Cita:Papillon is a slow, relentless trek with two extremely odd characters, and that may be off putting for some viewers. Filled with a number of disturbing elements, this is a film not for the faint of heart and/or stomach. And while McQueen and Hoffman are decidedly different types of actors, they actually meld surprisingly well together here. Schaffner keeps things well under control, if deliberately slow-paced, and the film is a viscerally frightening look at the horrors of the French Guiana penal colony, as well as the indomitable human desire to be free. Highly recommended.