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.
lnstead 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?
I'd say his chances are very poor, wouldn't you?
Jesus! ls 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.
lt'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. lt drains the strength.
That's all, take him away.
One, two...
...three, four, five.
One, two, three, four, five.
Oh, Jesus!
No. You'll eat everything they give you.
I'm going to 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.
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 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.
How did you hear?
Trusty 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.
Look at me! I eat bugs!
I don't...I don't have enough sense to get out of the rain.
Prisoner, show yourself.
Give me the name and you're back on full rations.
Just one name.
Well, 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 want to see the warden.
I want to talk to him.
I have something I want to tell him.
Who gave you the food?
I....
Jesus, Warden...
...I had it.
I had the name, honest to God....
I must be light--
I must be lightheaded or...
...something because...
...I'm trying.
I'm trying.
I can...I can't remember.
Honest to God, I can't.
I can't, I can't remember.
lt's not there, Mr. Prosecutor.
I don't know, it's not, it's not there.
No.
lt's gone.
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.
Move! ln the bunkhouse!
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.
I almost did.
Someone once said that temptation resisted...
...is the true measure of character.
How'd you get out of Kilo 40?
lt 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 principle witnesses against you...
...may be willing to change his story...
...for a price.
lf 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?
Clusiot.
Yeah.
What happened to your eyes?
I put some ground-up castor beans in 'em, 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.
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.
The generator begins. Science takes over!
You know, x-rays are quite worthless. They always have been.
Lie down, please, on the back.
How much would it cost?
Fr 3,000 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 Fr 3,000 you must pay directly to Pascal when he delivers the boat.
Exhale, please, and turn over.
lf I decide to make a deal, how do we handle it?
Have no fear. Ways will be found.
Trust me for everything.
The last time I did that cost me two years in solitary.
So, you have been cheated, eh?
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 ya.
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 Fr 1,000.
Why?
That's my business. Your business is to make him happy for ten minutes.
Fr 1,000.
He's filthy.
All right, Fr 2,000. 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-- -I know.
I'm a queer, a fairy, a pouf, huh?
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.
lt's tonight during the concert.
I'll be there. I have to. I'm serving refreshments.
I think you ought to go with us, Louis.
-You ought to. -Thank you.
But my wife is arranging for my release.
The letter from her is overdue.
Listen to me.
lf your wife was here and you were in Paris with all 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! -Shut up!
Guard!
Pull!
Let's go.
Where's Clusiot?
A guard got him.
Let's go.
Here! Here!
-Where's the other one? -Right here.
Just a little twist.
Come on, come on.
There's your boat over there.
Fr 3,000.
You'd better check her out, see if she's okay.
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.
Why, this...
...goddamn boat's no good.
Look at it! I'll kill that bastard!
The son of a bitch is made of kindling.
So is my leg.
I didn't twist my ankle, I fractured it.
You broke your leg?
Why didn't you say something?
I had the unworthy suspicion you might leave me behind.
You're goddamn right I would have.
lt's broken, all right.
We've got to set this.
I need your help.
I presume it'll be painful.
You bet it will.
I ask you to remember that that's my money that's sinking...
...and that I'm here out of an act of unnatural heroism...
...which prevented a guard from shooting you.
He probably would have missed me anyway.
Now relax.
-What? -Relax.
You're at the wrong end.
lt'll only last a couple 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 Fr 200 for one of these.
I wouldn't want to lose it.
Turn around.
You and two others broke out of Saint Laurent last night, didn't you?
That's right.
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. lt's okay.
Caught these two man hunters asleep just before sunup.
They've been hanging around for two days waiting on ya.
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.
Here, take this.
Cut yourself some bamboo from around here...
...and lash it together with sailcloth. I'll be back around sunset.
I'll tow you up river to Pigeon lsland.
You can get a boat there, if you've got enough money.
lf you haven't got enough money they'll probably kill ya.
lt doesn't matter much to them. They're all lepers.
Noisy son of a bitch.
Do dogs carry leprosy?
Well...
...the hell with it.
You better take this--
I don't want to fight these people.
I just want to try to 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 'em.
Try this one.
How did you know I have dry leprosy, that it isn't contagious?
I didn't.
ln 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.
lf you're going to catch leprosy, it's better to catch it from money than from people.
Take it.