Payback is a 1999 American crime thriller directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Mel Gibson. The film shares the same source material as the 1967 noir-classic Point Blank, directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin; both are based on the book The Hunter, written by Donald E. Westlake under the pseudonym of Richard Stark.
The film was Helgeland's directorial debut after a career as a screenwriter. Helgeland in 2006 issued a director's cut ...
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Payback is a 1999 American crime thriller directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Mel Gibson. The film shares the same source material as the 1967 noir-classic Point Blank, directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin; both are based on the book The Hunter, written by Donald E. Westlake under the pseudonym of Richard Stark.
The film was Helgeland's directorial debut after a career as a screenwriter. Helgeland in 2006 issued a director's cut that differs substantially from the version released by the studio.
In a seedy basement, Porter (Mel Gibson) lies severely wounded with two gunshot wounds in his back. A whiskey drinking surgeon removes the bullets and Porter spends months healing.
He then begins tracking down Val Resnick (Gregg Henry), his former partner, and Lynn (Deborah Unger), his ex-wife, both of whom betrayed Porter and left him for dead following a $140,000 heist from the Chinese triads. After leaving Porter for dead, Val rejoined the Outfit, a powerful criminal...
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