Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut (2006) (V)

Director:

Brian Helgeland

Writers:

Brian Helgeland (screenplay)
Donald E. Westlake (novel)

Release Date:

10 April 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He's back with a vengeance.

Plot:

Porter is shot by his wife and best friend and is left to die. When he survives he plots revenge. |

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Greed | Drug Dealing | Trap | Shootout

Cast

Maria Bello	...	Rosie (archive footage)
Hugh Callaly	...	Businessman (archive footage)
Stephen Cinabro	...	Val's Thug (archive footage)
James Coburn	...	Justin Fairfax (archive footage)
Jack Conley	...	Det. Leary (archive footage)
Debra L. Dado	...	Sneaker Lady (archive footage)
William Devane	...	Carter (archive footage)
Bill Duke	...	Det. Hicks (archive footage)
Mel Gibson	...	Porter (archive footage)
John Glover	...	Phil (archive footage)
Gregg Henry	...	Val Resnick (archive footage)
Sally Kellerman	...	Mrs. Bronson (archive footage) (voice)
Lucy Liu	...	Pearl (archive footage) (as Lucy Alexis Liu)
David Paymer	...	Arthur Stegman (archive footage)
Roderick Peeples	...	Hit Man on 'L' Platform (archive footage)
Christian Stolte	...	Val's Thug (archive footage) (as Christian Stolti)
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Lynn Porter (archive footage)

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Icon Entertainment International

Trivia:

Music editor Scott Stambler was involved in the theatrical cut, and was brought in to try and reedit 'Chris Boardman''s music from that version of the film into the Director's cut. When it was decided by director Brian Helgeland that music simply didn't match the tone of his film, he asked Stambler to write a new original score for his film which was recorded in late Feburary 2006.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Porter and Val run their Nova into the Chows' car, although the cars have impacted and come to a dead stop, the reaction shot of Porter and Val shows buildings still moving past the side windows. Also, Porter's head has snapped forward all the way to the steering wheel before Val even reacts to the crash.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Val Resnick: Oh, I bet you got a lot of questions rattling around in your head.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Same Story... Different Movie: Creating 'Payback: The Director's Cut' (2007) (V)

Blows theatrical away

I think this was miles ahead of the theatrical cut. People probably knock it so much because of the "bond" they have established with the theatrical version over the years.

I having never seen either version, I unbiasedly watched Payback a few days ago. I liked it, but I didn't think the last act suited the movie at all. It felt not only tacked on, but it had a different tone and took the movie in a different direction that it should have gone. Gibson's character is a very destructive person, and I just couldn't see it ending so perfectly.

When I saw this version however, I thought it was not only a much better film, and suited the tone of the film much more, but it is also a better homage to the revenge-type films from the 70's.

This film had a very consistent musical score that was very pleasant to listen to throughout. It's the music that should have been. As much as I love Jimi Hendrix and BB King, they were out of place as you never really heard music like that in 70s revenge films. I liked the look of the film as well - the bleached, high contrast look. It was perfect for the gritty nature of this version.

It was also a much darker version. Mel Gibson is much harsher toward his wife when he comes home, and as hard as that is to watch, it feels more appropriate. He is justified in doing what he does. I felt she got off too easy in the theatrical cut.

People complain that they miss Gibson's humor in this version. I don't think the book its based on was ever meant to be humorous, nor were many 70s revenge films. There was a bit of humor in the director's cut, but it all stayed serious in the end, unlike the joke of an end in the theatrical cut.

There were a lot of bits missing here and there from both versions, none of which was really missed from this edit. I noticed that scenes were missing, but it added a bit more mystery to the plot.

The most important change to this cut is in the last act. In the theatrical cut, I found the last act to be very trite, light and out of place. For a movie that began very dark, it ended on a light note that didn't suit the film at all. The final act in this edit was more in line with the great endings of 70's style films. It kept building and building and building. You didn't quite know what was going to happen. It also has a very mysterious ending. You don't quite know what is going to happen and therefore it makes you think. The theatrical version was severely dumbed down. I guess they didn't want us to think.

This is the version that should have been released theatrically. It is the version that I will revisit in the future.