Revenge (1990)

The retired US Navy pilot comes to Mexico, where he falls in love with the wife of a powerful businessman. The consequences will be cruel and unforeseen.

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers:

Jim Harrison (novel), Jim Harrison (screenplay)

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Costner	...	Cochran
Anthony Quinn	...	Tibey
Madeleine Stowe	...	Miryea
Tomas Milian	...	Cesar
Joaquín Martínez	...	Mauro
James Gammon	...	Texan
Jesse Corti	...	Madero
Sally Kirkland	...	Rock Star
Luis de Icaza	...	Ramon
Gerardo Zepeda	...	Elefante
Miguel Ferrer	...	Amador
John Leguizamo	...	Ignacio
Joe Santos	...	Ibarra
Christofer de Oni	...	Diaz
Daniel Rojo	...	Vaquero

Storyline

Michael "Jay" Cochran has just left the Navy after 12 years. He's not quite sure what he's going to do, except that he knows he wants a holiday. He decides to visit Tiburon Mendez, a powerful but shady Mexican businessman who he once flew to Alaska for a hunting trip. Arriving at the Mendez mansion in Mexico, he is immediately surprised by the beauty and youth of Mendez' wife Miryea. Their attraction to each other is undeniable, but Cochran is aware that Mendez is a powerful, vindictive, and very possessive man who does not tolerate betrayal.

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Plot Keywords:

betrayal | mexico | extramarital affair | crime boss | mansion | 

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Taglines:

A passion that cannot be denied. A betrayal that cannot be forgiven.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

16 February 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eine gefährliche Affäre

Filming Locations:

Sierra de Organos, Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,086,672, 19 February 1990, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$15,650,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

New World Pictures, Rastar Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min 104 min (director's cut) 115 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After Jim Harrison's novella was published in 1979, the film version of Revenge became something of a hot property in Hollywood, and had numerous directors attached over the years. Amongst these were John Huston, Sydney Pollack and Jonathan Demme.

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Goofs

In the beginning scenes of Jay flying his last mission, his backseat officer, who is also his good friend, continually refers to him as "sir." In the real Navy, fighter crews of roughly equal rank are a close-knit group, and would rarely use the formal word "sir." Instead, they would use first names or nicknames. This is especially true when the two aviators are close pals, as Jay and his backseater are.

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Quotes

Tibey: [to Miryea] Only whores smoke in public.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Mountains of the Moon/Where the Heart Is/Revenge/Hard to Kill/Madhouse (1990)

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Soundtracks

Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio
Written and Performed by Santiago Jiménez (as Santiago Jimenez)
Courtesy of Arhoolie Records
Published by San Antonio Music Publishers, Inc.

User Reviews

Serve That Dish Cold, Kev

Tony Scott loves his so-called good guys to be amoral anti-heroes. The more ruthless they are, the better (after they've taken a pounding from the bad guy first, natch). And whenever possible, he likes Mexico to be in the mix. With that set-up, I could be describing 'Man On Fire', 'True Romance', or 1990's 'Revenge'. Since he unofficially remade 'Revenge' as 'Man On Fire' earlier this year, I should just call up that review and replace Denzel Washington's name with Kevin Costner's. Even though I'm seeing them out of order, the 14-year-old flick is better. Scott even shows more grown-up sensibilities than he usually does and directs his actors through believable love scenes. I don't think he's been so unabashedly romantic since this period in the early '90s.

Costner plays Jay Cochran, a cocky Navy pilot (shades of Maverick from 'Top Gun') who vacations in Mexico after retiring from the jet-set life. Playing host to the flier is a ruthless tycoon, Tibby Mendez (Anthony Quinn). The two men are old friends, despite the generation gap and the fact they have nothing in common. But just when you think Costner is going to have some fun, he has to go and fall in lust with Tibby's wife, Mireya (the heavenly Madeleine Stowe). [What beautiful kids those two actors would make.] They don't vault into bed immediately, but neither of them lets a little thing like loyalty to Tibby get in the way of their passion. When the husband finds out, Jay is severely beaten and Mireya is scarred & banished to a whorehouse.

You thought revenge would be Quinn's for his cuckolding? No, vengeance is Costner's. He spends most of the second hour of this bloody picture busting up anybody who might know what happened to his lover. 'Revenge' equals serious violence, no doubt about it. It's rare that the usually heroic Costner is given the chance to ride the gruesome line between good & evil. He's probably justified, but he DID betray his friend by bedding the man's wife. You don't do that in Mexico without waking up in the afterlife, so you might say Cochran got off easy. The tender climax is a bit of surprise from the the slick Scott, giving his otherwise angry film a heart. The movie might not be much fun, but the actors are pretty good and the story is always watchable. And violent.