henri charriere . who he . this movie be about steve mcqueen . devil island . where that . this movie be about hollywood . i saw this film way back when in a time where steve mcqueen and dustin hoffman be at the height of their popularity . mcqueen be the typical good look lead while hoffman be part of the new wave of serious actor . frankly this be all fluff and this film stand out a a example of popular reputation pollute a interesting subject for a film . devil island have be use by hollywood a a setting in melodramatic plot not much unlike other prison film . although his story be base on fact and have try to bring some more gritty reality to the story and it be still a hollywood formula film where the look for respect actor but really movie star mcqueen be pair with the a new wave ( for the time ) respectable actor but really movie star wannabe dustin hoffman to give it commercial appeal . mcqueen cast work somewhat he have a tough guy image but hoffman casting and again i think mean to make mcqueen look good and look silly every day . he be just too light to be do this part and a part someone like edward g. robinson would have be perfect for in his prime . time and social change have betray the phoniness of the late 60 auteur directing and method acting a some kind of a religion school of thought . mcqueen movie star charisma have hold up much good because it be a integral part of him . little big man hoffman later role such a a tootsie just make him a joke a in most famous hollywood expression of them all represent there ten dollar i will never see again . my favorite part of the movie be when mcqueen be in solitary and he try to stop from go crazy . i will not go crazy . i will not go crazy . i crazy will not go . go crazy i will not . not crazy go not i. i wonder if the audience be a successful . by the way and how do i look . do the warden ever keep pet mocking bird . i have get such a lovely bunch of coconut . in short and mcqueen and hoffman try hard but the movie be just too long . of course the big bunch of phony at the time be the audience of pretentious message film a art of intellectual wannabe sit in the cinema . a generation of baby boomer once remove from european peasant hold city college degree lord over the universe . lure these self important phony in and be pseudo socially relevant all the way to the bank . sound like a formula for a death camp movie and not devil island . in other word . like see oneself in some home camcorder production from the 70 and this film have age as well a can mystery meat at best . so there .