The cult Kevin Costner movie he knew audiences would hate: “At least you’ll honour the try”
If you were to plot a graph based on the career of Kevin Costner, it would look something like the Himalayas. The star has experienced the very highest of highs in his career, culminating with Dances With Wolves, which landed him both ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Picture’ at the Oscars. It hasn’t all been good, though.
Just look at Waterworld, which garnered a (perhaps unfair) reputation as one of the biggest busts in cinema history. His movies are either top-tier or bottom-of-the-barrel. There doesn’t seem to be room for anything in between.
One of the few films he has made that does fit that description is the 1990 thriller Revenge. Directed by Tony Scott, Costner plays a recently retired naval veteran invited on vacation by a rich friend. Once he joins him in Mexico, the ex-sailor begins a dangerous affair with his friend’s much younger wife (Madeleine Stowe), which has devastating consequences.
As you probably figured out for yourself, revenge is a major theme of this film. It can be ugly subject, one that people want to shy away from. As Costner explained to the The Moving Picture Show, he expected this response, but that only served to encourage him even more.
“I think we have to attack what revenge is all about,” he said. “Revenge is satisfying on a certain level, to a certain point, in your life. But then there’s repercussions that come after it. And the movie, I think, explores that. Now, whether it’s commercial or not, that’s where you really get into trouble – trying to pander. I happen to think you’ll like this movie. Maybe you won’t think of it as one of the best, but you’ll definitely think something was going on. At least you’ll honor the try.”
Signing onto Revenge was something of a gamble for Costner. The year prior, he had appeared in Field of Dreams, beating out Robin Williams for the lead role. It was a big family-driven hit, and once again pushed Costner into the mainstream. It meant that Revenge would struggle to build an audience, with its darker themes. The movie also had another potential pitfall attached. To be released in the same year as Dance With Wolves, if it really bombe,d it had the chance to dim everything the star touched.
Unfortunately, the movie bombed. It failed to impress at the box office, and most critics weren’t fans, taking issue with its inconsistent tone and overly cynical outlook. However, as has been the case with so many works underappreciated in their own time, Revenge has had something of a second life. It’s now a bit of a cult favourite, especially among fans of both Costner and Scott. It’s unlike anything that both men have ever produced and is certainly an interesting watch if nothing else. Quentin Tarantino likes it, which might explain why he perennially asks Costner to be in one of his own flicks.
Revenge isn’t a pretty concept, which is why it has a habit of being the central narrative drive of so many movies. Cinema is all about pushing boundaries by daring to share the taboos we all secretly crave to see. Costner talked about vengeance in a way it had never been before, and it almost entirely paid off.
