History Film / Bound

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''Bound'' is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by [[Film/TheMatrix the Wachowskis]]. It is about [[LipstickLesbian Violet]] (Creator/JenniferTilly), a closeted lesbian prostitute and mob moll who longs to escape her relationship with mob money-launderer Caesar (JoePantoliano). When she meets ex-con [[ButchLesbian Corky]] (Creator/GinaGershon) hired to renovate the next-door apartment, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Though the film was a strong freshman effort by the Wachowskis and a terrifically tense thriller, [[BestKnownForTheFanservice most people only remember it for the lesbian sex scene]].

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!!This film provides examples of:

* AlwaysVSexy: Violet.
%%* BlackBlood: Both played straight and [[RustproofBlood inverted]]. - provide more context
* BleedEmAndWeep: Subverted. The feminine Violet seems reluctant to shoot Caesar. He tries to [[YouWouldntShootMe talk her down]] in a most patronizing manner, telling her that she does not have the resolve nor the will to fire the gun. Violet does fire, but not before delivering a calm and collected PreAsskickingOneLiner. And she doesn't feel any remorse afterwards.
* BloodFromTheMouth: Johnny and later Caesar, both after receiving shots into knee/chest.
* BloodIsSquickerInWater: In toilet water. [[spoiler: And in white paint.]]
* BodyMotifs: Hands.
* BoundAndGagged: Given Lana Wachowski's S&M interests, this should come as little surprise.
* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler:Not just averted, by outright inverted, as Violet and Corky are just about the only major characters still alive at the end, ''and'' they get to drive off into the sunset with the money.]]
* ButchLesbian: Corky is more masculine than Violet. Gina Gershon modeled her performance on Creator/JamesDean. She wears short hair and masculine attire similar to a 50s greaser. The character was probably intended to look more "butch" than she ended up, judging by the scene where Caesar mistakes her for a man in dim light.
* ChekhovsBoomerang: The pruning shears. First used on Shelly, then tried again on Violet.
* ChewingTheScenery: Well, more like punching the scenery, but Ceaser gets rather...demented towards the middle, especially when he's searching Johnny's apartment.
* CoolOldGuy: Micky. [[{{Fingore}} Cruelly efficient]] towards Shelly, compassionate towards Violet, and the one guy who scares Caesar shitless even after [[spoiler:the latter killed Gino]].
* DefensiveFailure: Subverted, when Violet has Caesar at gunpoint. He senses this trope to happen and starts a YouWouldntShootMe, yet Violet doesn't falter and goes through with her plan.
* DramaticGunCock: Caesar does this when pointing his gun at Johnny.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Of the named characters in the film, only Gino doesn't, at some point, express an interest in Violet.
* FemmeFatale: Violet.
* FilmNoir: It's a lesbian neo-noir film.
* {{Fingore}}: During a scene of MutilationInterrogation involving pruning shears.
* GenderBlenderName: Corky.
* GirlsBehindBars: The film invokes this trope by depicting ButchLesbian Corky (Creator/GinaGershon) as a former inmate.
* HairpinLockpick: Corky uses a pin she wears as an earing to pick open the suitcase and later the apartment door. Micky manages to get himself into the apartment using the same technique.
* HowWeGotHere: The opening scene is actually from the middle of the plot -- Corky BoundAndGagged in the wardrobe. Then we revert back to how it all began.
* InLoveWithTheGangstersGirl: It's is a GenderFlip version, or half of one. A lesbian ex-con falls in love with a mafioso's girl, and the girl reciprocates. Then they hatch a scheme to get rid off him, which ends up backfiring on them when he proves to be far more resourceful than either of them anticipated.
* InstantDeathBullet: [[spoiler:Gino and his security guard die a quick death. Averted with Johnny]].
* InterruptedIntimacy: Violet and Corky are pleasuring each other on the couch when Caesar bursts in.
* IntertwinedFingers: Corky and Violet's final scene together--an especially nice touch considering what [[{{Fingore}} other things]] happened to fingers in ''this'' movie.
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Violet]] getting away with killing [[spoiler: Caesar]].
* LadyInRed: FemmeFatale Violet spends a good chunk of the film in a sexy red dress.
* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: Dramatic music builds steadily with the onscreen approach of the antagonist until the old b/w detective movie on the television is switched off, taking the music with it.
* LipstickLesbian: Violet, who looks and behaves in a traditionally feminine manner, in contrast to Corky.
* TheMafia
* MacGuffin: The money.
* MultipleGunshotDeath: Violet empties a clip on Caesar after he unsuccessfully tried a YouWouldntShootMe.
* MutilationInterrogation: A mobster steals a couple of million dollars from his employers. Despite a savage beating, he refuses to tell them where he's hidden it. Then one of the mobsters produces pruning shears, holds the guy's hands over a toilet bowl, and says: "I'm going to ask you ten times."
* NotSoDifferent: A major theme. In fact it's spelled out [[spoiler: in the last line in the movie.]]
-->'''Corky:''' You know what the difference is between you and me, Violet?\\
'''Violet:''' No.\\
'''Corky:''' Me neither.
* OneWordTitle
* OutlawCouple: Another lesbian version; a female ex-con hooks up with a gangster's girlfriend.
* PlethoraOfMistakes: On ''both'' sides of the scam.
* PointOfNoReturn: Corky mentions during the UnfoldingPlanMontage that after she places the paper weight into the suitcase there is no turning back.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Caeser refers to Corky as a dyke and comments that [[{{Irony}} 'her kind can't be trusted.']]
* PreMortemOneLiner: When Violet has a gun aimed at her abusive ex.
--> "Put the gun down, Violet. I know you. You won't shoot me."
-->"Caesar, you don't know ''shit''."
* PunctuatedForEmphasis: Caesar, tipping his gun against Corky's chin: "Where ... is ... my ... money?"
* RidingIntoTheSunset: Violet and Corky drive off with the loot to [[StartingANewLife begin a new life]].
* SeparatedByTheWall: With Corky and Violet in adjacent apartments.
* ShownTheirWork: The Wachowskis had Susie Bright advise them on lesbian sex and culture.
* SleevesAreForWimps: Creator/GinaGershon as Corky consistently wears tank tops.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Violet and Corky's caper works out as planned until Caesar comes up with his idea to follow Johnny and take Violet with him.
* StartingANewLife: Violet and Corky in the end.
* {{Swirlie}}: Shelly gets a toilette waterboarding treatment.
* TapOnTheHead: Caesar knocks Violet out with the butt of his gun. Corky goes out after a kick to the chin from Caesar.
* TattooedCrook: Corky sports a labrys, a symbol of lesbianism and feminine strength.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: A classic LipstickLesbian and ButchLesbian pairing.
* UnfoldingPlanMontage: While Corky's explains the details of the plan, we see a montage of how events are playing out.
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: The plan had to fail thanks to Corky laying out the details involving an UnfoldingPlanMontage.
* WaterWakeup: Caesar uses this technique to wake up Violet after the TapOnTheHead.
* WhiteShirtOfDeath: While standing in a room-wide puddle of pure white paint, to boot.
* WhosLaughingNow: Caesar both plays the trope straight and says the tag line almost verbatim. He also gets... [[EvilFeelsGood rather]] [[MadnessMantra animated]] while doing so.
-->'''Caesar:''' I'm a dead man, Johnnie? I'm a fucking dead man? Guess again, Johnnie. Who's the dead man? Who? Who's dead, fuckface? Who? Who? I can't hear you, Johnnie. Guess again. Take another guess, Johnnie. Take another fucking guess!"
* WindowLove: Violet and Corky do the opaque-barrier version, putting their hands on the dividing wall between them.
* WouldHitAGirl: Caesar. Both Violet and Corky have to learn that.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Caesar is madly scrambling to outwit his perceived enemy while Violet and Corky madly scramble to steer him in the right direction. Caeser turns out to be much smarter than they'd anticipated, but not smart enough.
* YouWouldntShootMe: At the end, Violet has a gun on Caesar:
-->'''Caesar:''' You don't want to shoot me, Vi.... I know you don't.\\
'''Violet:''' Caesar, you don't know shit. ''(Shoots him.)''
* YuriGenre

* BloodIsSquickerInWater: In toilet water.

* RidingIntoTheSunset: Violet and Corky drive off with the loot to begin a new life.

* BloodFromTheMouth: Johnny and later Ceasar, both after receiving shots into knee/chest.

%%* BlackBlood: Both played straight and [[RustproofBlood inverted]].

* GenderBlenderName; Corky.

* McGuffin: The money.

!!This film contains examples of:

* BloodFromTheMouth: Johnny and later Ceasar, both after receiving shots into knee or chest.

* SmokingIsCool: The film has a strong noir feel to it, including the so-cool-it-hurts smoking.

* BleedEmAndWeep: Inverted and Lampshaded. the feminine Violet seems reluctant to shoot Caesar. He lampshades this trope in a most patronizing manner, telling her that she does not have the resolve nor the will to fire the gun. Violet does fire, but not before delivering a calm and collected PreAsskickingOneLiner.

* BlackBlood: Both played straight and [[RustproofBlood inverted]].

* AlwaysVSexy: Violet

* FemmeFatale: Violet

* {{Fingore}}

* WaterWakeup: Caesar uses this technique to wake up Violet after h

* BloodIsSquickerInWater
* BodyMotifs: Hands

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bound_lgl_8030.jpg]]

-->'''Corky:''' You know what the difference is between you and me, Violet?
-->'''Violet:''' No.
-->'''Corky:''' Me neither.

* FilmNoir

* IntertwinedFingers
* LadyInRed: Violet

* XanatosSpeedChess: Caesar is madly scrambling to outwit his perceived enemy while Violet and Corky madly scramble to steer him in the right direction. Caeser turns out to be much smarter than they'd anticipated, but not smart enough.

''Bound'' is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by [[Film/TheMatrix the Wachowskis]]. It is about [[LipstickLesbian Violet]] (Creator/JenniferTilly), a closeted lesbian prostitute and mob moll who longs to escape her relationship with mob money-launderer Caesar (JoePantoliano). When she meets ex-con [[ButchLesbian Corky]] (GinaGershon) hired to renovate the next-door apartment, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Though the film was a strong freshman effort by the Wachowskis and a terrifically tense thriller, [[BestKnownForTheFanservice most people only remember it for the lesbian sex scene]].

* ButchLesbian: Corky is more masculine than Violet. Gina Gershon modeled her performance on James Dean. She wears short hair and masculine attire similar to a 50s greaser. The character was probably intended to look more "butch" than she ended up, judging by the scene where Caesar mistakes her for a man in dim light.

''Bound'' is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by [[Film/TheMatrix the Wachowskis]]. It is about [[LipstickLesbian Violet]] (JenniferTilly), a closeted lesbian prostitute and mob moll who longs to escape her relationship with mob money-launderer Caesar (JoePantoliano). When she meets ex-con [[ButchLesbian Corky]] (GinaGershon) hired to renovate the next-door apartment, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Though the film was a strong freshman effort by the Wachowskis and a terrifically tense thriller, [[BestKnownForTheFanservice most people only remember it for the lesbian sex scene]].

* CoolOldGuy: Micky. [[{{Fingore}} Cruelly efficient]] towards Shelly, compassionate towards Violet, and the one guy who scared Caesar shitless even after [[spoiler:the latter killed Gino]].

* SceneryPorn

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Caeser refers to Corky as a dyke and comments that 'her kind can't be trusted.'

* ExecutiveMeddling: Some studio executives wanted [[GetBackInTheCloset Corky]] [[HideYourLesbians to]] [[ButNotTooGay be a]] [[GenderFlip man]]. Fortunately, the Wachowskis declined, saying that that movie had been made dozens of times.

* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler:Not just averted, by outright inverted, as [[spoiler:Violet and Corky are just about the only major characters still alive at the end, ''and'' they get to drive off into the sunset with the money.]]

''Bound'' is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by [[Film/TheMatrix the Wachowskis]]. It is about [[LipstickLesbian Violet]] (JenniferTilly), a closeted lesbian prostitute and mob moll who longs to escape her relationship with mob money-launderer Caesar (JoePantoliano). When she meets ex-con [[ButchLesbian Corky]] (GinaGershon) hired to renovate the next-door apartment, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Though the film was a strong freshman effort by the Wachowskis and a terrifically tense thriller, [[EverybodyRemembersTheStripper most people only remember it for the lesbian sex scene]].

* [[spoiler:BuryYourGays]]: Not just averted, by outright inverted, as [[spoiler:Violet and Corky are just about the only major characters still alive at the end, ''and'' they get to drive off into the sunset with the money.]]

''Bound'' is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by [[Film/TheMatrix the Wachowskis]]. It is about [[LipstickLesbian Violet]] (JenniferTilly), a closeted lesbian prostitute and mob moll who longs to escape her relationship with mob money-launderer Caesar (JoePantoliano). When she meets ex-con [[ButchLesbian Corky]] (GinaGershon) hired to renovate the next-door apartment, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Though the film was a strong freshman effort by the Wachowskis and a terrifically tense thriller, most people only remember it for the lesbian sex scene.