Before the Wachowski sisters made a name for themselves with their breakthrough Matrix series and other fascinating projects, their directorial debut was a low budget neo-noir crime thriller Bound. Released in 1996 to a strong critical reception, the film showed off the talents of a sibling duo that were dead set on crafting their own unique features that mainstream audiences weren't used to at the time. Often regarded as an intensely brutal lesbian centered crime flick, this film manages to make the most out of its low production qualities with a dynamite cast and script.
The film centers on a dame named Violet who yearns to escape from her mafioso boyfriend Caesar. After falling for the alluring ex-con Corky, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million from Caesar and his Mafia acquaintances. With this basic premise intact, the Wackowskis managed to tell so much with so little story by establishing how sympathetic Corky and Violet are in their conflicting roles, with the former being hired to work under the mob straight out of prison and the latter being a femme fatale dating one of the mob's members. As for their plan itself, what starts off as a seemingly straightforward money stealing scenario goes completely haywire as Caesar begins catching on, making the film thoroughly suspenseful from beginning to end. In addition, the film does not hold back in presenting the lustful sexual energy between Corky and Violet, thanks in part to Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly's raucous chemistry between each other. While the two may be morally ambiguous, they're highly engaging from their first scenes and elevated tropes alone.
As for the other characters, Caesar is ruthlessly despicable the moment he comes into frame, and Joe Pantoliano displays the slimy gangster's descent into madness as he catches on to Corky and Violet's plan. The already established sexual energy between Corky and Violet is just enough to make Caesar's mere presence a genuine threat, but the mafia themselves are somewhat of a mixed bag. On one hand, Mafia boss Gino Marzzone and his immature son Johnny are intimidating enough on their own, but the more reasonable Mickey Malnato might have more sympathy for others beyond his mere mafia acquaintances. In a film that shifts with appropriate dramatic irony and tension, the supporting characters serve the plot by often coming into play when things seem at their most bleak and intense. Since most of them are men, it presents the two leading women as far more endearing than in most other noir films, largely based on the theme of overcoming abuse in power. Next to the story itself, the feature knows how to toy with its cast in suspenseful ways.
With all of that said, what ultimately gives the film its own identity is the cinematography and editing. Bill Pope captures the feature with a subtly soothing homage to black & white noir films from the 1950s, complete with high contrast composition, extreme lighting, and vaguely shaded sets. As the film largely takes place within an apartment building, there is a dangerous sense of claustrophobia as the suspense lingers on Corky and Violet's plan to work out. In addition, color is used to emphasize the gruesome seriousness that our leads are dealing with, no matter how brutally gory the stakes can get. In fact, I would argue the film never gets too excessive in its violent or sexual content so much as only sporadically to build up the danger and lust we're feeling as viewers, let alone to portray the feminine aspects of sex in a positive light. While people may sense a gritty neo-noir flick from their first glance at the feature, they will end up staying to root for one of the very first lesbian couples portrayed in film with love and hope for a better future.
While the Wachowskis have gone on to bigger things in their careers since Bound, there's no denying how much this intense neo-noir crime drama launched them as successful filmmakers. Those who are familiar with the tropes common in the noir genre will find a lot to appreciate about the film's many twists and turns, people who identify as queer will find comfort in the subject matter, and everyone else might get a kick out of the whole thing. It's not common when you see a hidden gem like this filled with so much sexual energy and intensity, and that's all the more reason to check it out.
The film centers on a dame named Violet who yearns to escape from her mafioso boyfriend Caesar. After falling for the alluring ex-con Corky, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million from Caesar and his Mafia acquaintances. With this basic premise intact, the Wackowskis managed to tell so much with so little story by establishing how sympathetic Corky and Violet are in their conflicting roles, with the former being hired to work under the mob straight out of prison and the latter being a femme fatale dating one of the mob's members. As for their plan itself, what starts off as a seemingly straightforward money stealing scenario goes completely haywire as Caesar begins catching on, making the film thoroughly suspenseful from beginning to end. In addition, the film does not hold back in presenting the lustful sexual energy between Corky and Violet, thanks in part to Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly's raucous chemistry between each other. While the two may be morally ambiguous, they're highly engaging from their first scenes and elevated tropes alone.
As for the other characters, Caesar is ruthlessly despicable the moment he comes into frame, and Joe Pantoliano displays the slimy gangster's descent into madness as he catches on to Corky and Violet's plan. The already established sexual energy between Corky and Violet is just enough to make Caesar's mere presence a genuine threat, but the mafia themselves are somewhat of a mixed bag. On one hand, Mafia boss Gino Marzzone and his immature son Johnny are intimidating enough on their own, but the more reasonable Mickey Malnato might have more sympathy for others beyond his mere mafia acquaintances. In a film that shifts with appropriate dramatic irony and tension, the supporting characters serve the plot by often coming into play when things seem at their most bleak and intense. Since most of them are men, it presents the two leading women as far more endearing than in most other noir films, largely based on the theme of overcoming abuse in power. Next to the story itself, the feature knows how to toy with its cast in suspenseful ways.
With all of that said, what ultimately gives the film its own identity is the cinematography and editing. Bill Pope captures the feature with a subtly soothing homage to black & white noir films from the 1950s, complete with high contrast composition, extreme lighting, and vaguely shaded sets. As the film largely takes place within an apartment building, there is a dangerous sense of claustrophobia as the suspense lingers on Corky and Violet's plan to work out. In addition, color is used to emphasize the gruesome seriousness that our leads are dealing with, no matter how brutally gory the stakes can get. In fact, I would argue the film never gets too excessive in its violent or sexual content so much as only sporadically to build up the danger and lust we're feeling as viewers, let alone to portray the feminine aspects of sex in a positive light. While people may sense a gritty neo-noir flick from their first glance at the feature, they will end up staying to root for one of the very first lesbian couples portrayed in film with love and hope for a better future.
While the Wachowskis have gone on to bigger things in their careers since Bound, there's no denying how much this intense neo-noir crime drama launched them as successful filmmakers. Those who are familiar with the tropes common in the noir genre will find a lot to appreciate about the film's many twists and turns, people who identify as queer will find comfort in the subject matter, and everyone else might get a kick out of the whole thing. It's not common when you see a hidden gem like this filled with so much sexual energy and intensity, and that's all the more reason to check it out.
