Henri ‘Papillon’ Charriere, convicted of unjust murder, is a man who has been involved in minor offenses. However, because of this unjust punishment, he is referred to the high security prison in the so-called Devil’s Island, which is well known by France’s notorious punishment. He meets Louis Dega in prison. A rich but defenseless man, Dega agrees to finance his friend’s prison escape in exchange for protection. There is an interesting friendship between the two and they start a dual escape plan.