Papillon (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Papillon was arrested after a man he had witnessed being brutalized the previous night was found murdered. Despite his protests that he was with his wife Nenette all night, the police charged him with the murder. The real perpetrator was never identified, and Papillon was wrongly convicted, sentenced to the notorious Devil's Island penal colony.

• wrongful conviction
• arrest
• murder charge
• Paris police

Papillon first learned about Louis Dega from fellow inmate Julot, who mentioned Dega was a wealthy man with hidden fortune who could help fund an escape. Papillon initially offered Dega protection in exchange for financial support for their escape plans. Dega refused at first, fearing violence, but after witnessing the brutal prison environment where money meant survival, he accepted Papillon's alliance.

• Louis Dega
• friendship
• alliance
• prison relationship
• survival

During a planned movie night, Dega successfully drugged the guards, allowing Papillon and his group, including Celier and Maturrete, to break down the main door and flee into darkness. However, the power outage disrupted their original plan, forcing split-second decisions. They launched into the ocean but encountered a violent storm, and tensions escalated when Celier became violent, scattering the group in the swirling waters.

• escape attempt
• movie night
• storm at sea
• Celier
• Dega

After being recaptured following their escape attempt, Dega faced harsher punishment because he had betrayed or shown weakness during the escape. The exact nature of his betrayal is implied to be related to his inability to withstand the brutal conditions at sea. When they were reunited after years apart, Papillon discovered Dega had suffered a significantly worse fate in the prison system.

• Dega punishment
• recapture
• prison consequences
• betrayal

After his initial arrest and sentencing, Papillon was transported to the penal colony in French Guiana, which included the infamous Devil's Island. His first escape attempt, where he tried to flee by boat, ended in failure when the boatman informed the guards. Rather than execution, he was sent to solitary confinement, and later, after years of imprisonment, was relocated to the more notorious Devil's Island itself.

Foreshadowing: Earlier references to the brutal consequences of escape foreshadow Papillon's ultimate fate on Devil's Island.

• Devil's Island
• solitary confinement
• French Guiana
• transfer

After the storm scattered the escapees, Papillon miraculously washed ashore on a friendly island where he met a nun. However, their hope for peace was short-lived as the specter of their past crimes led to another capture. This resulted in more years of hardship before Papillon was finally relocated to Devil's Island, where he was devastated to learn Dega had suffered an even harsher fate.

• island
• nun
• recapture
• Devil's Island reunion

After years of failed escape attempts and brutal imprisonment, Papillon was eventually freed and settled in Venezuela in 1967. He lived there for two years before finally receiving a presidential pardon in 1969. Following his release, he published his memoir detailing his tumultuous experiences, and eventually returned to Paris after spending 38 years in captivity.

• pardon
• Venezuela
• memoir
• freedom
• 1969 release

In the final escape attempt, Papillon proposed using a coconut raft to escape from Devil's Island. After sharing poignant memories with Dega, Papillon embarked on the dangerous journey solo, navigating the uncertain waters. This final escape represented the culmination of the resilience and determination that had defined his entire harrowing journey through the prison system.

• coconut raft
• solo escape
• Devil's Island
• final attempt

Papillon's wife Nenette (Eve Hewson) dreamed of a peaceful life in the countryside away from crime. When Papillon was arrested, he urged her to move on and live her life, but she stood by him, unwilling to abandon their love. Despite his wishes for her to find freedom from his criminal world, Nenette remained loyal to him throughout his imprisonment.

• Nenette
• wife
• Eve Hewson
• loyalty
• separation

Julot was executed after his escape attempt resulted in the death of two guards. The prison warden made a brutal example of him to instill fear in all prisoners and discourage any thoughts of escape. This execution served as a grim reminder of the severe consequences faced by those who tried to flee the penal colony, foreshadowing the dangers Papillon and Dega would face in their own escape attempts.

• Julot
• execution
• guards killed
• escape consequences