At the time of its initial release Paramount did not believe that audiences were ready to see Mel Gibson play a vengeful bastard of a protagonist, so Gibson, acting as the producer that he was, demanded they remove a magnificent scene where Porter has a violent outburst towards his ex-wife, Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), and viciously beats her in her kitchen. This powerful scene is now present in the director's cut, as well as many other additions and subtractions that prove to be the tremendous push into the esoteric yet artistic arena that Payback required.
Shot in deep saturation, there is something gritty and very real about this version of Payback. This touch of noir-infused, street level grit permeates most of the film, making evident the point that there is no escape from the fact that Porter is a real son-of-a-bitch. It's a film with no real hero, per se, but with a protagonist who we identify with mostly because it's his story, and in the end, it's the story of his redemption.
To compare the two versions now is to compare a middling straightforward action vehicle for a beloved star with an incendiary, noir-influenced, plot-driven action-drama beset on all sides by dark, nearly oppressive pessimism. Based on the Richard Stark (a pseudonym for the exceptional crime novelest Donald E. Westlake) novel The Hunter, Payback Straight Up: The Director's Cut deserves a reconsideration as an excellently conceived and fully realized film.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
Great movie although odd name for a series since "The Bad Sleep Well."
2 - Joshua Wiebe
It's more of a play on the paradoxical nature of that saying, since the bad theoretically shouldn't sleep well, and neither should these films. Pretty poor excuse, but like Welles and Hemingway without the genius, I'm just no good at coming up with names.
3 - sam
Gawr, kchris kristofferson is awesome what are you talking about when he tells mel gibson to give up or he'll make him taste his own nuts I was like gawr that's rad and was totally rooting for some nut tasting you don't know anything about films why don't you write about some really underrated films like 3 Fast three furryous that was awesome that honda civic was like VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM and vin diesel is so awesome have ou seen pacifier WAYYY more underrated than your movies i'd be embarassed to call myself a critic and not have anything about how underrated the deez is thats my nickname for him.
As for the Proposition....it insists upon itself, Lois.
4 - scott stambler
an excellent review but you miss the amazing new score composed by some dude.....
i can't remember his name.
5 - Joshua Wiebe
I was just about to mention it when i noticed your post name. Very nice. And true, Scott Stambler's score did add a lot to the new version. I could hide behind the 'I only had so much room' argument. So I will.
6 - scott stambler
many thanks.