't have to discuss it.
Tell me, do you like tomatoes?
I have some extra seeds.
You might like to start your own garden.
You see? It's a horseshoe.
When the waves break,
they have no place else to go...
...except go back out again.
Well, you can't launch a boat from here.
In fact, there's no place on the entire island
where you can launch a boat.
Bags of coconuts tied together,
just throw them over...
...float out on a wave.
Then what happens?
The mainland's only 24 miles.
You just drift with the current.
Only two days.
- You're certain?
- Yeah.
Seems so..... Ha, ha, so desperate.
Yeah.
You think it will work?
Does it matter?
Get. Get. Now, that's not yours.
Now, you get away.
I'm not going to tell you again.
Here you are, Freddie.
Freddie's not feeling well today...
...and you should appreciate that fact.
Here we are.
Okay, little one. All right.
Freddie.
Freddie, that's not for you.
That's Adam's.
Come here, Adam.
- Let's take a walk.
- Certainly.
Isn't that a little small?
- It's just to try it with.
- Certainly.
You know, I've been thinking
of building a porch.
There's not a home on the entire island
with a porch.
Not even Sergeant Santini has a porch.
- What do you think, huh?
- Come on.
It was the wrong wave.
Oh, yeah.
They come in a series of seven.
And the seventh wave is big enough...
...to take us both out
beyond the point of return.
- Are you certain?
- Yeah.
Excellent.
Oh, if we're going,
I better pick those carrots.
Fourth wave.
Ready?
I must tell you something.
Louis, you don't have to say anything.
I meant to.
I'm sorry.
I know.
You'll be killed.
You know that?
Maybe.
Please don't do it.
Hey, you bastards, I'm still here.
Papillon made it to freedom...
...and for the remaining years of his life,
he lived a free man.
This, the infamous penal system
in French Guiana...
...did not survive him.