content: I first became deeply interested in Papillion when I became a regular visitor to French Guiana, the location of the real story. The DVD movie was intriguing as it showed the wayof life and an excellent representation of the geography of French Guiana even though it was not filmed on location. The movie is an intense depiction of the incredible cruelty of the French penal system without resort to contemporary special effects, gore and violence. For the full effect, read the full text of the novel.