Welcome to The Best Movie You’ve NEVER Seen, a column dedicated to examining films that have flown under the radar or gained prominence over the years, earning themselves a place as a cult classic or an underrated gem that was either ahead of its time and/or aged like a fine wine.
In this article, we take a look back at the 1990 thriller Revenge, directed by the late, great Tony Scott. Since today – August 19th – is the anniversary of Scott’s death, we thought it would be a good time to take a closer look at one of his lesser-known films. And Revenge fits perfectly, even though Quentin Tarantino (who wrote the Scott classic True Romance) has called this film Scott’s masterpiece.
THE STORY: Michael Cochran (Kevin Costner), a retired naval aviator, visits his old friend Tibey Mendez (Anthony Quinn) at his hacienda in Mexico, never questioning the older man’s powerful connections to the elite or the source of his wealth. When Cochran begins an affair with Tibey’s beautiful, much younger wife, Miryea (Madeleine Stowe), he learns the hard way that Tibey is not to be messed with.
THE PLAYERS: Cast: Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe. Screenplay: Jim Harrison and Jeffrey Alan Fiskin. Director: Tony Scott.
THE STORY: I get a lot of comments from readers complaining that the films I’ve chosen for this column aren’t obscure enough. That’s fine – although the intention was always to encourage readers to revisit unjustly ignored films. However, I think this week’s film might be one that many of our readers haven’t seen, as it dropped like a stone at the box office and only gained some notoriety when director Tony Scott put out an unrated director’s cut Blu-ray release shortly before his tragic death.
The film, called REVENGE, was released in early 1990 and occupies a strange place in the careers of director Scott and star Kevin Costner. Scott had just released two huge blockbusters with Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, TOP GUN and BEVERLY HILLS COP 2, and then returned to their stable for DAYS OF THUNDER. Costner, on the other hand, had just released three consecutive hits: THE UNTOUCHABLES, BULL DURHAM and FIELD OF DREAMS. This film attempted to reposition him as an edgy male lead, which didn’t quite work at the time – as audiences still preferred him in more heroic, noble roles, such as his own film DANCES WITH WOLVES, which came out the same year.
“It’s a story about this forbidden love and their insatiable desire to fuck each other. That’s what it was about, that’s what it’s about, and it’s been a big part of my life, so I know what it’s about. The insatiable desire to fuck, that’s what this movie is about.” – Tony Scott – REVENGE comment on Film School Rejects
Based on a novella by Jim Harrison (the same book that contains the story that would become LEGENDS OF THE FALL), this was a hot project in the ’80s, with the likes of Don Johnson flirting with the role of Costner, while none other than Jack Nicholson coveted the role of Tibey Mendez. Eventually, veteran producer Ray Stark got the rights, and that’s when the problems began, as Scott’s hard-hitting thriller wasn’t the romantic drama Stark wanted – which is odd, since he had practically adapted the novella for film (it’s a good, quick read). The version that was released in theaters was a little watered down, and Scott was never really happy with it, so he re-edited it years later (making it twenty minutes shorter). Audiences were indifferent and the film only grossed $15 million, which is a shock considering the popularity of Costner’s star power at the time, but not a huge surprise when you see the film, especially the incredibly depressing (but fitting) ending that no studio would dare release today. Still, the film did have its champions, including Quentin Tarantino, whose quote is in the Director’s Cut, and with whom I would work a few years later on TRUE ROMANCE.
“I’m a huge fan of this film. In fact, that’s why I supported it and really tried to get Tony to direct it. True Romance…I thought I wanted the man who did it Revenge to make my film.” Quentin Tarantino – AP Interview
WHY IT’S GREAT: REVENGE is a film that requires a certain sophistication, or rather an open mind. I saw it as a child expecting it to be a Kevin Costner action film, and I hated it, especially the disappointing ending that deprived me of the brutal REVENGE that the title promised me. What I didn’t realize then was that the revenge of the title was not Costner’s, but Anthony Quinn’s. His Tibey tries to behave honorably towards his friend Cochran, giving him every chance to escape, but circumstances demand that he seek revenge, almost as a way not to lose face in front of his violent accomplices. However, his revenge is particularly sadistic and cruel, especially towards Miryea, whose face he disfigures and whom he forces to live a life as a prostitute. Her final fate gives the film an interesting touch, as she is the one who suffers the most from Cochran’s sins and Tibey’s wounded (and fragile) machismo. Cochran, on the other hand, gets off lightly: he is beaten almost to death. Worse still, his dog is also killed.
The film is more of a slow-moving movie than an action thriller. The first half is devoted to the relationships between Cochran, Miryea and Tibey, while the second half becomes more of a Sam Peckinpah-style thriller. Costner shines as a scarred tough guy, brutally slitting the throat of one of his attackers in one memorable scene. He is helped along by the late Miguel Ferrer and John Leguizamo in an early role.
As good as Costner and Stowe are (she’s incredibly handsome – and very likable), Quinn steals the show. The most noticeable difference between the two cuts is that in the shorter version he’s more of a lead than Costner, something the producers must have struggled with. He’s also a slightly more likable character, which makes the ending much easier to stomach. Veteran character actor James Gammon also has a great turn as a cowboy trucker who briefly teams up with Cochran, a nice holdover from the novella. As for Scott, his style is superb and is complemented by a great score by Jack Nitzsche (STARMAN), several of whose themes were used repeatedly in action movie trailers of the ’90s.
“I was flipping through the channels at 3 a.m. and I saw this guy lying face down in handcuffs on the hood of a car, and he turned to the camera and said, ‘Don’t you realize I’m an Oscar-winning composer?’ It was Jack Nitzsche. But that was Jack, Jack was out there and he was my hero.” – Tony Scott – REVENGE commentary on Film School Rejects
BEST SCENE: Until I rewatched it as an adult, I also had trouble with Costner not knocking Quinn out during their climactic confrontation. Watching it now, I get it – Costner’s sole focus is getting Miryea back, and if Tibey tells him where she is, he’s leaving him to deal with his own demons that have already begun to consume him. This part here is one of the most atypical final showdowns in action movie history.
WATCH IT: REVENGE is available on DVD/Blu-ray, mostly in the director’s cut version, although an HD version of the theatrical cut (twenty minutes longer) is also currently available to stream for free on Crackle.
FAREWELL SHOT: For me, REVENGE is one of Tony Scott’s best films and rewatching it makes me realize more than ever what a tragic loss his death in 2012 was. I think in some ways this is Tony Scott’s most personal film and anyone who considers themselves a fan of his should definitely see it.
