From the outside perspective,prison seems to be a placewhere time freezes, and where life becomes dull and uninteresting. But as some movies show us, prison makes everything more intense, and gives mundane events a special edge. It’s a closed space in which the social outcasts have to co-exist. Therefore, whatever enmity or whatever friendship arises would be heightened. Negative feelings would be felt twice as painfully, and positive ones would have a long-lasting effect as well. This is probably why the friendships you make behind bars are for life. On-screen prison friendships have a special charisma for the audience, mostly because this kind of friendship is definitely looked at differently than the ones under normal circumstances. It depicts the beauty of two people defying the odds together and standing in the face of the bitter conditions of being behind bars. It has an “us against the world” aspect that is irresistible.
The survival drama moviePapillon, which was released in August 2017, paints one of the most beautiful portraits of friendship behind bars. It is directed by Michael Noer and nominated in Bandung Film Festival for Imported Films, making a box office gross of 10.1 million dollars. It’s based on the true story of Henry Charrière, also nicknamed Papillon, who wrote down two biographies, one calledPapillonand the otherBanco. The movie, along with the biographies, follows the story of a French convict that was falsely accused of murder and sentenced to a lifetime in prison in the notorious Devil’s Island, a penal French colony. Determined to change his lot and bring the justice he deserves, Papillon sets a plan to escape. He meets Louis Degas, a rich convict who forms an alliance with Papillon resulting in a bond of lasting friendship.
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The Two Convicts Make a Pact
The two make a pactand become inseparable. Papillon manages to save his prison companion on several occasions and a beautiful relationship, beyond the pact, starts to grow between the two. Even when Papillon realizes that Louis had lost all his money, he does not give up on him and is protective of him until the very last scene of the movie. This special bond shows that money cannot buy loyalty in relationships. It also proves that in the roughest places can grow such unique relationships. At first, the pact was purely professional; then, as the two prisoners shared memories, ambitions, and plans, the pact became personal and both became attached to one another.
Their Friendship Helped Them Survive
AfterPapillon attempts to break out, he is caught by the police forces and sent to a solitary prison where he is commanded to keep silent for two years. Our human nature cannot bare two whole years in silence; it is just too much for the human brain and spirit. However, Papillon manages to survive it thanks to his friend. Louis, in a very fascinatingly caring move, sends Papillon half a coconut every day with the help of certain guards who respond to bribery. Papillon’s spirit and body get refreshed with this beautiful act of solidarity. He feels like he is supported and powers through the rough journey. Soon enough, however, the warden discovers the prisoners’ trick and cuts Papillon’s daily food portion in half as punishment for his transgressions. His health deteriorates as wellas his mental state. But he still never loses hope to make it out.
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As he starts to hallucinate, due to lack of food, sunlight, and loneliness, he starts imagining his ex-fiancée and his friend. Those visions of the people he cares about finally gave him enough endurance to survive his sentence in solitary confinement. During those hallucinations, the audience realizes just how important Papillon’s friendship with Louis is to him. Their bond proves more powerful than circumstances and distance. Finally, when he is released, the two of them start where they left off and plan another escape as if the past two years did not change a thing in their connection. Their reunion is everything: emotional, moving, and downright epic.
They Make Sacrifices for Each Other
If there is something to measure a friendship with, it’s definitely, sacrifice. You only realize that you are a true friend when you do something that could be an inconvenience to you to help a friend. The film displays this through several scenes, the first of which is when the warden discovers that Papillon was receiving a coconut. He tries to get him to confess about his accomplice first through force and then through bribery, but Papillon refuses to give up his friend’s name. He ends up paying the price by being malnourished anddeprived of sunlight. Only a few loyalty tests are as hard as this one and yet if you truly love your friend, you will somehow find the strength to go through it all like Papillon did. When he was released, Louis told him he did not have to go through so much trouble for his sake. He replies: “I know how delicate you are.”
This a beautiful sentiment that means, “I did it, so you don’t have to suffer along with me. I did it because you are my true friend.” In these situations, however, actions speak louder than words. By remaining loyal to his friend, Papillon said it all.
When the two of them are finally successful in escaping and crossing the sea to reach the shores of Colombia, they are welcomed by a group of nuns who invited them “into the lord’s presence,” and asked them to repent so that they can have a new life. Papillon sensed that something was wrong and warned Louis that they have to keep moving. However, Louis was stubborn and decided to stay. On his way out, Papillon observes the police from afar, and instead of escaping, he runs back to Louis to save him. The two friends ended up in prison, again. The selfless choices and sacrificesthat this beautiful friendshipoffered is such a strong example of the value of having a true, and reliable friend.
Although the movie is about trying to break out of prison, the way it portrays the two prisoners’ inspirational friendship makes us wonder if true happiness is in the journey and not in the outcome.Papillonis definitely a movie to watch with your best friend.
