Jack Nitzsche "Revenge"

The 1990 American action thriller film "Revenge", directed by Tony Scott and featuring Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe, Miguel Ferrer, and Sally Kirkland, was filmed in both the United States and Mexico. The film, produced by New World Pictures and Rastar Films, and distributed by Columbia Pictures, also starred John Leguizamo in one of his earliest film roles.

The plot, based on a novella by Jim Harrison published in Esquire magazine in 1979, revolves around U.S. Navy aviator Michael J. "Jay" Cochran, who leaves the service after 12 years and is invited by his wealthy friend Tiburon "Tibey" Mendez to stay at his hacienda in Mexico. While there, Jay meets Tibey's young and unhappy wife Miryea, with whom he falls in love. After a private meeting between Tibey and his associates results in murder, Tibey discovers Jay's relationship with Miryea and violently attacks them both. Miryea is sent to a brothel where she is abused and contracts AIDS, while Jay is left for dead in the desert. With the help of a peasant farmer and some newfound allies, Jay seeks revenge against Tibey and his men to find Miryea, who is dying of AIDS in a convent hospice. Jay is able to confess his love to Miryea before she passes away in his arms.

The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 32% approval rating based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. Metacritic gave it a score of 35 out of 100, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews". The CinemaScore audience survey gave it a B- rating on a scale from A to F.

Variety praised the film's romantic sweep and elemental power but acknowledged its imperfections. Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman gave the film a D rating and criticized it as a vanity project for Kevin Costner. Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times rated it 2.5 out of 4 stars and noted a disconnect between the film's style and story. Vincent Canby of The New York Times found the film to be soft and aimless, lacking in conviction. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post criticized the story as being too cynical, rendering it meaningless.

Author Jim Harrison expressed disappointment with the film, stating that it departed significantly from his novella, which moved him to tears.