History Film / Bound1996

* BreakupMakeupScenario: Corky and Violet stop speaking to one another after their argument about her prostituting herself to men and her closeted lesbianism, only to reconcile when they both can't take the sounds of Caesar and his men torturing Shelly.

* AccidentalAdultery: Corky attempts to seduce a femme lesbian sitting in the lesbian bar they're at. Unfortunately for Corky, the woman is already taken and her butch girlfriend is a cop on duty.

* ShoutOut: Corky tells a taken femme lesbian named Jesse that she previously attempted to pick up in the bar, "When you get tired of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' over here, give me a call".

%%* AssholeVictim: Johnnie and later, Caesar. Caesar thinks Johnnie is a complete idiot and Johnnie thinks he can run Chicago just because his father is Gino Marzzarone, head of the Marzzarone family. Both men treat people terribly so it's a relief when they're finally killed.

%%* FemmeFatale: Violet is one and she is well aware of it. She dresses seductively, she is able to charm people around her with her looks and fast talking wit, and she even unremorsefully kills Caesar after he threatened her and Corky.

%%* KilledOffscreen: Shelly.

* NoBisexuals: A jealous Corky insists that Violet is a "little dyke" deep down inside, and Violet insists to Corky that she really is a lesbian and that her having sex with men is just only to make money. No possibility of bisexuality is discussed In-universe.

** Corky stops trying to chat up a femme lesbian in the bar when she sees the woman's girlfriend flashing her badge.

%%* OneWordTitle: The film is titled with a singular word, "Bound".

* PizzaBoySpecialDelivery: The plumber version is invoked when Violet asks Corky to help her get the earing from the drainpipe. Seduction ensues.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Not wanting to risk going back to jail because her potential love interest's girlfriend is a cop, Corky leaves the bar immediately but not before telling her taken love interest to call her when she's single.

* ShoutOut: Corky tells a taken femme lesbian that she previously attempted to pick up in the bar, "When you get tired of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' over here, give me a call".

* UnsettlingGenderReveal: Caesar is embarrassed when he mistakes Corky for a man due to apartment being so dark.

* CureYourGays: Caesar believes he can force Violet to be his girlfriend despite knowing that she is a lesbian.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Caesar refers to Corky as a dyke and comments that [[{{Irony}} 'her kind can't be trusted.']]

* IncompatibleOrientation: Shelly was in love with Violet despite knowing that she was a lesbian. Caesar loves Violet but she doesn't reciprocate his feelings for obvious reasons.

%%* AssholeVictim: Johnnie and later, Caesar.

%%* FemmeFatale: Violet.

%%* OneWordTitle

* WhereEverybodyKnowsYourFlame: Early on, Corky visits a lesbian bar, which establishes her orientation (you know, assuming anybody [[ButchLesbian didn't already guess]]).

* AMacMuffinFullOfMoney: The briefcase full of $2 million of stolen Mafia money Violet and Corky aim to steal from the Mafia themselves.

''Bound'' is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by Creator/TheWachowskis. 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 (Creator/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 remember it for the lesbian sex scene]].

''Bound'' is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by Creator/TheWachowskis. 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 (Creator/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, arguably [[BestKnownForTheFanservice most people remember it for the lesbian sex scene]].

* AMacGuffinFullOfMoney: The briefcase full of money.

* OneWordTitle

* MsFanservice: Corky and Violet are both attractive in different ways. They a long sex scene together, where both are seen topless.

* TheGhost: Mr. Bianchini, who is Corky's employer and the manager of the apartment complex where the most of the action takes place.

* WhosLaughingNow: Caesar both plays the trope straight and says the tag line almost verbatim. He also gets... [[EvilFeelsGood rather]] [[MadnessMantra animated]] while doing so.

* LipstickLesbian: Violet, who looks and behaves in a traditionally feminine manner, in contrast to Corky.

* LoveTriangle: Caesar/Violet/Corky.

* 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.

* TheGhost: Mr. Bianchini, who is Corky's employer and the manager of the apartmen complex where the most of the action takes place.

* ConcealingCanvas: Caesar looks behind all the paintings at Johnny's place in the hope to find a safe with the money.

* DesecratingTheDead: Caesar trash-talks Johnny's corpse.

* DramaticDrop: Caesar lets the rope and plastic bags drop when he spots Violet on the phone.
* DramaticGunCock: Caesar does this when pointing his gun at Johnny.

* IKissYourHand: Johnny kisses Violet's hand much to Caesar's dismay.

* PhoneyCall: Caesar gets a call from Violet and pretends it's Angelo Marzzone letting him know that he got into an accident.

* RansackedRoom: We see the aftermath of Caesar turning Johnny's apartment upside down in his search for the money.

* RightThroughTheWall: Corky hears Violet and Shelly having sex due to the apartment's thin walls.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Violet's and Corky's caper works out as planned until Caesar comes up with his idea to follow Johnny and take Violet with him.

* WhatAreYouInFor: Ceasor has no qualms asking Corky that question on their first encounter. She doesn't give him an answer but later reveals to Vi that she did those five years for burglary.

* PlethoraOfMistakes: On ''both'' sides of the scam.

* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Of the named characters in the film, only Gino, Roy, and Lou don't, at some point, express an interest in Violet.

* ChewingTheScenery: Well, more like punching the scenery, but Caesar gets rather... demented towards the middle, especially when he's searching Johnnie's apartment.

* BodyMotifs: Hands. The women make love with their hands, while the mafiosos cut off fingers.

* MacGuffin: The money.

* WhiteShirtOfDeath: While standing in a room-wide puddle of pure white paint, to boot.
%%* WhoNamesTheirKidDude: Seriously though, Corky?

* 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.

* 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.

* {{Jerkass}}: Johnnie, big time. He definitely takes advantage of being the son of a powerful mobster and constantly rubs it in everyone's faces, especially in Caesar's face.

%%* BigBad: Caesar.

* TheDon: Gino's brother and Johnnie's uncle, Angelo Marzzone. He doesn't appear in person, but he was mentioned by Corky and Ceasar.

* {{Jerkass}}: Johnnie, big time. He definitely takes advantage of being the son of a powerful mobster and constantly rubs it in everyone's faces, especially in Ceasar's face.

* MacGuffin: The money.

* TheOner: The main sex scene was filmed in one long shot, as Creator/TheWachowskis believed that the continuous shot would be more realistic than several shots edited together.

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

%%* TomboyishName: Corky.

%%* WhoNamesTheirKidDude: Seriously though, Corky?

* 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.

* TattooedCrook: Corky sports a labrys, a symbol of lesbianism and feminine strength.

* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler: Narrowly averted by Violet and Corky - they both make it out alive.]]