I Escaped from Devil's Island

Not a totally wretched film, as I had expected, but pretty boring nonetheless. Should actually be "We escaped..." since its Jim Brown, Christopher George, and a couple others that do escape [no spoiler, it happens, without incident in the first 30 minutes]. And what I really mean by that is that its difficult to tell [until the bitter end] who the focal character was. Has some interesting Marxist/Communist subplot, that gets buried under the rug after they escape. Let's see...you also get a really disappointing Shark attack, a leper colony cameo, Jim Brown falls in love[!] and an exotica Les Baxter score! Looks like it was filmed in Mexico by the Cormans.

So basically, the title gives it all away. Interestingly enough, check out director William Witney's career! Geez! and Darktown Stutters!!! Well, why couldnt he have made this that fun?? I escaped from Colonel Sander's Chicken Fryer?!?!

Straying from his usual racially-driven blaxploitation, Jim Brown in I ESCAPED FROM DEVIL'S ISLAND is not only pure exploitation, attempting to bank on the popularity of the novel turned adapted motion picture PAPILLON about a French prisoner who escapes this movie's titular island, but it's practically an outright remake...

Jim Brown has the Steve McQueen part, strong, brave, and escape-minded while the weak-link Dustin Hoffman sidekick part goes to Christopher George, a passive progressive that Brown has to carry (while semi-strong arms Robert Phillips and James Luisi both fill Woodrow Palfrey's middleman shoes), and, starting from the beach-set makeshift prison, where brutal guard Richard Rust (UNDERWORLD USA) reigns, there's even a resilient homosexual escapee...

The budget is excruciatingly low, almost a no-budget indie, resembling more of PAPILLON author Henri Charrière's 1971 heist-flick THE BUTTERFLY AFFAIR, each being nearly impossible to see the actors or their actions at night -- although much of this initial escape's under bright sunlight, lying on familiar makeshift-coconut rafts: which ends the McQueen feature and is the center-piece here (meanwhile a stock footage manipulated shark attack is included)...

Thereafter, much of the rather sluggish adventure takes place in what's intended as the jungles of Venezuela (actually shot in Acapulco, funded by producer Roger Corman) where, like McQueen, Brown's given his own Indian girl for sex and a cozy hut... even better than the criminal life in homeland France, which -- during the 11th hour at a colorful carnival - only Christopher George yearns for, but not without Brown's further assistance, doing his usual action-blasting thing, and even a nostalgic football tackle in what seems more fun to have filmed than to actually watch -- after all, who wouldn't rather work in the tropics than the slums?

This film beat 'Papillon' to the box office by a month: A typical Corman attempt to get a jump on the bigger competition. As for the film, it's a pile of swill stirred by hack William Witney and featuring ever-wooden Jim Brown as one of the four escapees. Lots of beatings and sniggering over homosexuals while in the penal colony, then, after the escape, a required pit stop at the leper village (also featured in 'Papillon') followed by Indian native assaults, some breast baring (even full-frontal) local gals, and a lame finale involving fireworks. Funniest aspect is having Brown stubbornly refusing to continue running because he keeps falling for the first local gal he latches onto. Still, a cheesy, sleazy piece of junk only for the easily entertained.

I saw this at 1 am Saturday on this TV out of Indianapolis and couldn't tape, tiVO or DVD it, so I stayed up to watch.

I liked the rough, LOW budget Corman style of this movie without the "composition and mannered shots" of the big budget Papillon with McQueen and Hoffman.

You could feel the roughness, smell, and atmosphere of being in prison in the middle of nowhere. The pig skinning was very realistic as was the language and full nudity.

This is not Camp Granada.

James Luisi goes on to become the constipated Lt. Doug Chapman in Rockford Files and Christopher George becomes an action cop on Hawaii five-O.

James Brown is the lead, but absent in the top of credits on IMDb, and Corman utilizes this low budget action star who was in many low budget films to interesting effect.

The guards, the brutality, the hopelessness... are all there in the French prison.

It almost feels like a documentary through the kinetic energy and cutting of the movie.

I really like Corman's attitude of "get 'er done" way before it became a catch phrase.

Enjoy.

Superstar athlete Jim Brown plays Le Bras, one of many inmates at the notorious prison fortress Devil's Island in French Guiana in the early 20th century. He butts heads with pacifistic convict Davert (Christopher George) while also trying to deal with nasty and sadistic guards. When he gets the chance to make a break for it, he takes it, along with fellow prisoners Jo-Jo (Richard Ely), Dazzas (James Luisi), and a reluctant Davert. The four men make it to the mainland, with prison personnel, led by Major Marteau (Paul Richards), in hot pursuit.

From then on, things get rather episodic as Le Bras and his comrades encounter lepers and Indians (not to mention a shark), and when they make it to a colourful community, Le Bras decides that he rather likes it there.

Directed by veteran filmmaker William Witney for the Corman brothers, Roger and Gene, and filmed in Mexico, "I Escaped from Devil's Island" is passable entertainment. It's not strong on story; in fact, this story starts to get more incoherent as the movie goes on, but in terms of delivering exploitation, it does its job. There's gore aplenty as well as the requisite female nudity. There's some socio-political subtext, but it never gets in the way of the admittedly lurid thrills. The photography, by Rosalio Solano, is just gorgeous, and Les Baxter composes a flavourful and fun music score. The acting is decent from our principals; Brown is commanding as usual, he and George act well together, and Richards and especially Richard Rust make for a very effective pair of thoroughly disagreeable villains.

Overall this is pretty easy to forget but it kills time in an entertaining enough manner.

Six out of 10.