An innocent man framed for murder is compelled to live out the rest of his days in French Guiana on the notorious Devil's Island as a prisoner, along with a bunch of unsavoury others. There, he befriends a wealthy con by the name of Dega (Hoffman, who manages to do something quite unique - steal on-screen time from McQueen) and together they plot a seemingly impossible escape.

Powerful, gritty prison drama based on a true story, though overlong it has to be said. One particular highlight is the final cliff jumping scene - a spectacular stunt performed by McQueen himself at his own insistence.

Just to clear up any confusion, the title of the film is pronounced pappy-on.

See also The Magnificent Rebel, a short documentary on the making of the movie which can be found on the DVD.