PAYBACK

US, 1998, 101 minutes, Colour.
Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Belo, David Paymer, Bill Duke, Deborah Kara Unger, John Glover, William Devane, Lucy Liu, Kris Kristofferson, James Coburn.
Directed by Brian Helgeland.

Payback is an unpleasant film which sees Mel Gibson as a bad guy, bent on revenge. While perpetrating a robbery with his colleague Val (Gregg Henry) he is turned on by his wife and Val and left for dead. He recovers, get the assistance of a high-class prostitute (played by Maria Bello) and sets out on a vengeance journey – which leads him to the world of organised crime and to the top.

The film was written and directed by Brian Helgeland who won an Oscar for his screenplay for LA Confidential. Helgeland wrote a number of screenplays (this one based on a Donald E. Westlake novel) and also directed several films including two with Heath Ledger, the humorous A Knight’s Tale and the rather ludicrous The Sin Eater.

1. A Mel Gibson vehicle? Tough Guy image? The image he has cultivated over the decades?

2. The tradition of the tough gangster thriller, the various versions of Donald Westlake's book, The Hunter (Point Blank, The Outfit)? A version for the '90s? The contribution of the writer-director, his skill in writing gangster films?

3. The title, the experience of Porter, the focus of the themes?

4. The moral perspective of the film, the world of the criminals, their values, relationships? Thieves? Honour amongst thieves and dishonour? Their codes, the outfits and their organisation, their codes? The clash of codes?

5. Porter and the voice-over, the hardboiled commentary, the lack of moral perspective, the narrative? Audience sympathies and moral alignment? Porter's perspective on all the characters and the incidents?

6. The opening, the bullets being removed from his back? The focus on his back and his injuries? His remarkable recovery? His motivation for revenge? The $70,000? His getting to his wife, his relationship with her, her surprise, the drugs, his failing to keep her alive?

7. Their lying on the bed, the flashbacks? The Chinese and the stakeout, their not wearing seatbelts? The information about the money? Val and his inside information? His wife and her participating in the robbery? The executing of the job, the Chinese crash, taking the money? Dividing the money, Porter's self-assurance, Val and his turning against him, his wife shooting him? Her motivation - the photo of himself with the prostitute?

8. Val, his type, manic style, greed, wanting money to get back into the outfit? His callous attitudes, his masochism and the prostitutes? The confrontation with Porter? The prostitute and her beating him? The set-up with Stegman contacting him? His plans, Porter's arrival? His giving the leads to the outfit, his lies, manoeuvres? His being shot dead?

9. The Chinese, their anger, their contacts with Stegman? Wanting to shoot Porter but his holding Stegman up at the car window? Porter and his confrontation with the Chinese, shooting them - especially the prostitute?

10. Porter and his going to see Stegman, the pizza boy and his delivery of the drugs, his brutal treatment of him to get the information? The police and their hanging out with Stegman, knowing that he was a drug dealer, getting their cut? Porter and his talk with Stegman, confronting Val? The confrontation with the police on the sidelines?

11. The police, their greed, with Stegman, talking to Porter, the irony of his setting them up, their discussion about their future plans with their money, their being under arrest with the internal affairs police?

12. Mr Carter, his place in the outfit, his assistants, his office, the interview, his despising Porter? His contact with the bosses of the outfit? His discussions, Porter killing him? His henchmen, the car and the explosion?

13. Fairfax and his place in the outfit, his house? The return from vacation, his bodyguards, the shooting of his cases? The camp irony of his manner? His going to Bronson, his distaste for the torture, his going with Bronson to the apartment - and his death?

14. Rosie and her past, Porter as her chauffeur, the relationship, his protection of her, love for her? His going to her for help, her giving information about the outfit's hotel and where Val was? Her love for him, wanting to give up the job? Her decision to take part in his plans, leading on Bronson's son, kidnapping him, in the car? Her going to the room - and a future with Porter?

15. Porter and the confrontation with Bronson, having taken his son, the bluff? The brutality of the torture? The sadism of the torturer? His then doing the deal, telling him which room the son was in, getting out of the boot of the car, the phone call, the empty room and the alerting to the bomb, the explosion?

16. Porter and his success in getting his money back? His future?

17. The film and its observation of criminals, audiences identifying with these characters or not? A brutal, nasty and amoral tone to this world of criminals?