iTunes Exclusive Episode Papillon
Rob, Chad, and Don review the 2017 remake of Papillon, starring Charlie Hunnam as the titular character and Remy Malik as Daga. The film follows Henry Papillon Charier, a safe cracker framed for murder and sent to the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island, who forms an unlikely alliance with a counterfeiter to finance his escape. Don found the film engaging despite its two-hour-15-minute runtime, praising the performances, cinematography, and historical attention to detail, though noting some pacing issues.
About this episode
Key takeaways
- The film builds a compelling friendship and evolution between Hunnam and Malik's characters over decades in prison, showing how their relationship transforms from transactional protection to genuine bond
- Gore and brutality are present but not exploited for shock value; the film emphasizes what viewers don't see rather than graphic exploitation
- The film was shot in Serbia and Malta with jungle scenes that effectively convey the prison camp setting, with historical accuracy in props and production design
- At two hours and 15 minutes, the film maintains pacing without dragging, though some scenes could have been trimmed and the ending feels slightly rushed
Q&A
How does this remake compare to the original 1973 Papillon?
There are differences in storyline between the two films—some elements were included in the original but not this version and vice versa. Both films are similar in length (original was 2 hours 31 minutes) and approach to showing brutality without exploiting it.
Did the film accurately portray the true story?
The film takes liberties with the memoir, which itself is debated by historians as to whether it was Charier's actual experience or compiled stories from other prisoners he witnessed in the penal colony. The film emphasizes the brutality and story over strict historical fact.
Is this film appropriate for all audiences?
No. The film contains brutality and scenes of prison life that may be disturbing; it's not suitable for children and may cause discomfort similar to films like Midnight Express.
Read Transcript
Greetings, empire member and or members. If you are hearing the sound of my voice, it means the following conditions have been met. You know what the clubhouse podcast is, that's condition number one.
Your one-stop shop for all things pop culture, or weekly show is normally live to tape every Sunday? It also means you subscribe to our little show and your favorite podcast app, because it's time for another iTunes exclusive. Now the argument could be made that technically all of them are right now, but we're not changing the name.
We're 413 of these in, I'm not changing it now. Welcome, my name is Rob, I am the executive producer of the clubhouse podcast, and just so that we're aware, the movie we're about to talk about is not a documentary about fancy mustard. Okay?
Sitting across from me is my co-host and a man who I think is very interested in what we're about to talk about. He is Chad, welcome sir. You would be correct sir if we are doing what I'm assuming we are doing.
We are doing what you are assuming that you are assuming that we're doing. Okay. Rounding out the dance is the most important person in this particular episode, because he'll be able to talk about it better than you and I combined.
You may know him as fond, don, go, but as mom and him, I'm done for it. I'm going to calm down for it. Hello sir.
Because my talking and English skills are so great. As with just demonstrate, there's a reason I edit with you. He barely has to touch mine.
Well, I mean technically he's right because it's on a screen. So you want to touch it with a baseball bat? Whenever we do one of these is to review something and this is no exception.
Going back to the remake column, it's time to talk the new version of Papillon. Before we start this whole thing, yes sir. We're going to thank Julie Josh here, but it's Slime Fox.
Z-Vee, Z-Vee, Z-Vee, Z-Vee. And can I just say upfront to all of our vendors, I apologize for my unusual absence in screenings. I've had a lot going on lately, preparing for who needs sleep and everything else.
But I promise you, once we get through this month, we will get the wheels back on. And Donna, I want to thank you for picking up the slack because I did want to see this, but I was in a different time zone when the screening happened. Yeah, it did work.
So I mean, yeah, job, yeah, job. Yeah, I mean people just, yes, don't pay me. Yeah.
So let's just, I'm going to just go straight to the IMDb description here. Based on the international best-selling autobiographic books, Papillon and Banco, the film follows the epic story of Henry Papillon Charier. Did I get that right, Chad?
I believe I'd be on re. On re? That's, but that's not how it's spelled.
C-H-R-R-I-E-R-E. Well, he was French, so I figured that would be on re. Played by Charlie Hunnam from the sons of Anarchy.
And a safe cracker from the Parisian underworld who has framed for murder and condemned to life in the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island. Determined to regain his freedom, he forms an unlikely alliance with quick, a quirky, convicted counter-fitter, Louis Digg, played by the great Remy Malik, who in exchange for protection agrees to finance Papillon's escape. Now, Chad, give us a little, give our listeners, a little background here of what interests you.
You saw the original. That's what interested me. Okay.
Back when we first got cable back in the 80s. Yes, kids, there was a time where we only had four channels. And when you finally did get cable, it wasn't like a remote.
You had a box, and then there's a little thing on the side. We had a little dial thing because there were three rows on our cable boxes. Now, we had to go to the TV to do it because we even have the Wi-Fi or something.
Well, you just bought a really long cable and you put the box in. I was just smart. But yeah, it was, it was usually on the A-switch side.
And cable played the original Papillon, the name of the director has cased me, but it was originally Steve McQueen as, as Papillon and Dustin Hoffman as Daga. Okay. Franklin, Jay, Santa Saffiner.
Saffiner. We'll just roll with that. Okay.
But they showed that film ad nauseam. Like, it was on, it was either that or the outsiders on a continuous loop. Oh, you said Anri was his first name.
I said Henry, is that what it was? Yes. Okay.
I'll show him with the last names. No. Okay.
Never mind. I apologize for that. For those of you that think we edit this show before it goes out, you're out of your mind.
It goes my papylon because that means butterfly. It's happy. Oh, no, it's not what you said.
I'm going to hit you. It's a thing is he had a butterfly tattoo on his chest. Okay.
Yeah. But it was, I'm trying to remember the order of release between the Great Escape and Papillon. I'm pretty sure the Great Escape was first.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
So this kind of became McQueen's mantra. He's, he's going to be the guy that gets out of prison every time you get him a chance to. But I saw that film over and over and, you know, and stolen didn't do it first.
No, he did not. And I want to say I was like, you know, 10, 12 years old at the time that I'm watching this film on, on a loop. And it was pretty gory.
Like, it had some really graphic. And we are going to address that because we want to talk about that because Don does address this in his written review located at www.theclubhousepodcast.com. That's our website.
But I was intrigued by it. It's like, it's, it was one of those films that you just couldn't pull yourself away from it. It kind of became my Shawshank back in the day where if whatever part of the film that it's on, okay, it's on.
This is what I'm watching. Okay. So I just, I've been a really big fan of that.
So Don, had you seen the original, but no, actually I did. Okay. So you went into this completely called that.
No, no, it was a remake, but I never saw the original. So kind of not to really bury the lead a little bit as we get into this. Did seeing this one make you want to go back and watch the original?
Yeah, to see if there was a big difference. And I've talked to some people after screening some of the fellow critics who saw both. And there was some differences between the two films in the storyline.
Nothing huge, but there's a few things they didn't put in this one, which they put in that one and vice versa. That kind of thing. So there were some changes between the two.
Talking about the Gore and this thing, it's not blatant. You see some of the stuff, but they don't try to exploit it like other films do. Okay.
So it's not Gore for Gore's sake. It's more about what you don't see than what you do. It's kind of in a way.
Kind of the original did. Yeah. But there are some scenes where you see some brutal stuff.
And they're giving me, this tells prison life just like American me. I mean, there's just like, there's those. That's kind of a deep cut going to American me.
Well, you know, I'm telling you. No, but I think that's great that you recognize it. If you talk about a lot that you don't have the geek cred, but you kind of into a deep cut there.
So I'm going to give you credit for that. Yeah. So because there were some brutal scenes in that, which they just had some of that brutality in there.
The film, look, I really liked. A lot of it was filmed in was at Malta, Italy or something like that. Okay.
Yeah. In Serbia. And in this one, by the way, we don't say this one directed by a Michael Nore.
Yeah. Who's also known for like Northwest R, that kind of thing. But with this film, there's a great friendship and bond that builds between the character of Daga and Henry.
I'm not going to go try to Henry. And who's gone papy on. It's papy on.
Did you, did you buy it between the two actors in Hunim and Malek? You're both great actors. Yeah.
And of course, with Hunan who's Jackson and Sons of Anarchy, loved him and that. He had that mentality from S-O-A to come into this one. Okay.
Because he plays the top guy. Yeah, I'm not the biggest guy in the room, but I know how to fight. And he tells this guy who he would be torn up the shreds in this prison.
And there was the first night. It was kind of self evident where the guy next to him gets it and he knew he was next. Because this guy is about a buck 10 financial crimes going to the big bad house kind of thing.
So he says, I'll protect you, but you have to finance me so we can escape. And yes, he kind of acts like the guy. You're just my property.
I'm protecting you. Don't we're not friends. But that builds over time.
And they really show that friendship. So there's an evolution to it, which is a big time. Okay.
Because they're minor spoiler and hold on. You got to warm you. You're going to do that because I got to find the buttons.
All right. Three, two, one. They're in prison together for decades.
Okay. So this takes over. Yeah, at least at least 10, 20, I know for at least 10 years.
It wasn't hard to keep track of the timeline. Are they able to age the two together so you knew what was going on? Okay.
For instance, there's a part where he goes in solitaire for a long time. And you just see him going in and you come out and he has a gray hair and you knew he was in there for years. Right.
Probably like the other film. Yeah, very, very much so. So you knew like, okay, here's the three year jump.
And we're going to show him in solitaire for three years with nothing going on or four years, whatever the time was. That kind of thing. Reading the story there are some liberties taken at the probably both films.
I know there's some liberties taken in this one here. And there's that big debate in real life because this is based on true events. This was by the memoir of the Henry or on rewrote 19.
He wrote the he wrote the memoir in 1969. And people are debating whether that was actually him or it's just a bunch of stories of stuff he saw of a people that he saw in the prison and he kind of put them in their place kind of thing. But he talked about the brutality and the thing was I really liked how they got a lot of these juggles scenes and I don't know where they were in Serbia or like in in Malta where they're going to have a bunch of scenes like it looks like you're in Vietnam or something that with all the jungles where they're, you know, doing these work layer bur camps.
But basically it's a story that he gets busted for murder, which he didn't commit. He was set up, but he missed. I did some crimes but I never did the murder.
They ship him off New Guinea. And of course, there was that debate of how they treated those prisoners when they're into the concert. That kind of thing.
So they've changed the location because the original he went to the French Guiana. Yeah, that's what said. He said it differently.
Yeah. Actually, you said New Guinea, the French Guiana, sorry. French Guiana in South America.
My bad. Okay. Okay.
But again, nobody nobody ever says this thing goes out on editing. Yeah, it does. Okay.
I was incorrect for once. But today. Yeah.
But this hour, no, it doesn't like to say how horrible we treat prisoners. If so, you say that is it less of a political statement and just more of a narrative? Yeah, and his story, which is kind of different from a lot of movies we've seen.
This was not political. I'm thinking, it's good. It's just telling the story and how brutal.
Chad, Chad, just had a moment. I just saw who was partially responsible for the screenplay of the original. Trumbo.
Oh, really? Yes. Oh, okay.
Did you ever see that biopic? That's good. That's good.
We'll talk about that later. But on the look of this stuff, like the camp, and they did something at the end, which I know you love. They show pictures of the actual happenings.
Yeah. And we're the, we're in real lives in South America there. It shows the camp and you see the entrance.
What you saw in film, then what you saw the picture at the end, it's like they put a lot into this. Okay, nice. It just looked like this was the real place.
Nice. Historically, correct on the props, everything like that. Acting good, especially what's the guy who plays now?
He plays like the fish and, you know, going into prison. Who will be playing one? Freddie Mercury coming up.
Yeah. Bohemian Rhapsody. Yeah.
You saw him walking in. He plays that guy who's just get the sheep and stranded by wolves kind of thing. Played that part very, very well.
My biggest thing is this thing is long. Two hours and 15 minutes. According to your written review.
Yeah. And I think the original, how long was original? Was it about the same?
About the same. Yeah. I think that the original was a little bit longer.
But still, I think there was some stuff that they extended that they could easily cut out this part there, this part there. It kept me interested. I like the story.
But you know, the original is two hours and 31 minutes. Yeah. So I mean, this, it is long.
You know, it's long. And it's like when it's over, okay, it's over. But it doesn't drag like a two and a half hour Terrence Malik film, put it that way.
Okay. So on that aspect, the pacing was still good. I just think there, there could have been a little bite cut out there, cut out there.
And of course, you know, there are some liberties taken that kind of thing versus what happened in real life, or allegedly what happened for the memoirs. I think there are some, the stuff they spent too, too much time on and some stuff at the end, I think they kind of rushed. Okay.
But not, not, you know, but how do you do that? How do you, it's that editing? What parts do you keep in?
What, what do you put in? What do you take out that kind of thing? But overall, it's still good.
I mean, here's a good film to watch. Don't take the kids because there is the brutality on that. And there's some prison life and you might have some questions.
So I mean, it is right. It are. Yeah.
Kind of like the midnight express. There was those scenes of the, of the, you know, the, the foot. I was able to get midnight express and midnight run confused.
I'm like, not the same movie. Don't make that mistake. No, I'm the same.
You have those scenes with the feet. Got you kind of queasy and that one. You might get queasy in this one.
Here. Okay. Anything else for you to file an house?
Yeah. All right. Do we do the file analysis on the show?
We're not going to give you thumbs up, thumbs down, letter grades, numbers, boats, anything like that. I'm going to ask Don up to two questions. Question number one is, would he see Papillon again?
If the answers know, then we're done here. The answers, yes, that my follow up question for him is going to be how far he's willing to go to do so. From the best of the best of the worst of the best, here's how it rolls.
Full price at a theater down to a twilight showing down to a matinee, then down to early morning on a weekend, then down to second run of the dollar theater. From there, we go down to actually leaving your house to get it from red box, down to streaming on Netflix, down to just watching it on cable. Don, would you see Papillon again?
Yeah, I would. How far you want to go to do so? How far you want to go to do so?
I do like a matinee. Okay. Yeah.
It's fair enough. No, it can't get coveted too long. That's too long.
Directed by Michael Knower. I hope I got that right because he's Danish, so I don't even know how they experience it, but there's not a lot. So I don't know.
It is Papillon. Probably this whole thing? Yes, sir.
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