Papillon (1973)
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- Themes
- Baptism
- New prisoners are "baptized" with a hose
into their state as prisoners, but also into their state as possible
escapees.
- Papillon's plunge into the sea.
- Eucharist/Feeding
- Coconuts as symbol of liberation, integrity,
friendship, Sabbath. Shared with Papillon by Degas and by others.
- Freedom/Liberation
- Papillon's prison escape sequences, especially the
final one. He counts and waits and discovers that it seems like
every 7th wave is strong enough to take him out to sea and to
freedom. He jumps into the sea on the 7th wave.
- Friendship
- A relationship of convenience becomes a true
friendship: Papillon and Degas.
- Integrity, Sacrifice
- Papillon endures the torture of solitary
confinement and darkness for not divulging that it was Degas who
gave him the coconuts. (See "coconuts" again during
Papillon's "Sabbath" of freedom and during the final
escape scene.)
- Leap of Faith
- Papillon throws the coconuts over the cliff and
they hit the rocks and break open. He counts and waits and discovers
that it seems like every 7th wave is strong enough to take him out
to sea and to freedom. He jumps into the sea on the 7th wave.
- Sabbath Rest
- Papillon has a time of freedom, rest and bliss
after first solitary confinement, before he is recaptured. Foretaste
of the state of Freedom which may overshadow reality of later
escape!
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