Papillon (1973)

On the boat to a French Guianan prison, safecracker and accused murderer Steve McQueen offers protection to forger Dustin Hoffman in exchange for financial assistance toward his escape from jail. When Hoffman is threatened, McQueen is true to his word and the two develop an uneasy partnership through their long years of confinement together. I’ve generally been turned off by the hyper masculine, overly cool toughness in many of McQueen’s roles, but both his and Hoffman’s acting is incredible in this. It’s a bit long but the tale is quite riveting in the telling.

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Original Dramatic Score