Adapted from Donald Westlake's novel, written under his pseudonym of
Richard Stark, Payback is a unique action movie that forces the
audience into siding with a ruthless hood, mainly because those he is trying
to put the squeeze on are all even more vile than he is.
The acting is very good across the board, with Gibson as engaging as always
in showing a complexity in the role that suggests that there is something
going on underneath the seemingly amoral exterior. Unlike many of the
other characters in the film, Porter does what he does strictly for the money,
even if it means stealing from the poor to get it, or taking out a few of the
rich and powerful.
Writer-director Brian Helgeland (A Knight's
Tale) imbues the film with a very retro-1970s vibe, recalling some of
the darker, more exploitative hard-boiled crime thrillers of that era.
The color scheme is washed out in favor of blue hues, It should be noted that
about a third of the theatrical release's scenes were made after Helgeland
walked from the project, retooling parts of the screenplay and studio reshoots,
which Gibson was an active part of. Helgeland didn't agree with some of
the studio concerns regarding the dark nature of Porter's character, as well
as the ambiguous ending, which they felt made viewers less sympathetic with
his ordeal.
Note: Helgeland has subsequently issued a Director's Cut, restoring most of the
scenes he had shot before washing his hands of the project, including some
rescoring and less play on the color schemes from scene to scene. It
also runs about 10 minutes shorter, and the final third of the film is almost
entirely different (sans the entire Kris Kristofferson and son characters).
You should be aware that
Payback is a very violent film, although tempered to great extent with
some choice dark humor and colorful characterizations. It may not be
everyone's bag, but if you like the seedier, more gritty crime stories of the
1970s, this one will pay you back in entertainment for all of your
money and time you spend.
