The “director’s cut” has become a common sight on DVDs that are repackaged to make the fans want to double dip and pick up a favorite film despite already owning the previous DVD version. Most the time, they have little added to separate them from what was released the first time. However, Payback – Straight Up: The Director’s Cut is not one of those titles. This version of the film (while sharing footage that was released theatrically and originally on DVD) is completely different, and at times bares little to no resemblance to what hit the big screen in 1999.
This is director Brian Helgeland’s vision for his film adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Hunter (that he wrote under the name of Richard Stark). This is the film that fans would have gotten a chance to see had star/producer Mel Gibson and other studio heads not stepped in to fire Helgeland mid-production. It appears that parts of the film (such as Mel beating up his junkie wife or killing a guy with no remorse) weren’t testing too well with the audience and studio heads so the decision was made to change parts of the film.
When Helgeland decided to remain true to his idea of the film, he got the axe and John Myhre was brought in for about 10 days of re-shoots – where new characters (such as Kris Kristofferson’s Bronson) were added to the film, and Mel Gibson added a voice-over narration. Now, Helgeland is finally brining his version of the film to DVD with this new director’s cut – which is actually about 10 minutes shorter than the theatrical cut. The film is also a bit darker, less comical, and a bit more violent at times.
The story of the two Paybacks is basically the same: Porter (Gibson) is a career criminal who returns to the city after being double-crossed by his wife (Deborah Kara Unger) and his partner Val Resnick (Gregg Henry). Resnick leaves Porter lying in his own blood with several bullets in his back, but he makes two big mistakes. He takes Porter’s cut of the heist ($70,000) and he doesn’t kill Porter. After healing up from the shooting, Porter returns to the city to set things straight – which means get his $70,000 and kill Val.
In the theatrical cut of the film, the audience is introduced to Porter while he is on his back with a backroom doctor pulling the bullets out. Mel Gibson’s voice-over sets up the tone and “noir” feel of the film, and the story starts moving. However, Helgeland’s version (which has no narration) kicks off with Porter returning to the city and robbing a guy. Even without the voice-over (which for the record I liked), the audience instantly knows Porter is not a nice guy (I mean he rips off a beggar in the opening minutes), and Gibson won’t be playing his normal hero role that he defined in films like Lethal Weapon. It appears that was one of the things that would cause Helgeland to be removed from the film since the studio was looking for a character more in tune to Gibson’s blockbuster Martin Riggs.
As the film continues, the audience starts to figure out that there are actually no “good guys” in this film. Porter isn’t the hero. He is simply the guy doing something for a reason that he feels is just (his sideways street code of honor and principle) and therefore you kind of have to root for him over the other bad guys. His wife is a junkie (which is one of the reasons he beats her in a scene cut back into the director’s cut of the film), Val is the lowest kind of criminal, and Porter finds himself up against “The Outfit/Syndicate” which has little respect for his sense of what is owed to him. Even the cops in the film are crooked. The only other halfway redeemable character is Rosie (Maria Bello) – who works as a hooker for “The Outfit” and is a quasi love interest for Porter. He used to drive her and decided one day that he couldn’t do it any more. It is clear that there is romance there. In Helgeland’s version this is just hinted at and not as clearly defined.
So which version is better? That is really hard to say. I liked Helgeland’s cut of the film and thought that it had a much harder tone to it than the theatrical cut – which at times is downright goofy. It is also more akin to the 70’s style of films that Helgeland is trying to emulate with his story. It doesn’t seem to be more violent than the theatrical version, but the violence is more in your face at times (such as Porter killing someone who is handcuffed and unarmed).
The film also has new music (which I thought was a nice touch since it is a different movie) – this time done by Scott Stambler. The music is similar to what Chris Boardman did in the original film with just slight changes made. Helgeland has also removed the “blue” tone of the film and replaced it with a more natural color – which reflects the street world of Porter. This is another example of the two films being different, but it is hard to say which is better. I liked the blue tones of the theatrical film, but thought the natural color added more of a street grit element to the movie.
With that said, the film also comes up a bit lacking at times. Gibson’s narration adds tone and grit to the film (such as when he describes the dirty cops) and helps some of the weaker story elements move along. This cut takes a bit getting used to if you are a diehard fan of the original film and know some of Gibson’s narration lines. I also liked the way the theatrical cut begins with Gibson on the operating table talking about knowing how much his life is worth. Helgeland’s version opens with Gibson walking into the city and doesn’t really explain anything until the flashback scene where he gets shot. If you have seen the theatrical cut, then you understand what is happening, but could be a bit lost if you haven’t seen it.
The absence of Kris Kristofferson is another thing that hurts the new director’s cut. In Helgeland’s version, the “Bronson” character is simply voiced by Sally Kellerman and never appears on film. While Kellerman does a good job, her part in the film is greatly reduced (the whole plot about Porter kidnapping Bronson’s son is not part of this version) and Kristofferson’s presence is simply missed. I thought he added a bit of weight to the film’s 70’s feel and possibly even channeled some Sam Peckinpah influence into the picture. Thankfully, James Coburn is still in the film.
The DVD also comes loaded with special features that make it worth the purchase price. They include commentary from Helgeland; "Same Story, Different Movie - Creating Payback: The Director's Cut"; "The Hunter: A Conversation with Author Donald Westlake"; On Location In Chicago; and On Set In Los Angeles. The commentary (while informative and interesting) and the “On Location” are fairly standard for this type of DVD.
"Same Story, Different Movie - Creating Payback: The Director's Cut" is really interesting and features interviews with Gibson, Helgeland, the film’s producers, and Stambler. Gibson and Helgeland both defend their positions on the film, and give their reasons for why they think they were right and where they might have been wrong (again I agree with the decision to have Gibson do a voice-over for the film).
"The Hunter: A Conversation with Author Donald Westlake" is a good look at the author behind the novel (the character is actually from a series of novels and named Parker not Porter). Westlake talks about how he decided to start writing the Parker novels; why he wrote them under a different name, how they took off with the readers; and the different times the Parker character has appeared on screen (including one time played by a female lead). If you are a fan of the movie but have never read the books, Westlake’s interview will make you want to find them.
Payback – Straight Up: The Director’s Cut is truly a new cut of the film and not just some gimmick by the studio to make a few extra bucks off the film’s fans. The movie features a similar but different story, a completely different ending, and a bit of a harsher tone. If you were already a fan of the movie, this version is worth checking out. If you hated it the first time you saw it, this version might have something to offer you that the theatrical version didn’t. Which version is better is up to the fans to decide. Personally, I liked them both.
Payback – Straight Up: The Director’s Cut is now available at Amazon . As of yet, this version of the film is not available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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