Although
he did receive credit for the film, as he did direct about 70% of the scenes
released in the theatrical release of Payback,
writer-director Brian Helgeland (A Knight's
Tale) left the project before production wrapped. The studio
(Paramount) wanted some major changes to be done in what was his first
directorial effort, trying to curb some of the nastiness that Helgeland had
given to his main character. Essentially, their complaints came down to
three things: they thought the main character, a bad guy, should be a
little less brutal, they didn't like the ambiguous ending, and they didn't
like the killing of a dog in one scene. Helgeland wanted to work with
the studio, but what the studio wanted was a completely different movie than
the one he was making, resulting in his removal.
Star Mel Gibson (Signs,
What Women Want), who had picked Helgeland to direct the film based on
his script to begin with, brought in a new, unnamed director (subsequently
leaked as production designer John Myhre) and screenwriter (Terry Hayes) to
make the changes the studio wanted. The result became a film that
included voice-over narration to explain the main character's motivation, a
toning down of his instances where he clearly crosses the line, a new intro,
and a completely new final third of the film. Although these new scenes
kept the gritty tone and sass of Helgeland's original, they weren't
Helgeland's scenes, and though still considered by many as a good film, given
that most of the filming had been completed by Helgeland before his departure,
the chance was there for Helgeland to make the movie that he wanted, in a
similar way that Richard Donner had done with his
Director's Cut of
Superman II.
Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut is probably not exactly how
Helgeland would have released his film back in 1999, but it's as close as it's
going to get. He does make some changes to his original work, adding
some things here and there that he had been thinking of taking out back
in 1999, and also removing some shots or dialogue that he probably would have
kept in. Perhaps the biggest fundamental difference comes in the score
of the film. Trying to work with the original score over the new scenes
just wasn't working for him, so he brought in another musician, Scott Stambler
(Rumor Has It, Alex
& Emma), to help bridge the scenes in between, only to ditch
the original score outright in favor of a brand new score. Helgeland
also ditches the bleached out, blue hue of the theatrical release in favor of
a different contrast scheme, bringing in full color for all of the scenes,
with a more stark look for outdoor scenes and warmer interior shots.
Although still a funny film, Helgeland's cut is a more serious, and also more violent
version than the one that the studio would ultimately release. We aren't
given clear motivation as to why Gibson's character, Porter, is as violent as
he is, but we do get to understand his anger and frustration in trying to get
his money, and his life back. There is no voice-over narration to
explain his thought process, and we no longer have the Kris Kristofferson
scenes, like the boxing match and the one where Porter is tortured mercilessly
with a hammer, effectively making us want him to get bloody revenge on the
members of the syndicate that defiantly refuses to pay back the money that he
feels rightfully belongs to him. It is a bleaker, more dastardly film
that is more in keeping with the retro-1970s vibe that Helgeland was going for
than the theatrical release.
Although the common trend among critics, when faced with the decision over
which cut of the film is better, is to choose the director's vision, it's a
tough call with Payback, primarily because the theatrical release has
had its day in the sun for almost eight years, and has been thoroughly
digested and accepted as a release worthy of admiration and praise.
Helgeland's version does also work very well, and it is a good film, but the
theatrical cut also has its strengths as well, playing up more laughs and
adding an interesting pathos to the mix. Ultimately, I'm grading the
film's the same, with a slight edge to Helgeland's cut, although this is perhaps
only because it is
the version I've seen most recently. I do believe both are good films
in their own particular ways. If you've seen and enjoyed Payback,
this Director's Cut, which is substantially different enough to warrant its
own release, definitely merits your consideration.
